pays close attention to the latest trends in agricultural production, such as the decrease in the area of cultivated land in China, or the stagnation in the increase of global crop harvests, and he shows us the significance of these changes in this period of rapid economic growth for our super long term prospects.
This ominous prospect for the economy and society as a whole are warnings about the dangers lurking within the present situation, and should be viewed as an appeal to help prevent such an event happening. The announcement of these prospects is intended to ensure that counter-measures are put in place, in other words, it does not wish history to bear its prophecies out.
7. The issue of the World Food Problem
It is now widely recognized that the possibilities for increasing the cultivated area are very limited, and that it must be restricted to ensure the preservation of the environment. As has been seen recently in China, and previously in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, the most fertile farmland is being lost to other uses by its conversion into residential and industrial areas, as well as roads etc., which is the natural result of the population increases and economic growth. Additionally, the problem of diminished farmlands is further exacerbated by the increased distance between farmers and manufacturers. Many of the remaining areas with farming potential are in the tropical (heavily-forested) zones, and there are many reports of the serious adverse effect on soil conditions and the earth's own weather systems, as well as the ecology and wilderness, caused by the destruction of these forests.
Whether the unit crop ratio can continue to be increased by further use of chemical fertilizers etc. will also have an important bearing on future food production. Lately, international agricultural organizations such as IRRI have tended to trim their research spending and reduce their staffing levels significantly, but how will this affect the increase rate of unit crop harvests through product development? How will reduction in irrigation investment
