VISION
News & Views
December 1999
World Food Supplies Face Strong Pressures to 2020
In developing countries between 1995 and 2020, population is expected to grow by 32 percent, urbanization will continue apace, and per capita incomes will increase. Almost all of the increased demand for food during this period will take place in the developing world, according to a new IFPRI 2020 Vision food policy report. Despite that higher demand, a developing-country person in 2020 will consume less than half the amount of cereals consumed by a developed-country person and slightly more than one-third of the meat products.The report, World Food Prospects: Critical Issues for the Early Twenty-First Century, by Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Rajul Pandya-Lorch, and Mark W. Rosegrant, examines trends in world food demand, supply, and trade. Unless both developing countries and the international community take strong action, food insecurity and malnutrition will persist in 2020 and beyond, the authors report.
World Food Prospects also discusses critical issues that could influence the future world food situation, such as new information on factors that improve nutrition and new farming and agricultural research practices including biotechnology.
IFPRI holds the copyright to its publications and web pages but encourages duplication of these materials for noncommercial purposes. Proper citation is required.
TOP of the page