ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part begins observations with "the great humanitarian vision of a world without hunger" as reflected in the recommendations of the 1974 World Food Conference held in Rome. It describes the nature of the population dimension, the actions which developing countries can take to increase food production, the problem of malnutrition as it is related to the effective distribution of food, and the need for increased investment. The part outlines the world food and population situation in numerical terms, paying special attention to the nature of the demand for food, the course of population growth, and the prospects for increasing food production to meet world demand. It discusses that the difficulties of expanding food supplies when cropland throughout the world is decreasing. Persons seeking to build a better world food system must understand the nature of the problem.
