Many of us remember as children being lectured to “clean our plates” (i.e. not waste food) when so many in the world were starving. Implicit in this admonition was that there was a shortage of food.
Well meant, but incorrect according to Bill Gates’ favorite author.
In his “Gates Notes”, the founder of Microsoft will introduce you to Vaclav Smil. Mr. Gates writes that “ Across his decades of research and writing, Vaclav has tackled some of the biggest questions in energy, agriculture, and public health—not by making grand predictions, but by breaking down complex problems into measurable data.”
In his review of Mr. Smil’s recent book, “How to Feed the World”, we are told that “we already produce more than enough food to feed the world. The real challenge, he says, is what happens after the food is grown.”
Check out Mr. Gates’ review of Mr. Smil’s book and his short video interview with the author “What it will really take to feed the world.”
