By Monica Davis

Many economists, farm analysts and futurists believe we are on the cutting edge of a dangerous food nightmare. They bellieve that the dependence on fossile fertilizers and industrial agriculture, together with an out of control human population growth rate, are depleting soils, taxing agriculture systems and leading the planet into a dangerous, unsustainable paradigm shift.

In this global projection, the human race will commit an extinction event simply by breeding ourselves beyong the planet’s ability to sustain us.

[Jeremy]Grantham believes the world has undergone a permanent “paradigm shift” in which the number of people on Earth has finally and permanently outstripped the planet’s ability to support us.

The phenomenon of ever-more humans using a finite supply of natural resources cannot continue forever, Grantham says–and the prices of metals, hydrocarbons (oil), and food are now beginning to reflect that.

Grantham believes that the planet can only sustainably support about 1.5 billion humans, versus the 7 billion on Earth right now (heading to 10-12 billion). For all of history except the last 200 years, the human population has been controlled via the limits of the food supply. Grantham thinks that, eventually, the same force will come into play again. READMOREHERE

Even if one is skeptical and believes Grantham has overstated the case, you have to consider the affect of global warming into the mix.  As the Earth changes, desertification will turn former fertile fields into deserts, while changing rainfall and flooding patterns will affect acreage as well.  Much of the nation’s fertile farmland will be unusable, as floods change the landscape.

According to  the US Environmental Protection Agency:

Agriculture and fisheries are highly dependent on specific climate conditions. Trying to understand the overall effect of climate change on our food supply can be difficult. Increases in temperature and carbon dioxide (CO₂) can be beneficial for some crops in some places. But to realize these benefits, nutrient levels, soil moisture, water availability, and other conditions must also be met. Changes in the frequency and severity of droughts and floods could pose challenges for farmers and ranchers. Meanwhile, warmer water temperatures are likely to cause the habitat ranges of many fish and shellfish species to shift, which could disrupt ecosystems. Overall, climate change could make it more difficult to grow crops, raise animals, and catch fish in the same ways and same places as we have done in the past. The effects of climate change also need to be considered along with other evolving factors that affect agricultural production, such as changes in farming practices and technology. MOREHERE

What should be of concern is the current trend in federal agriculture policy to demonize organic farming, promote fearmongering in the dairy industry and allow foreign food and produce into the country wihout adequate inspection.

Extreme weather conditions continue to decrease food crop yields, generating shortages and price increases. While industrial agriculture has created the “Green Revolution” through increased crop yields worldwide, nature still rules in crop production.  We remain vulnerale to climate changes, drought, pests, and economic trends.

Many, like Grantham, believe we have topped out the soil’s ability to produce for a global poplation which continues to rise at exponential rates.  This being said, it follows that we must change our food production–and population production, because Earth’s benevolence may well be at an end for the forseeable future.