The world produced enough calories in 2020 to feed 15B people
14 days ago
- #food-security
- #sustainability
- #agriculture
- In 2020, the world produced enough calories to feed 15 billion people, but only 50% reached people's plates.
- Rising meat production (especially beef) and biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel are major reasons for inefficiency in the global food system.
- Shifting to healthier diets and reducing biofuel production could improve food availability without expanding farmland.
- Food production was analyzed in terms of calories, focusing on the top 50 crops that provide 97.5% of global calories.
- Between 2010 and 2020, global calorie production increased by 24%, but human-available calories only rose by 17% due to livestock inefficiencies.
- 45% of calories in 2020 were lost in animal-based food production, with beef being the least efficient compared to chicken.
- 5% of calories were used for biofuels, with palm oil biodiesel use increasing by 34%.
- Food waste, especially in animal products like beef, exacerbates calorie loss.
- The study highlights that food scarcity is not due to biophysical limits but distribution and human choices.
- Future research should consider proteins and micronutrients alongside calories.