Future Dimensions of World Food and Population.

Abstract

The need for careful consideration of the problems associated with world food and population prompted the Congressional Roundtable on World Food and Population during 1979 and early 1980. The series of papers produced by the Roundtable is included in this volume. The idea that feeding people adequately constitutes a goal of almost universal acceptability is key to the institutions and programs intended to alleviate world hunger and stimulate food self-reliance. The problem of balancing population needs with food production is not well understood. There are clearly no quick fixes. Maurice Williams begins his observations with a vision of a world without hunger. He gives details and the progress and prospects since the 1974 World Food Conference. The cause of rising food deficits in the developing countries he indicates is the rate of increase in the demand for food which arises from a high rate of population growth coupled with a high income elasticity of demand for food. Williams describes the nature of the population dimension the actions which developing countries can take to increase food production the problem of malnutrition as it is related to the effective distribution of food and the need for increased investment. David Hopper presents the outline of the world food and population situation in numerical terms giving special attention to the nature of the demand for food the course of population growth and the prospects for increasing food production to meet world demand. His description of the dynamics of population change is helpful in understanding the potential influence of population and development policies. He finds recent population trends encouraging and is optimistic about the worlds food producing capabilities. Lester Brown stresses the problem of expanding food supplies when cropland throughout the world is decreasing. He maintains that agricultural land can no longer be treated as an inexhaustible source of land for industry urbanization and the energy sector. Brown argues for the adoption of land use planning and management but acknowledges that this solution most often is incompatible with existing social structures and therefore difficult for governments to establish.