• UN warns world must produce 60% more food by 2050 to avoid mass unrest
    135 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Leestons;44189677]It is, you would think with all the money and food were sending to third world countries we would send some birth control too. If you can't afford to feed the mouths you already have, stop making more.[/QUOTE] I don't think you understand how poverty works. Third world families generally NEED the children so they can work and sustain the family
No Malthus isn't right, what the UN is saying is we just need to produce more food. It hasn't said we [b]cannot[/b]. As said above in modern times we are more concerned with how our food looks and so waste it, as well as focus our limited research budgets upon other technological projects. The Rosebud theory is correct, we will always be able to develop innovative new ways to increase our carrying capacity. Just look at the lab grown burgers and the concept art for terraced farming methods (essentially building fields of crops on the top of fields of crop a la apartment housing style).
[img]http://abload.de/img/dredd050mu2d.jpg[/img] Eat recycled food Na, just kidding. Of course it's going to be hard to feed so much people but we also got to take scientific advancements into account. This of course doesn't guarantee anything.
This isn't new, it has always been said that our population will exceed our ability to supply food.
[QUOTE=Kyle902;44190523]I don't think you understand how poverty works. Third world families generally NEED the children so they can work and sustain the family[/QUOTE] But so many are too weak and malnourished to work.
I'm beginning to think that, as much as I love meat and milk, maybe wasting our resources on cow farms isn't a tenable solution anymore.
[QUOTE=Phrozen99;44190732]This isn't new, it has always been said that our population will exceed our ability to supply food.[/QUOTE] we produce enough food to feed around 10.4 billion people currently, the problem isn't production, its waste. also those who happen to live in a rich nation, or nations that at least have large amounts of arable land, won't really be affected that much, some nations in africa, middle east(especially the middle east) and asia on the other hand are fucked, and there will probably be more than one or two massive civil unrest cases on latin america due to absurd inequality too.
[QUOTE=Leestons;44189677]It is, you would think with all the money and food were sending to third world countries we would send some birth control too. If you can't afford to feed the mouths you already have, stop making more.[/QUOTE] Wow do you not know why less-developed countries have high birthrates.
[QUOTE=Zeemlapje;44189620]Or make less babies?? Less hungry mouths to feed = less food to produce[/QUOTE] Only in countries that are unsustainable As a matter of fact, we should calculate how much a country can feed with the land it has with a minimum amount of GMO/bullshit, and plan how to reward or sanction more/less babies so all countries have a optimal population
I think this will mostly affect Africa and the poor Asian countries, probably some of SA too. Europe and North America, will be just as it is now, meaning wasting a shitload of food cause it isn't big/good looking enough.
[QUOTE=Zeemlapje;44189620]Or make less babies?? Less hungry mouths to feed = less food to produce[/QUOTE] Hehe, wow. You realize what kind of problems would arise from having less children than are already being born? [editline]10th March 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Medevila;44191641]The impact on poorer nations will only be intensified by countries such as South Korea, China, and Japan purchasing vast tracts of arable land abroad in hopes of satiating their growing populations in a way they cannot domestically[/QUOTE] None of the three countries you listed have growing populations. If you look at the total fertility rate they are all in population decline.
ARGENTINA FUCK YEAH! 40.000.000 habitants, and ability to produce far more than what's consumed. hope no motherfucker government makes a coup or fucks us up, like it happened in the past. So, American FPers, you better fucking watch your government. [QUOTE]I wish we had "surplus" markets that took in reject food and sold it at a discount. Although it'd probably end up competing with the supermarket itself, people love cheap food. [/QUOTE] You don't have one? Weird. Here in Argentina we got the mercado central where....well, its basically as it says, the "central market". Everything from strawberries to beef to tuna is sold. But the quality/price difference with retail stores/supermarkets is just fucking abysmal. I mean, you can get 3 KG of tomatoes for 9 pesos. That's less than 50 dollar cents the KG!! Hahaha, but only 1Kg out of those 3kg is actually in a....well...."standard" condition. Whereas, in a supermarket, you get 1kg for 20 pesos! Yeah, we're talking about a profit rate higher than 200%!!! But those tomatoes....man....yeah, there will nothing left after you finish eating. [QUOTE]So humanity has finally reached it's carrying capacity then? [/QUOTE] Nah, malthus has to wait a lil bit longer....But, yeah, with the Chinese and developing countries...well, developing (duh), more and more animal food is being demanded (Hey, don't ask me why. Tell that middle class chinese not to eat chicken wings nor beef) which in turn steps up the demand for wheat, soy, etc etc which in turn makes things more expensive as the supply demand logic pulls prices upwards which in turn makes basic food stuff for humans (cereals, brad) more expensive. Which in turn.... well, damn, I don't know. Maybe a genius comes by and starts a new agro revolution. It would be cool. [QUOTE]also those who happen to live in a rich nation, or nations that at least have large amounts of arable land, won't really be affected that much, some nations in africa, middle east(especially the middle east) and asia on the other hand are fucked, and there will probably be more than one or two massive civil unrest cases on latin america due to absurd inequality too. [/QUOTE] Really? Did you know how many countries that can produce more food than what they eat do exist? Europe is just totally fucked up if the demand skyrockets and offer is stuck without tech advances. They import a c-r-a-p-l-o-a-d of food.
[QUOTE=Cutthecrap;44192247]ARGENTINA FUCK YEAH! 40.000.000 habitants, and ability to produce far more than what's consumed. hope no motherfucker government makes a coup or fucks us up, like it happened in the past. So, American FPers, you better fucking watch your government.[/QUOTE] Am I honestly seeing an argentinian talk about other governments when your country is ran by retards that made your country's inflation reach sky-high numbers and your economy get closer and closer to a collapse? A century ago you guys were richer than most of Europe, and look where you are now. I still have no idea why you guys aren't having mass protests by now
[QUOTE=ionuttzu;44192570]Am I honestly seeing an argentinian talk about other governments when your country is ran by retards that made your country's inflation reach sky-high numbers and your economy get closer and closer to a collapse? A century ago you guys were richer than most of Europe, and look where you are now. I still have no idea why you guys aren't having mass protests by now[/QUOTE] yeah but they have really good wine so theres that
[QUOTE=OvB;44190412]Unfortunately, it can't stop the actual kings from stealing all the food and eating like thieves.[/QUOTE] Indeed, and this is why i am thoroughly pessimistic when it comes to any long term planning for sustainability. Calling it now nothing will be done, when the riots begin i hope y'all got your gas masks ready.
More contraception needed in third world countries. First world countries are in decline when it comes to birthrate. On top of this we also have the fresh water crisis to worry about. [QUOTE=Cutthecrap;44192247] So, American FPers, you better fucking watch your government.[/QUOTE] We can't watch our government as is, what makes you think we will now? The masses are distracted and nothing can be done.
[QUOTE=OvB;44190412]Closed circuit modular aquaponic systems could make enough grain/crop and fish to let everyone eat like kings. Unfortunately, it can't stop the actual kings from stealing all the food and eating like thieves.[/QUOTE] If we have the capability to do this, why don't we pump more money into it? That and vertical farms.
[QUOTE=OvB;44190412]Closed circuit modular aquaponic systems could make enough grain/crop and fish to let everyone eat like kings. Unfortunately, it can't stop the actual kings from stealing all the food and eating like thieves.[/QUOTE] When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich.
Start sistematically using genetically-engineered food that yields atleast 1.66x more crops. Like, right now, and slap environmentalists right in their stupid faces too if they want to argue.
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;44193456]If we have the capability to do this, why don't we pump more money into it? That and vertical farms.[/QUOTE] Probably because it's not as profitable as it could be, and no body is willing to invest into it for that reason. [editline]10th March 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=SgtCr4zyGunz;44193493]When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich.[/QUOTE] The rich will be in their bunkers or mountain estates waiting it out while people riot in the streets.
The massive part of the problem in the "most" starving regions is their governments/lack thereof, so all the supply gets hoarded by warlords and their armies, organized crime, dictators' administrations etc, ordinary people eat tree bark in a situation of pretty much artificial famine. Without fixing this stuff first, bolstering the supply rates and quantities won't do much.
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;44193456]If we have the capability to do this, why don't we pump more money into it? That and vertical farms.[/QUOTE] While we have the technology for the hydroponics/vertical farms pretty nailed down there are other aspects yet makes it impractical in large scale still. Farming is pretty industrialized and mechanized, and as far as I know there are no confined/vertical space counterparts yet for the massive machines that make "flat" farming so efficient. You can set up a massive vertical farm with automatic irrigation that saves a ton of space, but until you can figure out how to also sow and harvest without costly manual labor it's not a cost-effective option.
We need another good world war, that did wonders for population control. Though some areas got a shorter stick than others.. :downs:
Since cities like Detroit are essentially filled with unused property, could large chunks of it be converted to farmland? I mean, Windsor is right across from it and basically 20 minutes out it's already farmland, too.
eh, we got 46 more years let's wait till the last minute, since that works for me in exams
Read Patel's 'The Value of Nothing'. Pretty good read and opens up a lot of the issues capitalism has.
just print more money so people can grow more food
I work at a local Kroger in the dairy department and we toss so much damaged that it's not even funny. I'm probably the only dairy clerk that actually marks down products that are only dented since it's a waste to just scan it out of the balance-on-hand and throw it away.
[QUOTE=Ogopogo;44189607]Or let less food go to waste. Seriously. Working last night at a grocery store, I had to throw out several hundred dollars of strawberries because we received a poor quality order. Maybe around 96 1 lb boxes or so[/QUOTE] Jesus Christ, do you guys not rework product?
I think the real problem here is not a shortage of food, or even really overpopulation. The problem is humans are still assuming that we can just keep growing, expanding, pushing development and exploitment higher and higher forever. Too many people? Well, we can just grow more food obviously. Except we can't, the Earth is a finite pool of resources with a finite land area and a finite fucking carrying capacity. We can try and pretend to outsmart nature with our clever devices and science but eventually we will have to get to the real bottom of the problem, which is greed. Even if we colonize other planets we will just have the same issues there because the underlying problem remains. It's a psychological problem and we can change it with a simple change in our thinking. Instead of always wanting more and believing we can just exploit the environment to get it, we need to think about ourselves like the animals we are. We have a place in the natural order just like any other organism and the problem comes from our efforts to escape this place, which we can never really do.
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