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having declined from 1.6 per cent in the 1980s and almost
3 per cent in the 1970s (FAO 2013a). The increase in cereal
production in the 1960swasdrivenby theGreenRevolution, while
an economic recession, bad weather and low prices depressed
growth in cereal production in the 1990s and early 2000s (FAO
2013a). The increase in food production in recent decades has
resulted in a corresponding increase in per capita food supply,
which rose from 2 200 kcal/day in the early 1960s to about
2 800 kcal/day by 2009 with Europe having the highest supply
averaging 3 370 kcal/person/day (FAO 2013a). Annual increases
are projected to remain low in the next decade, averaging
1.4 per cent in cereal production to the year 2022, with 57 per cent
of this growth in developing countries (OECD and FAO 2013).
Besides cereals, other key dietary needs for people include
proteins, which are largely provided through meat and milk.
About 296 million tonnes of meat were produced across the
world in 2010 (FAO 2012d). The annual growth rate in cattle
production has declined gradually from about 2 per cent in the
1960s to less than 1 per cent in the 2000s. The annual growth rate
in pigmeat production fell from about 4 per cent 50 years ago to
0.8 per cent per year since 2000. However, the growth in poultry
production continues to be robust averaging 3 per cent per year
(FAO 2012d). Over 720 million tonnes of milk were produced in
2010. The average annual increase in milk production was about
2.2 per cent between 2000 and 2010 (FAO 2012d).
The 35 years leading up to the turn of the millennium saw
the doubling of agricultural food production driven by an
almost sevenfold increase in nitrogen fertilization, a 3.5-fold
increase in phosphorus fertilization, a 1.7-fold increase in the
amount of irrigated cropland and a 1.1-fold increase in land put