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Full Planet, Empty Plates: The New Geopolitics of
Food Scarcity
Select supporting data for Lester R. Brown’s
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Chapter 1
Food: The Weak Link
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
50
100
150
200
250
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
2002
-2004 =
100
Source: FAO
World Monthly Food Price Index, January 1990 - August 2012
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100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: USDA
World Corn, Wheat, and Rice Production, 1960-2011
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Corn
Wheat
Rice
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
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20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Days
Source: USDA
World Grain Stocks as Days of Consumption, 1960-2011
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Chapter 2
The Ecology of Population Growth
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050
Bill
ion
Source: UNPop
World Population, 1950-2010, with Projections to 2050
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Num
be
r o
f E
art
hs
Source: Global Footprint Network
Humanity's Ecological Footprint, 1961-2007
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* In 1976, for the first time, the total demands placed on
nature by the world economy reached the equivalent of
what the Earth can sustainably provide in a year. As of
2007, we are using the equivalent of 1.5 Earths—
exceeding what nature can provide by half.
Point of Overshoot*
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
R² = 0.6683
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
0 20 40 60 80 100
To
tal F
ert
ility
Rate
Percent of Girls Enrolled in Secondary School
Source: EPI from UIS
Female Secondary Education and Total Fertility Rates, Latest Year
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Chapter 3
Moving Up the Food Chain
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
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20
40
60
80
100
120
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: Worldwatch, FAO
World Meat Production by Type, 1950-2010
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Pork
Poultry
Beef
Mutton
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
Wild Catch
Farmed Fish
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: FAO
World Wild Fish Catch and Farmed Fish Production, 1950-2010
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: USDA
Meat Consumption in China and the United States, 1960-2012
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China
United
States
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
India
United States
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: FAO
Milk Production in India and the United States, 1961-2010
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Chapter 4
Food or Fuel?
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / Vasata Studio
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Mill
ion
Ga
llon
s
Source: F.O. Licht
World Fuel Ethanol Production, 1975-2012
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Note: 2012 is a projection.
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: USDA
U.S. Corn Use for Feedgrain, Fuel Ethanol, and Exports, 1980-2011
Fuel Ethanol
Feedgrain
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Exports
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Bill
ion
Ga
llon
s
Source: DOE
U.S. Motor Gasoline Consumption, 1950-2012
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Note: 2012 is a projection.
Chapter 5
Eroding Soils Darkening Our Future
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
23
39
77
118
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1970-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2011
Days
Source: KMA; KME
Dust Events in South Korea, 1970-2011
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Mill
ion
He
ad
Source: FAO
Grazing Livestock in Nigeria, 1961-2010
Cattle
Sheep
Goats
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Mill
ion
s
Source: FAO; UNPop
Livestock and Human Populations in Pakistan, 1961-2010
Livestock
Humans
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Chapter 6
Peak Water and Food Scarcity
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Th
ou
sa
nd
To
ns
Source: USDA
Wheat Production and Consumption in Saudi Arabia, 1960-2011
Production
Consumption
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: EPI from USDA
Grain Production and Consumption in the Arab Middle East and Israel, 1961-2011
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Consumption
Production
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Mill
ion
He
cta
res
Source: FAO
World Irrigated Area, 1961-2009
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
35
37
39
41
43
45
47
49
51
53
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
He
cta
res
Source: FAO; UNPop
World Irrigated Area Per Thousand People, 1961-2009
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Chapter 7
Grain Yields Starting to Plateau
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / ollo
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
To
ns P
er
Hecta
re
Source: FAO, USDA
Wheat Yields in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, 1961-2011
France
Germany
United Kingdom
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0
1
2
3
4
5
6
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
To
ns P
er
Hecta
re
Source: USDA
Rice Yields in China and Japan, 1960-2011
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Japan
China
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: IFA
Fertilizer Consumption in Top Five Countries, 1961-2011
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China
India
United
States
Brazil
Indonesia
Chapter 8
Rising Temperatures, Rising Food Prices
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / jansmarc
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
250
270
290
310
330
350
370
390
1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000
Pa
rts P
er
Mill
ion
by V
olu
me
Source: EPI from Worldwatch; NOAA/ESRL
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration, 1000-2011
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
13.3
13.5
13.7
13.9
14.1
14.3
14.5
14.7
1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
Degre
es C
els
ius
Source: NASA GISS
Average Global Temperature, 1880-2011
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
Oil
Coal
Natural Gas
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
Mill
ion T
ons o
f C
arb
on
Source: EPI from CDIAC; BP
Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fossil Fuel Burning by Fuel Type, 1900-2011
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Chapter 9
China and the Soybean Challenge
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: Worldwatch, USDA
World Soybean Production, 1950-2011
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1964 1974 1984 1994 2004
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: USDA
Soybean Production, Consumption, and Imports in China, 1964-2011
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Consumption
Production
Imports
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Mill
ion
To
ns
Source: EPI from USDA
Net Imports of Grain in China, 1960-2011
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Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Mill
ion
He
cta
res
Source: USDA
Area Harvested for Wheat, Corn, and Soybeans in the Western Hemisphere, 1960-2011
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Soybeans
Corn
Wheat
Chapter 10
The Global Land Rush
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / susoy
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
Sub-Saharan Africa, 70.1%
Southeast Asia, 14.7%
Europe and Central Asia, 7.6%
Latin America and the Caribbean,
5.7%
Middle East and North Africa, 1.9%
Large-scale Land Acquisition Area by Target Region, October 2008 – August 2009
Source: GRAIN data compiled by Deininger and Byerlee (2011)
Total Area: 56.6 million hectares in 203 projects
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
Food Crops 37%
Conservation Reserves, Game Farms, Livestock, Plantation Forestry
21%
Industrial, Cash Crops 21%
Biofuel Crops 21%
Large-scale Land Acquisitions by Project Type, October 2008 – August 2009
Source: GRAIN data compiled by Deininger and Byerlee (2011)
Total Projects: 405
Chapter 11
Can We Prevent a Food Breakdown?
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer
Replacing fossil fuels with
renewables for electricity and heat
Restructuring the transport system
Reducing coal and oil use in industry
100
Ending net deforestation
Planting trees to sequester carbon
Managing soils to sequester carbon
Remaining net emissions
Plan B Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reduction Goals for 2020 (Million Tons of Carbon)
1,680
600
860
1,500 1,400
3,210
Baseline Emissions (2006) = 9,350 Million Tons of Carbon Source: EPI
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To learn more about the global food
situation…
read Full Planet, Empty
Plates: The New Geopolitics
of Food Scarcity by
Lester R. Brown. The book
and supporting data sets
are available at
www.earth-policy.org
