Meeting Future Global Food Demands While Preserving Biodiversity in Agricultural Areas

© 2005 Eugene S. Takle

Global population is predicted to rise to between 8 and 10 billion by 2050 with rapidly increasing per capita consumption. This would increase overall food demand by two- to threefold. Green et al. (2005) assess the potential impact on biodiversity (they consider wild species of birds) if this increased demand is met by (a) allowing for lower yield by more biodiversity-friendly farming, which requires that more land be brought into production, vs. (b) more intensive (less wildlife-friendly) management of existing farmed land with less need to convert wildland to farmland. They propose a method to study such trade-offs, but more data are needed to draw definitive conclusions for specific regions.

Reference

Green, R.E., S.J. Cornell, J.P.W. Scharlemann, and A. Balmford, 2005: Farming and the fate of wild nature. Science, 307, 550-555.