Increasing Land Scarcity Poses Threat of Food Shortage

Hong Kong flu still poses pandemic threat.

WASHINGTON—In December 1997, news watchers were confronted with sobering images of government workers in Hong Kong slaughtering 1.4 million chickens in a massive effort to prevent avian influenza from spreading through the densely populated city and, potentially, across the globe. Earlier that year, what was later identified as a strain of influenza previously known to infect birds, but not peo...

Soil Degradation, Land Scarcity and Food Security: Reviewing a Complex Challenge

Soil health, along with water supply, is the most valuable resource for humans, as human life depends on the soil’s generosity. Soil degradation, therefore, poses a threat to food security, as it reduces yield, forces farmers to use more inputs, and may eventually lead to soil abandonment. Unfortunately, the importance of preserving soil health appears to be overlooked by policy makers. In this...

The Shortage of Food and Cloth

Water shortage in Australian fast food outlets.

China's Increasing Openness: Threat or Opportunity? China's Increasing Openness: a Threat or Opportunity?

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Directors or the governments they represent.