Growing Population

The constant struggle between feeding the world while still meeting regulations and consumer expectations is a challenge. Chris Ashworth, chairman of the Animal Agriculture Alliance and technical service veterinarian for Elanco Animal Health said, “We are moving into an age when the next wars will be over food.” People are more concerned with the source of their food and how it was produced than ever before and more and more people have an opinion on food, as there are millions moving into the middle class where they have more choices related to food.
While population continues to grow and will surpass the 9 billion people mark by 2050, we will require 100% more food with 70% coming from efficiency-improving technology. Ashworth continued and stated, “Technology is a vital ingredient in making food safe, abundant and affordable.”
The article, found at http://www.wctrib.com/content/animal-science-conference-wrangles-food-production-challenges-opportunities was extremely educational and opened my eyes to some of the facts people are using to purchase food products. Consumers buy from modern, conventional farms with reasons for purchase being taste, cost and nutrition. 95% of people want to purchase the cheapest food, and as producers we need to be sure not to let the remaining five percent speak for our industry. The other 5% has had a strong voice, but we need to be open to conversations and willing to educate them about benefits of agricultural technologies.
The article was a great educational tool with some interesting facts. I look forward to using the facts as I agvocate with the College Aggies Online Competition. Be sure to follow me on twitter @KateGriswold!