X-Message-Number: 28022
From: "Mark Plus" <>
Subject: Peak grain
Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2006 11:45:07 -0700

In Cryonet # 28018, David Stodolsky writes:

>Using 1970's technology, we could support 60 billion people according
to a Sci. Amer. article from that period (Revelle, 3 Sept. '76, The
resources available for agriculture). Other estimates of the Earth's
carrying capacity range from 3 to 120 billion.

World grain stocks apparently peaked in the late 1990's, and they have 
declined about 30% since then::

http://www.fas.usda.gov/grain/circular/2006/05-06/graintoc.htm

World grain harvests have effectively hit a plateau, even though the human 
population continues to increase:

http://www.fas.usda.gov/grain/circular/2006/05-06/Agsum.pdf

Mark Plus

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=28022