Global Population Hits 7 Billion, Raising Urgency Of Addressing Hunger and Food Security

According to the United Nations, the global population has now reached 7 billion. This implies that there must be greater efforts in addressing hunger and food security. In response to this report, Global Harvest Initiative (GHI) board chairman said, "Reaching a population of seven billion reinforces the urgency of the hunger and food security challenges that exist worldwide. Today, one out of seven people do not have access to a safe and adequate food supply, and by 2050, this number will rise with the estimated global population reaching nine billion people."

Along with this population problem are other significant challenges such as scarcity of water and arable land, changing diet patterns, and lack of infrastructure like roads, processing, and storage facilities. According to GHI's report titled, Global Agricultural Productivity Report, about 90 percent of the population growth over the next 40 years will occur in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

"Future food security depends on the successful adoption of policies that support sustainable agricultural development and increased productivity; countries across the globe must begin to actively invest in agricultural research, collaborate to reduce trade barriers, adopt new technologies and innovation and work to establish a business environment where private capital can support agricultural and rural development," Lesher added.

Visit http://www.globalharvestinitiative.org/index.php/2011/10/global-population-hits-7-billion-raising-urgency-of-addressing-hunger-and-food-security/ for more information. Read UN's release at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40257.