Plants For The Future Flashcards
Human population (2023)
8 billion
What pressure does high human population place on nature
Competition for food, water and space
FAO
UN food and agriculture organisation
FAO estimations on food security
50% more food by 2050
What proportion of their dry matter do plants derive from the atmosphere
90%
1996 World Food Conference definition of food security
When all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life
Four main components of food security
Availability, access, affordability and quality
Human population 2050 (projected)
9.7 billion
Global arable land per capita as a fixed land area
Means arable land per capita is shrinking - population increase = less land per person
A “perfect storm”
Increasing, affluent population - more food, more varied diet, more meat = more energy and land
More food production = more climate change
More climate change = threat to food production
Why is arable land decreasing
Conflict over land use - biofuels
Climate change consequences
What crops can be grown and where
Increased temperatures linked to decreased yields (at current latitudes)
Drought
Why is now different to the green revolution, when food production was doubled in 20 years
New ideas take time to hit the field, and the old ideas have maxed out
Orphan crops
Crops not yet genetically modified/scientifically bred (not grown in Europe) show promise for green revolution level yield increases eg cassava
Plant science solutions to the perfect storm
Research and discover, speed up breeding process (GM), rapid knowledge transfer from model species to crops
