The Great Balancing Act

This working paper, the first in a series leading to the World Resources Report 2013-14, outlines the challenge of feeding a projected global population of over 9 billion people by 2050 while promoting economic development and reducing environmental pressure.

• To meet global demand by 2050, the world will require approximately 60 percent more food calories than were available in 2006. This increase is driven by a projected population growth from 7 billion in 2012 to 9.3 billion by 2050, as well as an estimated 3 billion more people entering the global middle class by 2030, which will increase demand for resource-intensive foods such as vegetable oils and meat. Currently, about 870 million of the world's poorest people are undernourished.
• Agriculture is a critical driver of economic development, employing over 2 billion people, which represents more than 28 percent of the global population. According to the World Bank, growth in this sector is more effective at reducing poverty than growth in other economic sectors.
• Agriculture has a significant environmental footprint, accounting for roughly 70 percent of all freshwater withdrawals from aquifers, lakes, and rivers. In 2010, it was responsible for approximately 24 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and serves as the primary driver of tropical deforestation.
• Achieving a sustainable food future requires a combination of solutions rather than a single method. Proposed strategies include increasing food production by restoring degraded lands and reducing projected consumption growth by decreasing food waste and loss.

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} }