Hillsboro FFA members present information on future of food availability
The Highland County Press
Hillsboro FFA members Bryanna Burkle, Mikala Waller, Samantha Fender, Kaleb Harp, Meredith Oglesby, Lauren Grover and their adviser Libby McNeal met with Highland County Commissioners Jeff Duncan, Shane Wilkin and Tom Horst at their Wednesday, April 1 board meeting.
Students performed a brief dramatization offering a glimpse into the future of food.
The students outlined three crucial issues of food availability, food access and food use. They said it is estimated that there will be 9 billion people in the world by 2050, with 219,000 people being born each day.
Based on a 1,200-calorie-per-day diet, it will take the equivalent 14,600 new acres being farmed to meet the global needs for food in another 35 years.
The students discussed boosting availability versus agricultural expansion and finding sufficient food to meet the growing needs. Farmers and agriculturalists are taking action today to meet these needs by increasing yields through better planting and by tackling food waste.
Students said they are solving these problems through education and active involvement.
They also discussed GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in food production.
Students utilized information from the University of Wisconsin-Madison during their demonstration.