Food shortages may become most critical world issue by mid-century

Food shortage may start to bear serious implications for people and governments within the next 40 years.

According to a top scientist at the U.S. Agency for International Development, food production will be limited on a global scale by the availability of land, water and energy and food issues could become as politically destabilizing by 2050 as energy issues are today.

Dr. Fred Davies, senior science advisor for the agency's bureau of food security said that the world population will increase 30 percent to 9 billion people by mid-century, which would call for a 70 percent increase in food to meet demand, but resource limitations will constrain global food systems.

Davies highlighted the "monumental challenge of feeding the world" and added that more efficient technologies and crops will need to be developed to address this challenge.