How to Feed the World by 2050

PARIS, Feb. 28, 2012 /CNW/ - The planet is quantitatively capable of feeding its 7 billion inhabitants, though one billion people suffer from hunger and another 1.4 billion are overweight. This disequilibrium could even be greater by 2050, when we are expected to hit 9 billion people. Will the Earth be able to feed all these men and women when resources become scarce and climate change strongly threatens global food systems? This month, Marion Guillou, President of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) [http://www.international.inra.fr ], and Gerard Matheron, President of the International Cooperative Centre for Agronomical Research for Development (CIRAD) [http://www.cirad.fr/en/home-page ], have published The World's Challenge, Feeding 9 Billion People [http://www.quae.com/en/r1409-the-world-s-challenge.html ].

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Faced with this challenge, the book offers an optimistic response: Yes, it is possible to provide quality food to the 9 billion people who will be living on our planet in less than 40 years. However, in order to achieve this goal all stakeholders -farmers, politicians or ordinary citizens- must be mobilized as soon as possible to affect a profound change in current agricultural and food models.

"Feeding the planet". Colossal challenges hide behind this expression. The first task is to be aware of where we are heading. If this book can contribute to this awareness, it will already have fulfilled a part of its mission, says Marion Guillou.

This book tries to build upon the recommendations [http://ccafs.cgiar.org/commission/reports ] sent last December to the policy makers of the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change (CGIAR [http://www.cgiar.org/index.html ]), chaired by Lord Beddington, and of which Marion Guillou is a member. While it is based on scientific studies, such as the Agrimonde foresight study [http://www.international.inra.fr/press/what_challenges_must_we_face_to_feed_the_world_in_2050 ] conducted by INRA and CIRAD, the book is widely accessible for the general public.

Marion GUILLOU has been the president of INRA [http://www.international.inra.fr ] since 2004. Born in 1954, doctor of physical chemistry, Marion Guillou is an engineer IGREF (Rural engineering, water, forestry).

Gerard MATHERON, has been the president of CIRAD [http://www.cirad.fr/en/home-page ] since 2010. Born in 1949, Gerard Matheron is an animal geneticist, and a distinguished research fellow at INRA, where he began his career.

M. GUILLOU and G. MATHERON, The World's Challenge, Feeding 9 Billion People. Quae,. " Matiere a debattre et decider ", 2012. 232 pages. Order the book [http://www.quae.com/en/r1409-the-world-s-challenge.html ]

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(the book is available free of charge in pdf or hardcover for the press upon request) Jeremy Zuber (INRA Press Relations) [email protected] - [phone] or [phone]