Constructive and positive philosophy makes us a superior individual, whereas negative thinking is self deprecating and disparaging to the core. "Global 2000" was a report to the president of the United States written in 1980 by a committee of the great and the good. Global 2000"predicted that population would increase faster than world food production, so that food prices would rise by between 35% and 115% by 2000. Now fast forward 2005 and read this report..
The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service is also expecting global wheat production to reach a new record level after six years of uninterrupted decline. The nearly 70 million tonne increase in production will be the largest year-on-year increase in history.
Consider two quotations from Paul Ehrlich 's best-selling books in the 1970s.
Agricultural experts state that a tripling of the food supply of the world will be necessary in the next 30 years or so, if the 6 or 7 billion people who may be alive in the year 2000 are to be adequately fed. Theoretically such an increase might be possible, but it is becoming increasingly clear that it is totally impossible in practice. The battle to feed humanity is over.
In the 1970s the world will undergo famines-hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death. He was not alone. Lester Brown of the Worldwatch Institute began predicting in 1973 that population would soon outstrip food production, and he still does so every time there is a temporary increase in wheat prices. In 1994, after 21 years of being wrong, he said: "After 40 years of record food production gains, output per person has reversed with unanticipated abruptness".
Greener pastures and our better future and zest for better life derives us, mankind is moving towards betterment all the time, it is inherently programmed within genetic code of man to progress and natural selection helps the process, some entities get extinct under tutelage of this natural law of selectivity, a stage of better self conscious, less destructive human being is being prepared and not the sixth extinction,
infoforhealth.org, increasing size of the grey mater over ages is one such example of dawn of a knowledge age. The facts on world food production are truly startling for those who have heard only the doomsayers' views. Since 1961, the population of the world has almost doubled, but food production has more than doubled.
Nor is this improvement confined to rich countries.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, calories consumed per capita per day are 27% higher in the third world than they were in 1963- Deaths from famine, starvation and mal- nutrition are fewer than ever before.
Optimist in 1970 predicted abundant food, who in 1975 predicted cheap oil, who in 1980 predicted cheaper and more abundant minerals. Today those people-among them Norman Macrae of The Economist, Julian Simon,Aaron Wildavsky- are ignored by the press and vilified by the environmental movement. For being right, they are called "right-wing". The truth can be a bitter medicine to swallow. …………….
theroadtoemmaus.org
It was predicted by the experts in Global 2000 "Global 2000" was a report to the president of the United States written in 1980 by a committee of the great and the good. It was so influential that it caused one CNN producer to "switch from being an objective journalist to an advocate" of environmental doom. "Global 2000"predicted that population would increase faster than world food production, so that food prices would rise by between 35% and 115% by 2000. So far the index has fallen by 50%. With two years to go, prices may yet quintuple to prove "Global 2000" right. Want to bet? Perhaps the reader thinks the tone of this article a little un- forgiving. These predictions may have been spectacularly wrong, but they were well-meant. But in that case, those quoted would readily admit their error, which they do not.
The hard facts as of now are
Cereals output hits record levels
According to the FAO, global cereal production will reach a record 2.04 billion tonnes in 2004, allowing stocks to increase for the first time in five years, even though utilisation is also rising. Global cereals trade is however forecast to decline, reflecting reduced demand in the EU as production has improved following better than expected yields. The FAO reports lower wheat and coarse-grain prices in 2004, with continued downward pressure in 2005 expected. While lower prices are seen as good for the developing world, the benefits derived are being undermined by high freight charges.
fao.org
USDA report on global cereals-sector trends
The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service is also expecting global wheat production to reach a new record level after six years of uninterrupted decline. The nearly 70 million tonne increase in production will be the largest year-on-year increase in history. This is ‘primarily due to excellent harvests throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union, as well as good north African crops’. The more abundant supply is pushing down prices, despite record wheat consumption. Stock re-building is now occurring for the first time in five years, with a large proportion of these stocks being held in the EU. EU-25 and Black Sea exports are recovering from last year’s low with increased sales into key north African and middle-eastern markets.
In the coarse-grain sector the USDA FAS reports that record production is expected which should serve to depress coarse-grain prices. There will be ‘considerable stock build-ups, most notably in the United States and the EU-25’. In 2004 the EU ‘resumed export subsidies after more than a year and is poised to capture a larger portion of the feed-barley markets in north Africa and the middle east’
USDA FAS on the global wheat situation (November 2004)
USDA FAS on the global coarse-grain situation (November 2004)
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