In another 40 years, demographers tell us, there will be 2.5 billion more people. A new UN report says that by then we shall need to double food production in order to feed the planet. When a similar issue arose some fifty years ago, the Green Revolution increased food production. But it came at the expense of the environment, utilizing too much land, water and other natural resources. Now, experts say we need to totally rethink how to use land and water. The use of algae is at the top of the list. Algae is many times more ecologically efficient than ethanol, cheaper to produce, can be used as fuel and also to feed animals and in some cases humans. Another idea is artificial meat, although how to make it taste the same as its animal counterpart is still a challenge. Seawater greenhouses could be a way to utilize seawater to water plants, and insect farms could provide protein that is low in fat and cholesterol. While the West doesn’t seem to relish the idea, many in Africa, Asia and South America already consume many kinds of insects.
Daily news give us a negative view of human nature , but there is another aspect to who we are, and the many who are involved in addressing and solving the food crisis of the future illustrate its presence and its power.
Skip to content