BUSINESS INFORMATION - World food production must increase 70 percent in 2050

These institutions prepare high-level expert forum in Rome on 12-13 Oktober about "How the World Food in 2050" and plans to collect 300 specialists from academic, non-governmental and private institutions.

This forum will pave the way for the World Summit on Food Security in Rome on 16-18 November.

World population is estimated to grow from 6.8 billion today to 9.1 billion by 2050, according to the latest UN estimates.

Population Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow most rapidly (up to 108 percent, 910 million people), and East and Southeast Asia the slowest (up to 11 percent, 228 million). Approximately 70 percent of the world's population will live in cities or urban areas in 2050, up from 49 percent today.

Demand for food is expected to grow as a result of increased income and population growth, adding discussion paper. Cereal production has increased by nearly one billion tonnes from 2.1 billion today and meat production will grow by more than 200 million tons to reach a total of 470 million tons in 2050.

FAO estimates that "biofuel production can also increase the demand for agricultural commodities, depending on energy prices and government policies."

More land will be needed for crops "despite the fact that 90 percent of agricultural production growth is estimated to come from higher yields and increased the intensity of cultivation."

FAO estimates that "a fertile ground to extend approximately 120 million hectares in developing countries," especially in Africa and Latin America ", while the fertile land that is used in developed countries is estimated to decline approximately 50 million hectares, although this can be changed by demand biofuels. "

Globally, there is still enough land to feed the world population in the future, but most of the land potentially suitable for only a few plants, and the FAO warned other difficulties, such as chemical and physical constraints, endemic diseases and lack of infrastructure.

Such problems would require "significant investment," FAO said, adding that some countries in the Near East, North Africa and South Asia "has been reached or will soon reach the limits of available land."

FAO expects the withdrawal of water for agricultural irrigation to grow by nearly 11 percent in 2050.

The world has enough freshwater resources, but "they are very evenly distributed and the scarcity of water will reach the level of worry about the increasing number of countries or regions within countries, especially in the East / North Close, North Africa and South Asia.