world population
Population in the world is currently growing at a rate of around 1.14% per year. The average population change is currently estimated at around 80 million per year.
The annual growth rate is currently declining and is projected to continue to decline in the coming years. Currently, it is estimated that it will become less than 1% by 2020 and less than 0.5% by 2050.
The annual growth rate is currently declining and is projected to continue to decline in the coming years. Currently, it is estimated that it will become less than 1% by 2020 and less than 0.5% by 2050.
This means that world population will continue to grow in the 21st century, but at a slower rate compared to the recent past. It is now estimated that it will take a further 43 years to increase by another 50%, to become 9 billion by 2042. The latest United Nations projections indicate that world population will nearly stabilise at just above 10 billion persons after 2062.
Despite the decreasing growth rate, the population is still ever-increasing, putting further demands on food, water, fossil fuel and other limited resources necessary to sustain human populations. It is estimated that the world’s population will grow to 9 billion by mid-century, putting substantial demands on the planet’s food supply.
As the population numbers increase, the possibility of human over-population will also increase. This can result in environmental problems such as:
Despite the decreasing growth rate, the population is still ever-increasing, putting further demands on food, water, fossil fuel and other limited resources necessary to sustain human populations. It is estimated that the world’s population will grow to 9 billion by mid-century, putting substantial demands on the planet’s food supply.
As the population numbers increase, the possibility of human over-population will also increase. This can result in environmental problems such as:
- rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide
- global warming
- pollution
- increased demand for resources (food and water etc) - resulting in starvation and malnutrition
- consumption of natural resources faster than rate of regeneration
- deterioration in living conditions
- elevated crime rates
- mass species extinctions
food supply and demand |
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can we meet the world's growing demand for food?
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The growth in food demand and need is the result of the combined effects of world population growth to over 9 billion by 2050, rising incomes and dietary changes towards higher meat intake. Meat production is particularly demanding in terms of energy, cereal and water. Today, nearly half of the world’s cereals are being used for animal feed. To meet these growing demands, we will need to grow almost twice as much food by 2050 as we do today.
There are more than 7 billion people on Earth today, and we’re expected to reach 9 billion by mid-century and 2 billion more people in the next 40 years -roughly a 28% increase. If those additional 2 billion people were to eat the average diet (which is actually unlikely, since most of these people will be added to the poorest regions of the world, where diets are very minimal) that would mean we need roughly 28% more food. This shows that we cannot meet the world's increasing growing demand for food.
Each day, 200,000 more people are added to the world food demand. The world’s human population has increased near fourfold in the past 100 years (UN population Division, 2007); it is projected to increase from 6.7 billion (2006) to 9.2 billion by 2050, as shown in Figure 1.
In addition to increasing demand for food by a rising population, observed dietary shifts also have implications for world food production. Along with rising population are the increasing incomes of a large fraction of the world’s population (Figure 2). The result is increasing consumption of food per capita, as well as changes in diets towards a higher proportion of meat. With growing incomes, consumption increases substantially.
There are more than 7 billion people on Earth today, and we’re expected to reach 9 billion by mid-century and 2 billion more people in the next 40 years -roughly a 28% increase. If those additional 2 billion people were to eat the average diet (which is actually unlikely, since most of these people will be added to the poorest regions of the world, where diets are very minimal) that would mean we need roughly 28% more food. This shows that we cannot meet the world's increasing growing demand for food.
Each day, 200,000 more people are added to the world food demand. The world’s human population has increased near fourfold in the past 100 years (UN population Division, 2007); it is projected to increase from 6.7 billion (2006) to 9.2 billion by 2050, as shown in Figure 1.
In addition to increasing demand for food by a rising population, observed dietary shifts also have implications for world food production. Along with rising population are the increasing incomes of a large fraction of the world’s population (Figure 2). The result is increasing consumption of food per capita, as well as changes in diets towards a higher proportion of meat. With growing incomes, consumption increases substantially.
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