Food and Agriculture
Introducing an issue about the world food problem. The situation is hopeful, with one proviso: that the development efforts of agrarian countries be concentrated less on industry and more on agriculture
Volume 235, Issue 3
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Features
The Dimensions of Human Hunger
The number of people who are poorly nourished or undernourished can only be roughly estimated, but they probably represent an eighth of the human population. Most of them are found in Asia and Africa
The Requirements of Human Nutrition
Environmental, dietary and physiological factors all interact to set nutritional needs of individuals and populations. Recommended energy and nutrient allowances are thus statistical approximations
The Cycles of Plant and Animal Nutrition
Energy and inorganic nutrients are processed for human consumption by plants, animals and microorganisms. Modern agriculture ensures man's food supply by subsidizing the growth of these other species
The Plants and Animals that Nourish Man
Over the past 10,000 years man has chosen a relatively small number of plants and animals for domestication. The process made the domesticated species and man mutually dependent
Agricultural Systems
They are established by a combination of ecological, economic and cultural factors. The problem today is how the developing countries can promote high-yielding systems based on cereals
The Agriculture of the U.S.
Its high productivity is a result of two centuries of development policy: low prices for land and other things needed for farming, stable prices for farm products and the promotion of innovation
The Agriculture of Mexico
The green revolution has been a notable success among Mexico's larger, more commercial farmers. Its benefits must now be extended to the majority of rural workers in the traditional farming sectors
The Agriculture of India
The nation has done much better in feeding its great population than most outsiders realize. Increasing farm output still more may force hard choices among strategies of agricultural and industrial growth
The Resources Available for Agriculture
The physical resources of earth, air, fire (energy) and water are large but are essentially fixed. The biological and social resources, however, are far from being pressed to the limit
The Amplification of Agricultural Production
The new technology of the green revolution brings larger harvests from a given area of farmland. The foundation of this technology is the breeding of crops adapted to the needs of intensive agriculture
The Development of Agriculture in Developing Countries
The poor countries can feed themselves if their agriculture is modernized and their rural economies are restructured. That requires infusions of technology and capital from rich nations