Planet will avoid future food crisis - Your Life - say agricultural scientists Luther Tweeten and Carl Zulauf

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Jan, 2003

Luther Tweeten and Carl Zulauf, agricultural scientists at Ohio State University, Columbus, maintain that there will be enough food to feed world populations 50 years from now and into the next century. Negative population growth by 2050 will mean less demand on resources and more food for everyone. Basing their contention on United Nations population data, they told the World Future Society, Bethesda, Md., that people worldwide are having fewer children. Adding environmental preservation as societies mature as well as increased economic growth will result in a future not only of sustainable food production, but with excess production to feed the entire planet.

If world population numbers continue to increase at the same rate as in 1995-2000 (1.4% annually), food demand would drastically outpace supply. However, Tweeten and Zulauf forecast that population growth will decline while food yields will follow trends set from 1961 to 1999, growing at a rate of 2.3% annually, so supply will actually outstrip demand.

The researchers also predict that:

* Rising affluence will result in environmental protection while leaving sufficient land for food production.

* Higher incomes and slower population growth will lower harmful emissions into the environment since wealthier consumers tend to demand cleaner, more-efficient technologies.

* People will use less acreage for crops, so they will have more green, environmentally friendly space.