ABSTRACT
The world population is projected to increase from about 7 billion in 2011 to 9.2 billion in 2050. The current rate of increase is about 6 million/month, with almost all growth occurring in developing countries where natural resources are already under great stress. The Green Revolution technology led to the doubling of food production between 1950 and 2010, with only a 10% increase in the area under production [FAO 2010]. However, meeting the food demand of the growing population, rising standards of living, and changes in diet preferences will necessitate an additional 70% increase in production between 2010 and 2050 [Burney et al. 2010]. Yet yields in the Indo-Gangetic plains and other regions have stagnated or declined over the past two decades and may be jeopardized further by climate change and increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme events [Semonov 2009], especially in sub-Saharan Africa [IIED 2010]. Grain yields of wheat [Semenov 2009] and rice [Wassmann et al. 2009] are sensitive to high temperatures. The problem of food insecurity is also exacerbated by increases in the severity and extent of soil degradation. This is especially true because of declines in the soil structure and hydrological properties in conjunction with reductions in the quantity and quality of soil organic carbon (SOC) content caused by a widespread use of extractive farming practices (i.e., indiscriminate residue removal, excessive grazing, the use of animal dung as household fuel
1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................1 1.2 Soil and Climatic Effects on Agricultural Production .....................................2 1.3 Enhancing Soil Resilience through Sustainable Management .........................3 1.4 Per Capita Arable Land Area and Energy Use .................................................5 1.5 Diet Preferences ................................................................................................6 1.6 Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems ..............................................7 1.7 Soil Degradation ...............................................................................................8 1.8 Conclusions .......................................................................................................8 Acronyms ...................................................................................................................9 References ..................................................................................................................9
