It goes without saying that as the population increases, so does the demand for food. However, it is necessary to note that increased food demand per capita results from increased income. This is clear when we look at the graph of Table 4. By dividing the listed nations into four groups; namely Low Income Countries (from Ethiopia to Egypt), Lower-Middle Income Countries (Indonesia to Botswana), Upper-Middle Income Countries (Venezuela to Portugal), and High Income Countries (New Zealand to Switzerland); and calculating the relationship between average income per capita and daily calorie intake (Calorie intake amount = (A + B) x Average Income), where the value of 'B' is 1.80 for low income countries, 0.27 for lower middle income countries, 0.11 for upper-middle income countries, and -0.01 for high income countries. It is certain that food demand per capita will increase as the national average income rises.
Clearly, the world population increase rate has been in decline since the 'World Population Conference' in 1974. However, the population increase cannot be suddenly halted as it has a certain inertia. The world population will continue to increase for some time as the UN future population estimation shows. Additionally, with global economic development, food demand per capita may increase, especially within developing nations where the population is rapidly increasing. As a result, the total global food demand may increase at a higher rate. Whether or not the world food supply will be sufficient is the next big issue.
