Is There Room for Everyone in Agriculture's Tent?

"For the billion of underfed people in the world today, there are a billion-and-a-half that are overweight."

This is one of the interesting facts I heard last night on my drive home from work on NPR's Marketplace.  The statement highlights that many in the world go hungry while some of us, this author included, have more food than we really need. Marketplace asked whether organic and non-GMO agriculture are sufficient to solve this problem and feed a growing worldwide population:

The United Nations says a billion people go hungry on this planet each day. And the overall population is growing. Experts expect we'll top 9 billion by 2045. The looming question: How to feed everyone with limited resources? This week, several major foundations -- including Ford and Gates -- launched a $3 million a year initiative aimed at figuring out how to come up with the food we need.  -Tess Vigeland, Marketplace

The author, Adrienne Hill, interviews some of these experts and suggests that although organic and non-GMO foods may play a role in feeding some, the lower yields are just not enough to feed a growing global population:

The farmers markets in Los Angeles these days are piled high with organic strawberries and kale. To the contented shoppers, this is what the future should be -- fruits and veggies grown on small farms, nearby the city. But, get over it. This isn't the future -- not if we want to feed everyone.  -Adrienne Hill, Marketplace

Continue reading or listening to this story at Marketplace:  the-non-organic-future