Feeding the Billions from Outer Space

In 1972 the world food situation became a world food crisis. Reversing a 20-year trend of increasing food production, world food production actually declined. Whereas in 1961 grain reserves swelled to a 95-day supply (170 million tons), stocks fell to a 70-day supply in 1972 and 1973.' Today it is estimated that we have about 30 days of grain in reserve supply.2 The decrease in reserves and the escalation of commodity prices which accompanied it catapulted food policy discussions to the forefront of public policy discussions. And the energy crisis and the immediate rise in fertilizer prices have only added to an already worsening situation. The world's population numbers over four billion. Today, two-thirds of the earth's citizens live in the equatorial hunger belt, produce only one-fifth of the food, and have four-fifths of the babies. Ninety-four per cent of the increase in population from 1970 to 2025 will take place in the underdeveloped regions of the world.3 It has taken us 10,000 years to produce four billion persons. It will take only 30 to 35 years to produce the next four billion. Increasingly these new world citizens will move to cities. Urban growth will advance by 61 per cent between 1970 and 2000, and in less developed countries, at three times that rate. Cities do not supply food for inhabitants, and costs of services and commodities rise relative to size and

Operating system · Outer space · Space (punctuation) · Computer Science · Space exploration and regulation

• Making Space

  Open Access•Jeremy L Hall•Public Works Management & Policy•2026

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