Feeding and Fishing: the Issue Facing the U.S. and the Global Community

Feeding and Fishing: the Issue Facing the U.S. and the Global Community â€Å"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for life.† When translated into agricultural terms, this Chinese proverb confronts the question facing the United States and the global community today. The United States has been providing food for the rest of the world for years. While this illustration of care is commendable, it also has a downside. In the future, and debatably in the present, it is not possible for the United States to continue providing for other countries. An increasing world population, a lack of methods for effectively sharing crop surpluses, and a decrease in the amount of food produced by agriculture has created a situation where it is impossible for the United States to feed the world; instead we must teach the world how to feed, or fish, for themselves. Egypt is a prime example of the U.S. feeding the world. Between 1979 and 1991, the U.S. provided Egypt with over three billion dollars in wheat and corn. According to W. Fornos, â€Å"every third loaf of bread baked in Egypt is made from wheat and corn ground in the United States† (Fornos). The U.S. is currently giving the world fish, but we cannot continue to do so. The first issue limiting the ability of the world to feed itself is the increasing world population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as cited by Agroecology Professor Dave Wilson, the world population was one billion in 1804. The world population doubled itself in 154 years and has since continued to double exponentially. In 1987, the world population was 5 billion, and in 13 years, the population doubled once again. Accompanying 1999 was a world population ... ...tion Development.† Irrigation and Drainage. Vol. 52. 2003. 31-38. McMullum, et al. â€Å"Application of Modern Biotechnology to Food and Agriculture; Food Systems Perspective.† Journal of Nutrition, Education, and Behavior. Vol. 35. 6. Nov/Dec. 2003. 319, 326-328. Academic Search Premier. â€Å"Population Growth and Food Needs.† Population Reports. 25. 4. 3. 1997. 24, Feb. 2005. Academic Search Premier. Pretty, Jules. â€Å"Agroecology in Developing Countries.† Environment. Vol. 45. Nov. 2003. Academic Search Premier. Serageldin, Ismali. â€Å"World Poverty and Hunger-the Challenge for Science.† Science. Vol. 296. 5565. 54. 17, Feb. 2005. Academic Search Elite. Wilson, Dave. â€Å"Homework Topic 6; Genetically Engineered Crops.† Class lecture. 25, Feb. 2005. Wilson, Dave. â€Å"Population Growth.† Class lecture. 7, Feb. 2005.