Perhaps the most pressing constraint on agricultural production is the impending labor shortage, as rural young people, who traditionally comprise the agricultural labor force, flock to cities. With small farmers unable to provide sufficient surpluses, agricultural production will become increasingly consolidated and mechanized, raising fossil-fuel consumption, which will have to be offset by the introduction of more efficient technologies.
也许对农业生产最紧迫的约束是严峻的劳动力短缺问题，因为农村年轻人口——传统上他们组成了农业劳动大军——纷纷涌向城市。小农无法生产足够的剩余，农业生产将日渐集中化和机械化，增加化石燃料使用，这必须通过引入更高效的技术以抵消影响。