Overlooking Solutions

The New York Times recently reported on concerns voiced by experts attending a UN Food and Agricultural Organization meeting  in Rome.They estimate that food production will have to increase by 50percent over the next two decades to feed the world's growing population.  Their major concern was with increasing food production rather than considering the possibility of reducing the rate of population growth throughout the world and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

These parts of the world have the highest rates of population growth and the greatest number of hungry people. South Central Asia has a growth rate of 1.7 percent and are projected to increase their population from 1.7 billion people in 2009 to 2.6 billion by 2050.  This is an additional billion people, a 50% increase.  In sub-Saharan Africa the population is projected to increase from 1 billion to 2 billion people by 2050.  This is 100% increase in population.  The figures above are from the UN mid-range projections.  If more aggressive family planning programs and female education programs were initiated, the number of people needing food might be as much as 20% fewer.  

However, neither in the article nor at the conference was there any discussion of the need to undertake efforts to reduce population growth. 

They also have some of the most challenging and difficult growing conditions in the world.  The gains of the green revolution are difficult to transfer to Asia and Africa.  The green revolution concentrated on wheat and rice but Africa has different staple crops.  

The entire article focused on the need to increase support for agricultural research and fertilizer.  As the number of hungry people has declined, the level of foreign assistance devoted to agriculture has declined from 17% of assistance in n1980 to 4 percent in 2000.

The article and the experts called for an increase in agricultural assistance.  They did not call for an increase in spending for family planning funds which would reduce the demand for food if there were fewer people.