Overpopulation Overpopulation and the Food Term Paper

If China can do it, other countries can build up their food supplies as well, but they may need help from the United States when they implement projects.

Another area of food supply that is suffering from the Earth's growth in population is fishing. Another writer notes, "Since the past several decades have seen tremendous growth in the urban populations of poor countries with traditional fish diets, along with income growth in these populations,' he says, 'it is no surprise that fish consumption has exploded'" (Tibbetts). Fish consumption is up, but the world is overfishing the oceans, and many types of fish are endangered or have disappeared entirely. Tibbetts continues, "Today, about 47% of commercial fish stocks worldwide are considered fully exploited, or fished at or near their maximum sustainable limits, according to the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2002" (Tibbetts). The United States has put fishing limits on many fisheries off her coasts, and other countries must follow suit to help ensure the world's fish supply does not disappear, and create even more of a food supply shortage for many populations.

Of course, as with any discussion, there are those who think that overpopulation and a dwindling food supply are not necessarily connected. Researcher Grace Carswell writes of the Kigezi district of Uganda, "However, while there is clear evidence that the population of the district has grown consistently, none of the envisaged environmental disasters has struck. Predictions of major environmental catastrophe, food deficit and the unsustainability of the agricultural system have not manifested themselves" (Carswell).The area's farmers have created new farming techniques and innovations to counter a growing population, including actually reducing the amount of land in cultivation and more land left fallow to regenerate itself before it is planted (Carswell). These techniques have allowed area farmers to grow more food to meet the needs of a growing population, and could serve as a model for many other global overpopulation centers.

In conclusion, the world's food supply cannot meet the demands of an ever-growing population. To feed the world, the United States must educate nations that suffer from overpopulation, and help them develop new ways of feeding themselves. These can be anything from new farming techniques that produce more food on fewer acres, to using GM crops to help crops produce more and repel pests and diseases more effectively. The United States is a leader in world food production, and we must share our knowledge and expertise with the world so overpopulated areas can effectively feed themselves. We cannot feed the world all on our own, but we can help the world feed themselves.

References

Carswell, Grace. "Farmers and Fallowing: Agricultural Change in Kigezi District, Uganda." The Geographical Journal 168.2 (2002): 130+.

Cook, Guy. Genetically Modified Language: The Discourse of Arguments for GM Crops and Food. New York: Routledge, 2004.

Gonzalez-Pelaez, Ana. Human Rights and World Trade: Hunger in International Society. London: Routledge, 2005.

Gosine, Andil. "Dying Planet, Deadly People: "Race"-Sex Anxieties and Alternative Globalizations." Social Justice 32.4 (2005): 69+.

Tibbetts, John. "Eating Away at a Global Food.....