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Due to the fact that the population is rapidly expanding in the whole world, it is a challenge
to provide enough food for everybody on earth. It was in 1805, when the world’s population
reached 1 billion people. In 1927, the population of 1 billion doubled to 2 billion. In 1974,
just 47 years later doubled again to 4 billion. The world’s population has exploded. Today,
the world’s population is about 7 billion people.
At the same time, the rapid population increases gaps between the richer and the poorer. Furthermore,
in contrast to the developing countries, birth rates in developed countries are declining.
Many countries are already confronted with energy shortages, food shortages or water
shortages. The problem of the current food production
is that a large amount of food is not used as food but for example for biofuel production.
If the world reaches a population of 9 billion people the way of consuming and producing
food definitely has to change. It cannot be possible that biofuel will be
produced out of food while about 1 billion people (every 7th person) suffer from food
insecurity and extreme poverty.
One of the leading causes for food shortage is global warming: billions of people are
facing food shortage at this moment and this situation will not change in the near future;
the weather conditions worsen and it will be difficult to manufacture own food; current
fertile land will change with time into desert; profitable crops will diminish into quantities
suitable only for small families. The serious effects of global warming already have begun
and most countries are not even prepared to face the enormous problems.
Seventy-one per cent of the earth is covered with water.
What will the world be like in 2100? - This is an interesting question answered by the
UN. The UN estimates that about 10 billion people will be without oil and without enough
food. Right now, it is already the case that severe
poverty occurs as well as food shortage, climate changes and increased urbanization. Will it
be possible for a population of 10 billion people to survive on one planet? There need
to be changes in how we use resources, how we use food, how we live in general.
One of the main ways how 10 billion people could be able to live on one planet will be
an increased urbanization. It is forecasted that many new cities, especially mega-cities
will become more common by 2100. The elderly population will be triple as high
as right now. In contrast, the most population growth will
be in developing countries, especially in Africa. In 2010 Africa’s population was
1 billion. In 2100, the population will be about 3.6 billion.
Due to the population growth worldwide and the global warming, food shortage will be
a main problem in 2100. Because of temperature rise worldwide, there will be a risk of drought
and the growing season in the tropics and subtropics will be shortened. Right now, there
are already about 900 million people starving. This number will increase in the upcoming
years.