Food Security. The Challenge of Nutrition in the New Century

Abstract

The exponential growth of the world population (according to the FAO projections, it is expected to reach 9 billion people in 2050) and the urbanization (which will bring more than 60% of the population to live in the cities at the same date), combined with the marked improvement of income conditions of large sections of the populations of countries such as China and India, will result in a strong increase in individual demand for animal products. It is becoming increasingly difficult to satisfy the rising global demand for food in a sustainable manner (the most recent estimates tell us that about one billion people go hungry or are malnourished). Furthermore, a great number of factors contribute to uncertainty about the world’s ability to meet the food demand of an increasing population. For all that reasons, food security must be put on top of the policy agenda.