Wait, NINE Billion People?? World Population Day 7/11/2013

I recently received the following (slightly shortened) email. Sometimes, because there’s just not enough time to read them all, I delete mass emails like this. However, I found the title compelling enough to open and then, the message within even more interesting. There could be 9 Billion people on the planet before my time is up (given I live to be nice and old and past 2050). That’s alarming since we’re struggling now to balance food and water and other resources equitably for the 7 billion we have now. Read below and learn more about these challenges- truly upsetting.

BUT, what I liked most about this email is the hope it provides. Hope is a powerful motivator and clearly (below) there are many folks out there with hope that they can make a difference.

Danielle, author of the email, asks the readers to suggest other groups and names addressing the issues presented within- do you know anyone? I wrote back and suggested the Half the Sky Movement.

“Dear Stephenie,

Thursday, July 11th, is World Population Day. The United Nations estimates that global population will swell to 9 billion by the year 2050. Most of this growth will occur in urban areas and emerging economies in Asia, Latin America, and sub-Saharan Africa. Cities such as Delhi, India; Sao Paolo, Brazil; and Lagos, Nigeria will become the largest in the world, while rural areas will lose inhabitants.

At least one billion people around the world do not get enough to eat. A nearly equal amount – 1.4 billion – are overweight, and can suffer from various health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. And more than 200 million women across the globe have an unmet need for contraception, keeping them from planning how many children they want to have and when. In addition, women farmers often lack access to land, credit, and education making it harder for them to provide for their families. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that if women had the same access to these services as men, global malnutrition could be reduced by 12 to 17 percent.

But committed groups around the world are highlighting the connections between population growth, gender, reproductive health, agricultural production, and environmental sustainability and the need for integrated, holistic approaches to nourish both people and the planet.

The 18 individuals and organizations below (in alphabetical order) are all taking action to prepare for the challenges presented by global population growth through research, advocacy, education, and community outreach. What other groups are taking on these issues? Please let us know in the comments or email me.”

“Who would you add to this list? Please email me and let me know! Also, you can share the list by clicking HERE.

All The Best,

Danielle Nierenberg
Co-Founder, Food Tank
foodtank.org
Email: danielle@foodtank.org
Phone: 202-590-1037“