X-Message-Number: 28022 From: "Mark Plus" <> Subject: Peak grain Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2006 11:45:07 -0700 In Cryonet # 28018, David Stodolsky writes: >Using 1970's technology, we could support 60 billion people according to a Sci. Amer. article from that period (Revelle, 3 Sept. '76, The resources available for agriculture). Other estimates of the Earth's carrying capacity range from 3 to 120 billion. World grain stocks apparently peaked in the late 1990's, and they have declined about 30% since then:: http://www.fas.usda.gov/grain/circular/2006/05-06/graintoc.htm World grain harvests have effectively hit a plateau, even though the human population continues to increase: http://www.fas.usda.gov/grain/circular/2006/05-06/Agsum.pdf Mark Plus Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=28022