New figures show the world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050.
Allan Gray, professor and Land O’Lakes Chair in Food and Agribusiness for Purdue University says while that figure is important to agriculture—where the growth occurs is even more important.
“Then you have to start thinking about income,” he says. “And what happens to income around the world because income is what drives diets.”
Populations drive consumption—but incomes drive dietary choices.
And places like India and sub-Saharan Africa will see some of the largest growth in population and also have incomes on the rise.
“Places like Nigeria have the fastest growing economies in the world,” he says. “Where you have these large numbers of people expected to increase the number of people in those areas and their incomes are increasing at the same time—that’s a really big impact. We’re talking about substantial increases in demands for animal proteins.”
Gray says the increase in demand for animal proteins also increases the need for crops to feed those animals.
And that, he says, is good for all of agriculture.
Source: www.brownfieldagnews.com