Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1999

Prof. Sun and the proud parents of super hybrid rice plants Food Shortage Poses Challenges Little d o we k n o w it b u t we h uman beings are steadily eating our w a y to our demise. The p o p u l a t i o n of planet earth has been increasing b y 2 per cent per year wh i le staples have been increasing b y o n l y 1.1 per cent. The o u t p ut of i mp o r t a n t crops w i l l have to increase b y 80 per cent f r om that i n 1990 i n 25 years or we w i l l be faced w i t h famine . A n d China, w h i ch has to feed 22 per cent of the wo r l d 's p o p u l a t i on w i t h 7 per cent of the wo r l d ' s cultivated land, w i l l bear the b r unt of it. Rapid economic development i n China has already led to more f a rm l and bein g t u r ned into roads and factory sites, an d a popu l a t i o n that demand more meat, a previous luxury. The incentive to raise livestock is therefore higher, but then to produce a p o u nd of meat, some 7 pounds of g r a i n is consumed, as an ima l feed is also made f r o m crops. The h uman race underwent its first green revolution i n the 60s. Imp r ovemen ts were made to the i r r i ga t i on system, pesticides and fertilizers were used, the area of cultivated land was expanded, and crops were geneticall y i mp r o v ed t h r oug h cross-breeding to render C h i n e s e U n i v e r s i t yB u l l e t i n A u t u m n • W i n t e r 1999 20