Chapter 4 

 FOOD, CLIMATE, SOIL, AND WATEF 



INTRODUCTION 



Scope of Assignment 



This panel has taken a comprehensive view of food, 

 focusing on the role of science and technology in its 

 production, harvesting, marketing, processing, 

 preservation, preparation, and consumption. We have 

 given primary emphasis to those aspects of climate, 

 soil, and water that contribute to food for human 

 consumption, although concerns for the management and 

 conservation of these resources extend beyond food. 

 Natural resources in a more general and comprehensive 

 sense are covered in Chapter 5. 



The World Food Situation 



It is guestionable whether enough food can fce 

 produced during the decades ahead to meet the caloric 

 and nutritional requirements of the worlds population. 

 Thus few subjects are of greater concern than improving 

 the methods and techniques used to satisfy requirements 

 for food. 



Discussions of the world food problem are too often 

 put in global and national terms and lose sight of food 

 consumption and production at the level of the 

 individual. In advancing our proposals, we have 

 attempted always to keep in mind their usefulness to 

 the individual consumer and producer of food. Much of 

 the world's food is grown and consumed within 

 individual units or in relatively small areas. 

 Stultifying drudgery is still required, particularly on 

 the part of rural women, for agricultural production, 

 the preservation and preparation of food, and the 

 collection of water and fuel for cooking. Thus it is 



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