Food Production 2020 and Beyond – (Nothing but) Flowers

As long ago as 1798 the Reverend Thomas Malthus philosophised the growth in human population is potentially exponential while the growth in food supply is linear. Malthusianism came to be associated with the advocacy of population control as he argued it was the tendency of the working-class to reproduce rapidly rather than exploitation by capitalists that kept them in a cycle of poverty. Importantly, Malthusianism lost relevance as the 19th century progressed, mostly as a result of technological advancement, the opening of new territory to agriculture, and increasing international trade.

This Primary Spotlight focuses on food production and security of supply, and examines whether advances in agricultural technology can remotely keep pace with the growth in global population, all within the context of an environmental sustainability imperative.