The results are there for everyone to see. Global production of primary crop commodities reached 9.5 billion mt in 2021, up 54% since 2000, while meat production grew by 53% and milk production by 58%, according to the latest data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
The growth in agricultural output has comfortably outpaced the rise in global population. Between 2000 and 2021, agricultural production growth at 54% had been faster than the population growth at 29%, the FAO said. This was made possible by the intensification in farming activities — with an increased use of irrigation, pesticides and fertilizers and cropland expansion — and enhanced production technologies, including improved farming practices and growing high-yield crops.
Despite the speed at which agricultural output is growing, the food security challenge will only become more difficult. According to the World Bank, the world will need to produce about 70% more food to feed an estimated 9 billion people by 2050. With the agricultural commodity prices surging amid ever-rising demand, just imagine the pressure the farming sector and forests will be bearing in feeding the world in the coming years.
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