The Great Balancing Act

The document outlines a 'great balancing act' consisting of three simultaneous needs: closing the food calorie gap, ensuring agriculture drives inclusive economic development, and reducing the environmental impact of food production. It proposes a 'menu' of combined solutions, such as reducing food waste and restoring degraded lands, to achieve a sustainable food future.

• To meet global demand on its current trajectory, the world will require approximately 60 percent more food calories in 2050 than were available in 2006, driven by population growth and an expanding global middle class.
• Agriculture is a critical driver of poverty reduction, employing over 28 percent of the global population, or more than 2 billion people.
• Agricultural activities have significant environmental footprints, including accounting for roughly 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals and approximately 24 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2010.
• Achieving a sustainable food future requires a combination of solutions rather than a single method; these include reducing food loss and waste and restoring degraded lands to productivity.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). The Great Balancing Act. https://www.wri.org/research/great-balancing-act

Chicago

World Resources Institute. The Great Balancing Act. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/great-balancing-act.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=The Great Balancing Act |url=https://www.wri.org/research/great-balancing-act |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendgreat, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{The Great Balancing Act}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/great-balancing-act}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }