What are the main challenges to sustainable resource use and global food security?
A. World population reached 6 billion in mid-1999. About half the world’s people live in Asia, but population is growing most rapidly in Africa and the Middle East. The State of World Population reported in 1998 that the rate of world population growth has now slowed to 1.4 percent per year, with a projected world population of between 7.7 billion and 11.1 billion people by 2050, with 9.4 billion considered the most likely. Urban populations are growing at a disproportionate rate in all regions. Also, as the “baby boom” generation comes of age, the ratio of people of working age (15-64) for every dependant under 15 or over 65 is expected to increase to 1.9 in 2010, after which it is expected to fall, reaching 1.4 in 2050, as populations age. Changes in income are also critical for future patterns of resource use and food security. Recent rapid income growth in East Asia and the Pacific has been associated with rapid growth in demand for food, especially for meat and other higher-value
