Agriculture is in a race to meet demand

Article Excerpt

The global population continues its rapid rise. According to a recent United Nations report, by 2050, it will have increased by almost 3 billion people. That’s a 29% jump over today’s level. The report also points to the increased agricultural output needed to feed that population boom. Today’s $4 trillion food-production sector offers enormous opportunity for companies able to meet future supply. In addition, rapid urbanization and rising per capita income for developing nations should further boost the demand for value-added crops and foods. Global protein consumption, for example, is expected to rise from the current 80 grams per day per person to 130 grams by 2050. At the same time, arable land on a per capita basis continues to fall. That makes it even more important to improve farming methods and protect soil productivity, especially in the developing world. Independent commodities research group CRU estimates that fertilizer consumption, including potash, nitrogen and phosphate, will grow from around 160 million tons in 2010 to…