Poverty is the key reason why over three quarters of a million people do not have enough to eat. But the production challenge is more complicated if we recognize two additional issues the location of population growth and urbanization. If the same trend persists then it is clear most of the food production must come from production systems in the countries where the additional people will live. These are systems about which we are far less knowledgeable. Most farmers are poor, with small landholdings.
Productivity is low and agriculture is subject to water, wind, and temperature stresses.
They are also the farming systems most likely to be adversely affected by global warming. So in the next millenium we face a food, feed and fibre production challenge in highly complex farming systems which will need to be addressed by science. The good news is that this has the potential to be a win-win challenge. Increasing smallholder agricultural productivity in these areas will not only increase food supplies, but also will increase smallholder incomes, reducing poverty, increasing food access, reducing malnutrition, and improving the livelihoods of the poor. But there is, as noted, a second issue - urbanization.