Long-term projections of food production and demand

Systematic modeling of food demand and supply began in the 1990s with initiatives from IFPRI - International Food Policy Research Institute - and other global organizations. These have now expanded to include biophysical and socioeconomic modeling tools in order to examine how food production, food security, and other food system outcomes are affected by climate and other socioeconomic and environmental changes. In this article, Keith, Timothy, and Nicola describe IFPRI's IMPACT model (the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade - "a network of linked economic, water, and crop models"), present IMPACT projections to 2050, and discuss the challenges and opportunities for global food and environmental policies.