The human population of Earth is growing far faster than it ever has before. In the past a number of reasons would wipe out entire cities and hold the population of the world in check. However with tools developed from modern science we no longer fear epidemics the way our ancestors did.

In addition the life span of a human being today is much longer than even a hundred years ago. Old age related diseases have been treated, as have strokes and other diseases which people would have succumbed to in a previous period. It means that there are more people living longer in the world.

The larger population requires more food to survive. Naturally the focus on global food production is now much  more critical. New genetically modified foods tend to bridge the gap, but we are not yet sure exactly how healthy such foods are likely to be for the human population in the long run.

Many scientific projects focus on the question of food availability and possible scarcity that we will face in the future. Perhaps it would be better to focus on the food that is currently being wasted despite having the potential to ward of human hunger. France has set up new laws that make sure supermarkets do not waste fresh produce, perhaps the world should consider taking up this policy as well.