World Agriculture: towards 2015/2030, An FAO Perspective

This is an exceptional volume and as comprehensive as one would expect from the FAO. It is an update of the study towards 2010 published in 1995. The Director-General makes the point that the book aims to describe the future as it is likely to be, not as it ought to be! 800 million people are undernourished, a figure recently passed by the 1 billion who are overweight, an unprecedented situation on the planet. The food security situation by 2015 will be better generally, but not in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia unless both political will and resources are mobilised. The main questionable assumption made by the book is a reliance on export-led growth according to doctrines promulgated by the IMF and World Bank. Otherwise, treatment of controversial topics like GM foods is pretty balanced, with arguments being presented on both sides. Topics include crop production and natural resource use, livestock, forestry, fisheries, trade and the global food system, globalisation and climate change. There are helpful box highlights, charts and graphs throughout.