Food for hunger...

The world's population today stands at 6.5 billion with the number expected to touch a whopping 9 billion by 2050. And most of this population growth is happening in the developing and underdeveloped world. This burgeoning population is leading to a fight for resources, raw materials, food and land. The question is is this kind of growth sustainable? What are the measures undertaken to control the population. And as the population grows unabated, what are the measures taken to meet the requirements of the growing population. On the food front for instance over 800 million around the world are mal nourished and one in five of them is a child. Annually fifteen million children under the age of five die because of hunger. And mass hunger, poverty and scarcity haunts the resource abundant continents of Asia & Africa. Presently there is about 1.5 million hectares of land around the world under cultivation. With increased industrialization, land under cultivation is decreasing. This is only expected to raise the problem. So there have to be solutions on alternate fronts. One of the solutions to the food scarcity is the use of scientific and technological advancements to meet the increasing requirements. The green revolution in Asia in 70's and 80's increased the food production upto three times and saved the world's most populated continent from food crises. Under traditional means of production the food production is 30-40 percent less. For instance in the wheat yield is about two tonnes per hectare in Russia compared to almost four time that is about 8 tonnes per hectare in France. Thus, leveraging scientific and technological advancements to usher in an era of second green revolution would be a good idea. Africa with its vast lands of fertile soil and natural resources, can world's future to its food requirements and industrial inputs. But these have to leveraged through technology to maximise returns. Thus, there is a case for association between the technologically advanced and resource abundant developing world.