Population Growth and the Importance of the Feed Industry

It took humanity thousands of years to reach 1 billion people, but only another 130 years to reach 2 billion. Only 12 years were needed between 5 billion and 6 billion. By 2050, global population is expected to reach 9.3 billion. One of the challenges we face with a growing population is environmental pressure. Air pollution, once primarily an urban problem, is now a global ecological issue. Rising demand for food increases greenhouse gases from agricultural use of fossil fuels, fertilizer and intensive animal production. Drinking water supplies are challenged by scarcity and sanitation in many parts of the world and pollution from industry and agricultural run-off in others. Our booming human population is crowding out other species. Loss of habitat drives plant and animal species toward extinction, and crowding humans and wildlife together increases zoonotic disease transfer. Preserving genetic diversity in crop and food animal species will be critical to our ability to adapt to changes in climate and food demand over time.