FOOD SECURITY. New index to chew on.

Byline: Shannon Sherry

FOOD SECURITY New index to chew on World population growth is outstripping the growth in crop yields for the first time since the Green Revolution of the 1970s throwing up another challenge in the battle for food security.

The global population is expected to reach 9bn by 2050 but until recently it was believed that steadily increasing yields the volume of crops that can be extracted from a hectare would be sufficient to feed the world.

Productivity gains ushered in by the Green Revolution, during which technology enabled seeds to absorb more water and fertiliser, provided decades of plentiful and relatively affordable food. But …