Better World News: UN Global Environmental Food Crisis Graphs

Note: Meat consumption has almost tripled since 1966, sugar doubled, Pulses(Legumes, beans) 50% less.

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/kilocalories-per-capita-day

Kilocalories per capita/day (map/graphic/illustration)

It takes 4600 crop kcalories to get 2000 kcalories
http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/a-gross-estimate-of-the-global-picture-of-losses-conversion-and-wastage-at-different-stages-of-the-f

A gross estimate of the global picture of losses, conversion and wastage at different stages of the food supply chain (map/graphic/illustration)

Environmental Food Crisis

Publisher: UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity), SBSTTA (Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, Publication date: 2009, Edited by Joel Benoit

A new rapid response assessment report released by UNEP warns that up to 25% of the world’s food production may become lost due to environmental breakdown by 2050 unless action is taken. Prepared by the Rapid Response Assessment Team at UNEP/GRID-Arendal and UNEP-WCMC, the report provides the first summary by the UN of how climate change, water stress, invasive pests and land degradation may impact world food security, food prices and life on the planet and how we may be able to feed the world in a more sustainable manner. The report concludes that we need to get smart and more creative about recycling food wastes and fish discards into animal feed. While major efforts have gone into increasing efficiency in the traditional energy sector, food energy efficiency has received too little attention.

See the Environmental Food Crisis web-site for full details.

Kilocalories per capita/day As nearly half of the world’s cereal production is used to produce animal feed, the dietary proportion of meat has a major influence on global food demand (Keyzer et al., 2005). With meat [..]
A gross estimate of the global picture of losses, conversion and wastage at different stages of the food supply chain i.e., before conversion of food to feed. After discounting the losses, conversions and wastage at the various stages, roughly 2,800 kcal are available for supply (mixture of animal and vegetal [..]
A photographic impression of the gradual changes in two ecosystem types Globally, over 1,000 (87%) of a total of 1,226 threatened bird species are impacted by agriculture. More than 70 species are affected by agricultural pollution, 27 of them seriously. Europe’s [..]
An increasing number of countries are leasing land abroad to sustain and secure their food production. Data are preliminary only The world regions are sharply divided in terms of their capacity to use science in promoting agricultural productivity in order to achieve food security and reduce poverty and hunger. For every [..]
Annual production increase 1965-2008 (%) The use of fertilizers accounts for approximately 50% of the yield increase, and greater irrigation for another substantial part (FAO, 2003). Current FAO projections in food demand suggest that [..]
Crushed by war and world conflicts Conflicts increase the risk of food supply instability tremendously (Figure 31). Countries in conflict and post-conflict situations tend to be food insecure, with more than 20% of the population, [..]
FAO Commodity Price Indices Although production has generally increased, the rising prices coincided with extreme weather events in several major cereal producing countries, which resulted in a depletion of cereal stocks. The [..]
FAO Food price index (FFPI) The current world food crisis is the result of the combined effects of competition for cropland from the growth in biofuels, low cereal stocks, high oil prices, speculation in food markets and [..]
Food losses for different commodities Food losses in the field (between planting and harvesting) could be as high as 20–40% of the potential harvest in developing countries due to pests and pathogens (Kader, 2005). Postharvest losses [..]
Food losses for different commodities Food losses in the field (between planting and harvesting) could be as high as 20–40% of the potential harvest in developing countries due to pests and pathogens (Kader, 2005). Postharvest losses [..]
Food prices (index) The impacts of reduced food availability, higher food prices and thus lower access to food by many people have been dramatic. It is estimated that in 2008 at least 110 million people have been [..]
Global population, estimates and projections (billions) Each day 200,000 more people are added to the world food demand. The world’s human population has increased near fourfold in the past 100 years (UN population Division, 2007); it is projected to [..]
Global trends (1960–2005) in cereal and meat production, use of fertilizer, irrigation and pesticides Figure 8: Global trends (1960–2005) in cereal and meat production, use of fertilizer, irrigation and pesticides. (Source: Tilman, 2002; FAO, 2003; International Fertilizer Association, 2008; FAOSTAT, [..]
Historic and projected changes in water consumption for food production, 1960-2050 Water is essential not only to survival but is also equally or even more important than nutrients in food production. Agriculture accounts for nearly 70% of the water consumption, with some [..]
Impacts of climate change on cereal output in Africa Water is essential not only to survival but is also equally or even more important than nutrients in food production. Agriculture accounts for nearly 70% of the water consumption, with some [..]
Impacts on drought on livestock numbers in selected African countries Water scarcity in terms of drought or depleted groundwater could therefore have great impacts on livestock and rangelands. These interactions are also complex. While drought can directly threaten [..]
Increase in crop production has mainly been a function of increases in yield due to increased irrigation and fertilizer use Figure 9: Increase in crop production has mainly been a function of increases in yield due to increased irrigation and fertilizer use. However, this may change in the future towards more reliance on [..]
Losses in land productivity due to land degradation Unsustainable practices in irrigation and production may lead to increased salinization of soil, nutrient depletion and erosion. An estimated 950 million ha of salt-affected lands occur in arid and [..]
Many of the largest rivers in the Himalayas Hindu Kush region are strongly dependent upon snow and glacial melt for waterflow Except for the fact that glaciers are melting rapidly in many places, we do not have adequate data to more accurately project when and where water scarcity will affect irrigation schemes in full. [..]
Market access in agricultural areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America Accessibility to food is also determined by the long-term trend in food prices (which is a different issue from price volatility). The rising trend in global food prices is likely to persist in the [..]
Possible individual ranges of yield and cropland area losses by 2050 Figure 24: Possible individual ranges of yield and cropland area losses by 2050 with climate change (A2 scenario), non-food crops incl. biofuels (six OECD scenarios), land degradation (on yield and [..]
Projected impacts of climate change Global climate change may impact food production across a range of pathways (Figure 17): 1) By changing overall growing conditions (general rainfall distribution, temperature regime and carbon); 2) [..]
Projected land use changes, A central component in preventing loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, such as provisioning of water, from expanding agricultural production is to limit the trade-off between economic [..]
Projected losses in food production due to climate change by 2080 Based on a consensus estimate of 6 climate models and two crop modelling methods, Cline (2007) concluded that by 2080, assuming a 4.4° C increase in temperature and a 2.9% increase in [..]
Supermarket share of retail food sales Large urban markets create the scope for the establishment of big supermarket chains, with implications for the entire food supply chain. In 2002, the share of supermarkets in the processed/packaged [..]
The production of biodiesel and ethanol has increased substantially in recent years Biofuels have grown quickly in demand and production (Figure 14), fuelled by high oil prices and the initial perception of their role in reducing CO2 emissions (FAO, 2008). Biofuels, including [..]
Theoretical potential for cropland expansion, irrespective of conservation, water and other environmental issues Current projections suggest that an additional 120 million ha – an area twice the size of France or one-third that of India – will be needed to support the traditional growth in food production by [..]
United States and Brazil are among the greatest producers of biofuels today Production of crops for biofuels also competes with food production (Banse et al., 2008). Indeed, the corn equivalent of the energy used on a few minutes drive could feed a person for a day, while [..]
Urbanization in developing countries between 1960 and 2030 According to the latest UN estimates, almost all of the world’s population growth between 2000 and 2030 will be concentrated in urban areas in developing countries (Figure 32). By 2030, almost 60% [..]
World Bank Country Income groups There are huge regional differences in the above trends. Globally, poverty rates have fallen from 52% in 1981 to 42% in 1990 and to 26% in 2005. In Sub-Saharan Africa, however, the poverty rate [..]
World cereal trade in agriculture has increased steadily in the past decades The availability of food within a specific country can be guaranteed in two ways: Either by food production in the country itself or by trade. The first option has been discussed extensively in the [..]
World fisheries and aquaculture production (million tonnes) Current projections for aquaculture suggest that previous growth is unlikely to be sustained in the future as a result of limits to the availability of wild marine fish for aquaculture feed (FAO, [..]