Before The End Of Century World Faces 80% Calorie Increase
The amount of food needed to feed the global population by the end of the century could increase by almost 80%, BBC News reports, citing a study.
The study, published in the journal Plos One, was carried out by a team from the University of Gottingen, Germany.
Researchers said a pattern of increasing Body Mass Index (BMI) is resulting in individuals requiring more calories. They calculated that 60% of the calorie increase would be a result of rapid population growth in the world. They warned that a failure to accommodate this increase in the demand could lead to an increase in food prices and exacerbate food and income inequality. While rich nations would be able to absorb the increases, poorer nations would struggle, leading to more malnutrition. The current world population is projected to increase from almost seven billion in 2010 to almost 11 billion in 2100, UN World Population Prospects noted. Interestingly, over 18% of calories increment from 2010 levels would come from a projected increase in height and weight figures in the global population.
Researchers said a pattern of increasing Body Mass Index (BMI) is resulting in individuals requiring more calories. They calculated that 60% of the calorie increase would be a result of rapid population growth in the world. They warned that a failure to accommodate this increase in the demand could lead to an increase in food prices and exacerbate food and income inequality. While rich nations would be able to absorb the increases, poorer nations would struggle, leading to more malnutrition. The current world population is projected to increase from almost seven billion in 2010 to almost 11 billion in 2100, UN World Population Prospects noted. Interestingly, over 18% of calories increment from 2010 levels would come from a projected increase in height and weight figures in the global population.
Latest Videos
