SCOPE FOR FARMERS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29824, 17 May 1962, Page 12

SCOPE FOR FARMERS

Growing World Population

Referring to the current period of more difficult economic conditions in farming. Mr W. C. Stafford, a member of the Lincoln College council. who was the opening speaker at the college farmers' conference yesterday, said that there was no need for farmers to feel that the bottom had fallen out of everything. They had read in the newspapers last week that the world’s population was expected to double itself by the end of the century.

Mr Stafford said that he felt that this position and the related implications had been put very forcibly in an address given by Michael Bradford to the British Farmers’ Club last year He had said: “We in the United Kingdom are not underfed now but half of the population of the world now is.”

"The present world population is estimated at 3000 millions.” said Mr Stafford. “By 1980. which is not far away, there will be 4000 million ueople on this earth. If you have a son or grandson at the present age of 17. by the time he is 55 there will be 6000 millions. By the time his sons (if he is permitted to have more than one) are 50, there could well be over 10.000 millions. Cultivable Land

“About 70 per cent, of the earth's land surface cannot be made to support human life The remaining 30 per cent, can be described as potentially cultivable and comprises the 10 per cent, already cultivated and the unexploited balance where many problems have to be overcome before it can contribute. By the end of the century the necessary annual increase of foodstuffs required to meet the expected rise in world population will be more than 100 per cent for cereals and some 300 per cent, for animal products” Mr Stafford said the fear was now that even with thq great advantages of science these demands would be too great.