The more people on the planet, the more food they produce. Apparently, very few people are aware of the consequences of declining arable land. People from modern countries don’t even think about hunger. However, people from the developing ones would say something else. The problem with hunger does not seem to be the lack of food, but its unequal distribution. In a moment, however, it may be different, and the problem of famine will affect us all.
Why is arable land declining?
By 2050, the world’s population is expected to grow to 10 billion people (plus circa 2 billion unregistered people). And that means even more demand for food. Thanks to urbanization, most people want to live in big cities, which means that those cities have to grow in some way. Due to the extreme drought, there is already a problem with arable land in many parts of the world (for example sub-Saharan Africa) and the consequent food shortages.
Next, let’s add water problems. And we are not only talking about drinking water but also that needed for agriculture. Even if we have enough arable land, we will not grow crops without irrigation.
Soil degradation may be the cause of global crop shortages
Due to the drought, the soil loses its quality, and it is no longer possible to grow nutrient-intensive crops on it. Currently, up to 43% of the world’s population lives in places with some degree of soil degradation. Of course, Africa and Latin America are among the most vulnerable areas. Scientists have predicted that all available arable land on land will be used by 2050. All we have left are deserts, mountains, tundra, and polar regions. And that’s something to think about!