1. OBJECTIVE
TWW be able to determine which potential solution to the world’s food issue is the most realistic by analyzing the elements of the Green Revolution.

2. MALTHUS
In 1798 Thomas Malthus published his views on the effect of population on food supply. His theory has two basic principles:
Population grows at a geometric rate i.e. 1, 2, 4, 16, 32, etc.
Food production increases at an arithmetic rate i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.

3. Strategies to Increase Food Supply
(1) Expand the land area used for agriculture
(2) Increase the productivity of land now used for agriculture
(3) Identify new food sources
(4) Increase imports from other countries
Brainstorm potential challenges for each of these strategies

4. (1) Expand land area for Agricultural Use
Historical method of increasing food supply
Only 11% of the world’s land is currently cultivated
CHALLENGES:
(1) Desertification
(2) Salinzation
(3) Waterlogging
(4) Urbanization

5. Desertification
Degradation of the land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like extensive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting

6. Salinzation (Salinisation)
build up of salts in soil, eventually to toxic levels for plants.
the soil has greater concentrations of solute than does the root, so plants can't get water from soil
salts can also be directly toxic, but plant troubles usually result primarily from inability to take up water from salty soils

7. Waterlogging

8. Urbanization

9. (2) Increase the productivity of land now used for agriculture
GREEN REVOLUTION – rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially high yield seeds and fertilizers
Genetically Modified Organisms
CHALLENGES:
(1) need for machinery and fertilizers = costs and debt
( 2) increase need for natural gas and petroleum in production of fertilizers

10. (3)Identifying New Food Sources
(a) cultivate the oceans
(b) develop higher protein cereals (lack of meat in LDCs)
(c) improve palpability of rarely consumed foods
CHALLENGES:
(a) overfishing
(b) and (c) lack of a consumption of processed foods

11. (4) Increase exports from other countries
Top Three Export Grains = wheat, maize, rice
USA = leading exporter of grain by a wide margin
CHALLENGES:
(a) economic profit v. humanitarian concerns