(click through for a larger pdf version)
The FAO has just released a new infographic showcasing some of the facts and numbers its statistics unit, FAOSTAT, regularly collects. Some of the numbers that stand out to me:
- More than 840 million people worldwide are undernourished.
- Compare that with the fact that the average annual food supply per person is 147 kg – that should be enough to feed everybody?
- Poultry makes up over 80% of livestock, cattle is only at 6% (I wonder whether this is by headcount or by weight?)
- 1 in 3 people worldwide work in agriculture.
- 80% of the food consumed in developing countries is produced by smallholders.
- 60% of child labor occurs in agriculture 🙁
What numbers are you surprised by or do you find interesting?
Rice is a primary staple for over half the worlds population!
Oh wow, this is fascinating! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Reblogged this on Science on the Land and commented:
argylesock says… Here’s a summary of where food comes from and how it feeds people. My fellow blogger highlights some of the interesting numbers. I notice that rice (Oryza sativa) is a staple food for more than half of the world’s people. I wish this infographic referred to malnutrition, but its focus is on how much food people eat instead of whether people’s diets are adequate.
During the Soviet era, it was decided that Uzbekistan would be the cotton-producing region, notwithstanding that the land is not suitable for cotton production. It has nearly drained the Aral Sea. Tying it to this post, a significant number of children are forced to do labour in these fields.