Food & Agriculture
From farm to plate, the food we eat affects our environment, health, and economies. These trends tackle the big issues driving the global food system, including seafood and meat consumption, irrigation, agriculture, and grain production.
Nov 22, 2011
World Grain Production Down in 2010 but Recovering
Maize, rice, and wheat are the three major grain crops in the world. Together they account for almost two thirds of humanity’s staple food intake. In addition, they are critical for animal feed and industrial uses. In 2010, production of both maize and rice set record levels, but a significant drop in wheat output left overall grain totals slightly below 2008 levels. Preliminary data for 2011 indicate that production has increased, however, and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently forecast that cereal output in 2011–12 will be 3 percent higher than in 2010–11.
May 24, 2011
Organic Agriculture Sustained Through Economic Crisis
In 2009, organic farming was practiced on 37.2 million hectares worldwide, a 5.7 percent increase from 2008 and a 150 percent increase since 2000. This includes land that is transitioning to organic production. The organic area amounted to 0.85 percent of global agricultural land in 2009. (By comparison, producers seeded 2 percent of agricultural land worldwide with genetically modified crops.)
May 03, 2011
Fish Production from Aquaculture Rises While Marine Fish Stocks Continue to Decline
Global fisheries production from fish caught in the wild and from aquaculture (fish farming) reached 145.1 million tons in 2009 (the most recent year with data), an all-time high. This represents a 1.9-percent increase from 2008, slightly higher than the previous year’s 1.8-percent growth rate. Forecasts for 2010 suggested a growth of 1.3 percent to 147 million tons.
Feb 28, 2011
Sugar Production Dips
Global production of sugar crops declined by 2.4 percent in 2009 to approximately 1.9 billion tons.
Dec 02, 2010
Meat Production and Consumption Continue to Grow
Global meat production increased by only 0.8 percent in 2009 to 281.5 million tons, a slowdown from the 2.4 percent growth rate of 2008.
Oct 21, 2010
Fertilizer Consumption Declines Sharply
Global consumption of inorganic fertilizers fell 7.5 percent to 156 million tons in 2008, the sharpest one-year decline in nearly half a century of data collection.
Oct 07, 2010
Grain Production Strong But Fails to Set Record
In 2009, farmers produced a near-record crop of grains worldwide: more than 2.25 billion tons.
Sep 02, 2010
Cocoa Production Continues Growth
Farmers around the world produced more than 4.3 million tons of cocoa in 2008, the latest year with data available, a growth of more than 3.6 percent over the year before.
May 20, 2010
Global Fish Production Continues to Rise
Total global fish production, including wild capture and aquaculture, rose to approximately 159 million tons in 2008, the most recent year with data.
Dec 03, 2009
Fish Production Reaches a Record
Total global fish production, including both wild catch and aquaculture, rose to about 157 million tons in 2007, the most recent year with data, up from 153 million tons in 2006.
Nov 12, 2009
Meat Production and Consumption Continues to Grow
The world’s appetite for meat continues to grow—in 2008, meat production topped an estimated 280 million tons and production is expected to exceed 285 million tons by the end of 2009.
Oct 29, 2009
Grain Production Continues Growth After Mixed Decade
For the second year in a row, world grain production rose in 2008, with farmers producing some 2.287 billion tons.
Jul 23, 2009
Organic Agriculture More than Doubled Since 2000
Farmers worldwide managed 32.2 million hectares of agricultural land organically in 2007, nearly 5 percent more than in the previous year and a 118-percent increase since 2000.
Jul 09, 2009
Irrigated Area Expands Slowly
The global area equipped for irrigation expanded by 0.3 percent to 280 million hectares between 2004 and 2005, the last year for which global data are available.
Dec 17, 2008
Fish Farming Continues to Grow as World Fisheries Stagnate
World seafood production neared 160 million tons in 2006, the last year for which there are data.
Dec 03, 2008
Genetically Modified Crops Only a Fraction of Primary Global Crop Production
In 2007, farmers planted an additional 12.3 million hectares of genetically modified (GM) crops, bringing the total global area up 12 percent to 114.3 million hectares.
Aug 20, 2008
Meat Production Continues to Rise
In 2007, meat production remained steady at an estimated 275 million tons; in 2008, output is expected to top 280 million tons.
May 06, 2008
Agribusinesses Consolidate Power
At all stages of the food system—from seeds and other inputs to food processing and retail food sales—market power is concentrating in an ever smaller number of corporate firms.
May 06, 2008
Soybean Demand Continues to Drive Production
The world soybean harvest reached a record 214 million tons in 2005, the latest year with data, an increase of 4.4 percent from 2004.
Dec 12, 2007
Grain Harvest Sets Record, But Supplies Still Tight
Following several years of declining harvests, the world’s farmers reaped a record 2.316 billion tons of grain in 2007.
