The Global Situation of Population, Land Use and Food Production

Abstract

Several scenarios of rapid population increase in developing countries are indicating that the world population would reach 8 billion in 2025 and 10 billion in 2050. To feed this ever-increasing population, existing agricultural land is likely to be subjected to a higher intensity of cultivation in populous areas, and farmland development will be extended to areas only marginally suited for agriculture. These practices will further accelerate farmland degradation and desertification on a global scale.
In order to overcome the global scale problems, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) was established in 1971. The mission of the CGIAR is to contribute through its research to promoting sustainable agriculture for food security in developing countries.
Japanese Government has established of The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in 1993 in order to contribute to the global food security through agricultural research and technology. The mission and activities of CGIAR and JIRCAS are described.