The land is hungry and thirsty

Millions of people on earth suffer from malnutrition and die of hunger, while others fall ill million for excess food. The answer would be to redistribute resources more efficiently. But it is neither simple nor easy.

Absurd for agricultural products available worldwide in theory would be sufficient to feed everyone, rich and poor. In fact most of these products are used to feed cattle for slaughter. To feed the herds using 50% of cereal products. An area of developing countries, amounting to seven times the area of Europe, is grown to feed livestock herds of Europe. Add that in recent years increasingly extensive territories have been converted to the cultivation of cereals for the production of biodiesel, defeating the increase in productivity of crops produced with the use of seeds of plants genetically modified.

Prof. Veronesi, convinced vegetarian, argues that it's all the fault of the steak. Drastically reducing the consumption of meat, not only prevent many serious diseases, but it would leave a large quantity of men cereal. The argument is convincing but does not erase the suspicion that although shared and implemented by many, is able to solve a problem of enormous dimensions.

We must rely on science and research. The aim of course is always to increase agricultural products. But there is another serious obstacle. The scarcity of water on earth is for personal use and for irrigation. Each year fall on earth 110 thousand km. cubes of water, but much is lost to evaporation. It remains available to only a tenth. Unfortunately not uniformly. There is too much in some places and little or nothing in others.
Furthermore, it appears excessive consumption for the breeding of livestock. Also Prof. Veronesi stresses the need for about 2 thousand litres of water to produce one kg. of bread and some 15 thousand litres to produce the same amount of beef.

On the other hand, environmentalists focus on the fact that 40% of water available is lost in the pipeline and that the first problem is the recovery of this water. Scientific research follows other routes. As the seawater desalination is too expensive because it consumes too much energy, are developing research to the selection of plants capable of living with a degree of salinity high enough, as well as plants that can survive with a quantity of water much lower than normal. Some results have been achieved in the laboratory.

Others have found materials that can first filter the sea water and then evaporate, thus reducing energy consumption and to involve both the use of energy from renewable sources like wind and sun.

As we see efforts to resolve two issues vital to humanity are many and various directions. Over time the science will certainly seek other solutions coming just hours imaginable. For our part we must be aware of the situation and perhaps make a small contribution by eating some steak less (not forgetting our health) and making most efficient use of water available to us.