Food Crisis Eating food is quite a simple behavior. We do it every day, because food keeps us alive.

But, have you ever thought before buying food Where does the food come from? or you just bring the food in your trolley and pay for it when you are shopping. In the past, when we dont know how to grow food, we get all food from the nature. However, when humans are cleverer, we can produce food on our own, agriculture. Since the world has more and more people. We dont have enough resource such as energy, land, water or food to support a lot of people. When food demand is rising, food price definitely goes higher. To feed our growing population, we will need to double food production (Siebert C., Food Ark, National Geographic magazine, issue 220, July 2011, P.110). So, in this article, I am going to tell you what factors that caused this problem, why it is a problem and how to fix it. Food crisis is when we do not have enough food. Saying in the other way, when we consume more food than we produce. For sure, it makes food price rising. With 7 billion people, this world has a problem called Overpopulation. Technology like GIFT, IVF to create more opportunities of birth and lack of human birth control are the reason of this problem. Thomas Malthus, English scholar said The planets population grows exponentially, while food production increases arithmetically. According to this theory, the world can only go misery (Schuman, 2011). Around 50 years ago, Green Revolution made a big hit to humanity. By planting high-yield crops and using lots of chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticide with over irrigation. In one hand, it can produce food suffice for peoples consume. In other hand, it caused large amount of trouble. It made underground water dry up and made soil become alkaline (Bourne, 2009). Another problem is Green Revolution is not sustainable at all. It damages biodiversity, 93% of the varieties had gone extinct (Siebert, 2011). If any diseases attack, we dont have any barricade to protect our plants. From Green Revolution effect, we dont have many arable areas left. Even though we could find some place to grow plants. We dont know when flooding or drought, which cause from climate change will attack us. Another problem is peoples consumption pattern. We eat more meat and other luxuries. Within 3 decades, grain consumption increase 80% and meat consumption increase 50% (Schuman). Luxurious food cost more than lots of money, it cost lots food behind them. For example, one kilogram of tuna makes from 1,000 kilogram of plankton(Greenberg, 2010). Farmers have to feed 6 kilograms of grain plus 1,000 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of beef. Unintentionally, since petrol price has been increasing, farmers changed their crops to grow corns for making biodiesel. Forty percent of corn in the USA, which enough to feed 350 million people is used for making ethanol (Bourne). Now, you may imagine how huge of this problem is. Food price is near historic high. Wheat and corn prices are triple, rice price is fivefold (Bourne). Nevertheless, we

have to buy them. These cost of living make us live harder, especially for the poor. Almost of their money spend with food. When the price is rising, it can only make them poorer and hungrier. Even we can produce more food, it might not go throughout. It might just go to the rich. We have a hand-to-mouth existence anyway the markets are totally untouchable (Nimmi Singh, domestic helper in India, quoted from A Future of Price Spikes, Time magazine, issue178, July 2011, P.47). In additional, bad agriculture also causes health problem. By using many chemical products, they make both farmer and consumer unhealthy (Bourne). Another visual example was found in Ireland 1845. Because of monocropping, the Irish were wholly dependent on one breed of potato. When the fungus spaded out, the result was famine killed (Siebert). Science is a hero for food crisis. With todays technology, we can do something against this problem. Agroecology is one of the best ways to solve food crisis, the agroecology mix technology and environmental awareness together. We can use less chemical product, use biotechnology such as BT, compost instead. Intercropping is a good idea as well. Planting difference types of plant together can prevent a risk from diseases. Planting peas is not only put Nitrogen to crops, it is able to fix soil and makes lot more products. Additionally intelligent irrigation helps us save plenty of water by using technique like drip water, mulch or time setting control (Bourne). These ways of agriculture support biodiversity. Biodiversity is very important, because we might use some breed in the future, to fight against renew diseases (Siebert). In Thailand, there are more than 100 thousand breeds of vegetable collected in the seed bank (Ninsiri). This acting can guarantee that we have something to eat in the future. GMOs (Genetically modified organisms) are quite a new thing. Scientists modified gene and improve breed. Then, it came to high-yield, xerophyte and resistant crops. These crops can produce more with no effect to an ecosystem. They can adapt to local condition too. These super food make somebody suspect in safe, is it really safe? Can we really eat it? Another thing we can do to solve this problem is changing people consumption and aquaculture. Aquaculture is really needed today. We have no more wild fish, it is the only way to get some fish with no harm to the environment (Walsh, 2011). With 7 billion people, we have to do something right now, otherwise we will starve to death. The world really has to sit up and pay attention the food security problem is a global security problem (Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, managing director of the World Bank, quoted from A Future of Price Spikes, 2011). Food crisis is an immense problem. Food amount is really close to their limit. Every one cause it, we have to responsible together. The scientists invent lots of new innovation and we can use these to help us. Personally, I think GMOs food is worthwhile to take some risk. Although some people say it was dangerous, but I feel it is safe enough. If GMOs succeeds, truly use and people agree, it will change the world. However, we should not only count on the scientist or the government, we should start from ourselves. If everyone thinks

carefully before buying food, if everyone does not waste food. It would make a big difference.

Reference Gandel, Stephen. (2011, July 11). Want to make More Than a Banker? Become a Farmer!. TIME, 178(2), 34-38. Greenberg, Paul. (2010, October). Seafood Crisis. National Geographic, 211, 83-93. Joel K. Bourne Jr. (2009, June). The Global Food Crisis. National Geographic, 195, 40-71. Ninsiri, Rachasak. (2010, February). Krao Thai Su Krao Lok. National Geographic Thai, 66-83. Schuman, Michael. (2011, July 25). A Future of Price Spikes. TIME, 178(4), 45-48. Siebert, Charles. (2011, July). Food Ark. National Geographic, 220, 108-131. Tomanio, J. & Cassidy, M. (2011, July). How to Feed a Growing Planet. National Geographic, 220, 30-33. Walsh, Bryan. (2011, July 18). The End of the Line. TIME, 178(3), 28-35.

Pornlada Likasitwatanakul M.4/5 No.6