7821108018. That was the number of people living on Earth at the time of writing. According to the United Nations 2019 ‘World Population Prospects’, the predicted number for 2050 is around 10 billion. Imagine the environmental pressure that this number will put on the planet, not least in producing enough food for everyone. In order to ensure global food security, this population challenge, together with extreme weather conditions due to climate change, will require us to rethink the way we manage food production, including how we grow crops.
Life on Earth is dependent on plants – humans cannot survive without them. Through photosynthesis, they provide the link between almost every living organism and the energy of the sun. Growing plants for food is essential for our survival, and agriculture provides many benefits over hunter-gathering – food is always within reach. It was agriculture that led people to build settlements and enabled the human population to grow as fast as it did. To maintain our success as a species in an uncertain future, agriculture must continue to grow and change.
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