Videos explore the future of farming

Feb 5, 2013

Videos explore the future of farming

Feb 5, 2013

Pop quiz: About 7 billion people live on earth today, and that number is expected to hit 9 billion by 2050. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. What’s the best way to reform our global food production to meet the rising demand?

  1. Invest in technology, plant breeding, soil science and seed genetics to make our finite farm land more productive.
  2. Increase sustainability, so farm land can remain productive in the future.
  3. Encourage more people to get into farming. 
  4. Help farmers manage climate change, water supply and pest control.
  5. All of the above and a whole lot more.

Yep, the answer is e. All of the above and a whole lot more. Many of the challenges and solutions are explored in a new video series on YouTube called "9 Billion Mouths to Feed: The Future of Farming."

Produced by UC Davis in cooperation with University of California’s "UCTV," the four 10-minute videos provide an excellent overview of modern problems facing our food supply.

"There’s a growing population and we’re going to need to produce more food in a sustainable way to feed them all," says Genevieve Lipari, a UC Davis student featured in the videos. “And it’s not just agriculture, it’s food access, health, nutrition and so much more.”

Indeed, agriculture isn’t just about sowing the land. The videos bring that fact to life, showing the work California farmers and UC Davis students and researchers are doing to ensure an abundant food supply that’s healthy, tasty and safe.

The videos are perfect for students young and old, and anyone interested in finding innovative ways to feed the world without depleting our limited resources.

We might not have all the answers on how to feed a growing population, but the videos shine light on some of the many farmers, scientists and students working together to try to meet that growing need. 

You can watch “9 Billion Mouths to Feed” at www.uctv.tv/farming


By Diane Nelson
Author - Writer
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