The 9 billion-people question

Economist writer John Parker poses the question how the world will feed an extra two billion people and finds agriculture needs to boost yields of staple crops. Not a major revelation, you would think, but the writer acknowledges plenty of people would argue the point.

His report also notes that while the concerns of critics of modern agriculture may be understandable, "the reaction against intensive farming is a luxury of the rich. Traditional and organic farming could feed European and Americans well. It cannot feed the world."

The Economist has led the way in coverage of this issue: http://www.economist.com/node/18200618