IXL Social Enterprise Case Studies Food Security January 2013 | Page 10

Food Security in Urban Slums by 2018

Growing population means an ever increasing demand for more food production
By 2050, the global population is expected to reach 9 billion people.30 Most of this growth will be
in developing regions in Asia, Africa and Latin America (Figure 9). Although the economic gains
in these regions are expected to continue to lift hundreds of millions of people into the middle
class and bring people out of complete poverty, because of increasing food prices and population
growth, the number of people who can’t afford food is expected to continue growing.31 This growth
continues to put a strain on resources and food production capacity, but it also puts huge demands
on the post-consumption waste management and sustainability of the food industry.

Billions of People

10
8
6
4

Developing World

2

Developed World

0
1975

2000

2025

2050

Year
Figure 9. Global population will grow rapidly through 205029

Increasing land degradation and demand for cash crops will reduce arable land for
food production
In conjunction with a larger population needing to be fed, the amount of land to farm on is
decreasing. Under the pressure of not having enough to eat, hungry people may resort to practices
that damage land over time. These activities range from using harsh chemicals to boost short term
yield to destroying resources like trees or natural water sources in order to gain immediate income
at the cost of long term degradation of farming land.32 It is understandable why individuals do these
things, but these actions have dangerous long-term implications.
Land is also being siphoned away from food production for the purpose of producing cash crops;
namely, ethanol.33 Corn, sugar cane, and other staples are being grown and turned into ethanol or
other biofuels to power cars and other machinery.34 The World Bank attests that biofuel production,
along with market speculation, contributed to almost 75% of increase in food prices during the
2008 food crisis.35 Biofuel production is not only sanctioned but subsidized in two of the largest netexporting food countries in the world: the United States and Brazil. Excess production being sold
to other countries for food is now being fought over by biofuel manufacturers who often have more
capital and bargaining power than food producers.36
However, with drought-resistant seeds that are making non-arable lands productive in Brazil,
saline-resistant rice that make coastal regions productive in India37 or farming without soil using
hydroponics in Swaziland,38 alternative locations are becoming real options to produce food around
the world.

Version 1.0, January 2013

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