The issue of desertification is not new, it has constantly played a significant role in human history, even contributing to the collapse of the world’s earliest known empire, the Akkadians of Mesopotamia.
One of the most basic, fundamental problems (other than the rapid depletion of our fresh water resources) we’ve created for ourselves is the impact of human activities on the land we need to cultivate for our very survival.
“The top 20cm of soil is all that stands between us and extinction." Luc Gnacadja, executive secretary of the UNCCD
It takes 100 years to generate a single millimeter of topsoil - 24 billion tons of fertile soil disappear annually.
Conclusion
We obviously reached peak soil a long time ago, soil can be considered a non-renewable and rapidly depleting resource.
Given fears over the world's present ability to feed our current population - expected to pass the nine billion mark by 2050 – it’s surprising desertification and land degradation is so absent on most people’s radar screens.
According to the UN, global demand for food is projected to increase by 50 percent by 2030. It is projected there will be nine billion people to feed by 2050, that’s an increase of one billion tonnes of cereal and 200 million tonnes of meat.
It’s obvious the world needs a new farm – one the size of South Africa.
Unfortunately the UN also says that by 2030 an area twice the size of South Africa will become unproductive due to desertification, land degradation and drought.
Adding to our troubles is production gains from the Green Revolution are diminishing. Is the security of your food supply on your radar screen?
If not, maybe it should be.
rick@aheadoftheherd.com
www.aheadoftheherd.com
Richard is the owner of Aheadoftheherd.com and invests in the junior resource/bio-tech sectors. His articles have been published on over 400 websites, including:
WallStreetJournal, USAToday, NationalPost, Lewrockwell, MontrealGazette, VancouverSun, CBSnews, HuffingtonPost, Londonthenews, Wealthwire, CalgaryHerald, Forbes, Dallasnews, SGTreport, Vantagewire, Indiatimes, ninemsn, ibtimes, businessweek.com and the Association of Mining Analysts.
If you're interested in learning more about the junior resource and bio-med sectors, and quality individual company’s within these sectors, please come and visit us at www.aheadoftheherd.com
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Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified.
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