The world food production has increased substantially in the
past century, as has calorie intake per capita. However, in
spite of a decrease in the proportion of undernourished people,
the absolute number has in fact increased during the current
food crisis, to over 963 million. By 2050, population growth by
an estimated 3 billion more people will increase food demand.
Increased fertilizer application and more water usage through
irrigation have been responsible for over 70% of the crop yield
increase in the past. Yields, however, have nearly stabilized
for cereals, partly as a result of low and declining investments
in agriculture. In addition, fisheries landings have declined in
the past decade mainly as a result of overfishing and
unsustainable fishing methods. Food supply, however, is not only
a function of production, but also of energy efficiency. Food
energy efficiency is our ability to minimize the loss of energy
in food from harvest potential through processing to actual
consumption and recycling. By