This document provides data and graphs from Lester R. Brown's book "Full Planet, Empty Plates: The New Geopolitics of Food Scarcity" that support his arguments about increasing food scarcity. The graphs show rising food prices, increasing global population and ecological footprint, shifts to meat-heavy diets, and the growth of biofuels competing with food production for land and crops. Taken together, the data illustrates how population growth, dietary changes, and biofuel production are stressing the global food system.

1. Select supporting data for Lester R. Brown’s
Full Planet, Empty Plates:
The New Geopolitics of
Food Scarcity

2. Chapter 1
Food: The Weak Link
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

3. World Monthly Food Price Index,
January 1990 - August 2012
250
200
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
2002-2004 = 100
150
100
50
0
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Source: FAO
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

4. World Corn, Wheat, and Rice Production, 1960-2011
1,000
900
Corn
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
800
700
Wheat
600
Million Tons
500
Rice
400
300
200
100
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Source: USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

5. World Grain Stocks as Days of Consumption, 1960-2011
140
120
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
100
Days
80
60
40
20
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Source: USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

6. Chapter 2
The Ecology of Population Growth
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

7. World Population, 1950-2010, with Projections to 2050
12
11
10
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
9
8
Billion
7
6
5
4
3
2
1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050
Source: UNPop
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

8. Humanity's Ecological Footprint, 1961-2007
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.4
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
Point of Overshoot*
Number of Earths
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
* In 1976, for the first time, the total demands placed on
nature by the world economy reached the equivalent of
0.4
what the Earth can sustainably provide in a year. As of
2007, we are using the equivalent of 1.5 Earths—
0.2 exceeding what nature can provide by half.
0.0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Source: Global Footprint Network
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

9. Female Secondary Education and Total Fertility Rates,
Latest Year
8
7
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
6
Total Fertility Rate
5
4
3
2
1
R² = 0.6683
0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent of Girls Enrolled in Secondary School
Source: EPI from UIS
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

10. Chapter 3
Moving Up the Food Chain
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

11. World Meat Production by Type, 1950-2010
120
Pork
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
100
Poultry
80
Million Tons
Beef
60
40
20
Mutton
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Source: Worldwatch, FAO
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

12. World Wild Fish Catch and Farmed Fish Production,
1950-2010
100
90
Wild Catch
80
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
70
60
Million Tons
50
Farmed Fish
40
30
20
10
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: FAO
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

13. Meat Consumption in China and the United States,
1960-2012
80
China
70
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
60
50
Million Tons
40
United
States
30
20
10
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Source: USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

14. Milk Production in India and the United States, 1961-2010
140
120
India
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
100
Million Tons
80
United States
60
40
20
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: FAO
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

15. Chapter 4
Food or Fuel?
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / Vasata Studio

16. World Fuel Ethanol Production, 1975-2012
25,000
20,000
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
15,000
Million Gallons
10,000
5,000
Note: 2012 is a projection.
0
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Source: F.O. Licht
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

17. U.S. Corn Use for Feedgrain, Fuel Ethanol, and Exports,
1980-2011
180
160
Feedgrain
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
140
120
Million Tons
100
Fuel Ethanol
80
60
40
Exports
20
0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Source: USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

18. U.S. Motor Gasoline Consumption, 1950-2012
160
140
120
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
100
Billion Gallons
80
60
40
20
Note: 2012 is a projection.
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: DOE
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

19. Chapter 5
Eroding Soils Darkening Our Future
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

20. Dust Events in South Korea, 1970-2011
140
118
120
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
100
80 77
Days
60
39
40
23
20
0
1970-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2011
Source: KMA; KME
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

21. Grazing Livestock in Nigeria, 1961-2010
60
Goats
50
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
40
Sheep
Million Head
30
20
Cattle
10
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: FAO
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

22. Livestock and Human Populations in Pakistan, 1961-2010
200
180
Humans
160
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
140
Livestock
120
Millions
100
80
60
40
20
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: FAO; UNPop
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

23. Chapter 6
Peak Water and Food Scarcity
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

24. Wheat Production and Consumption
in Saudi Arabia, 1960-2011
4,500
4,000
Consumption
3,500
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
3,000
Thousand Tons
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
Production
500
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

25. Grain Production and Consumption in the
Arab Middle East and Israel, 1961-2011
45
Consumption
40
35
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
30
Million Tons
25
20
15
Production
10
5
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: EPI from USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

26. World Irrigated Area, 1961-2009
350
300
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
250
Million Hectares
200
150
100
50
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: FAO
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

27. World Irrigated Area Per Thousand People, 1961-2009
53
51
49
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
47
Hectares
45
43
41
39
37
35
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: FAO; UNPop
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

28. Chapter 7
Grain Yields Starting to Plateau
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / ollo

29. Wheat Yields in France, Germany, and the
United Kingdom, 1961-2011
9
8
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
7
6
Tons Per Hectare
5
4 France
Germany
3 United Kingdom
2
1
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Source: FAO, USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

30. Rice Yields in China and Japan, 1960-2011
6
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
5
Japan
4
Tons Per Hectare
3
China
2
1
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Source: USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

31. Fertilizer Consumption in Top Five Countries, 1961-2011
60
China
50
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
40
Million Tons
India
30
United
20 States
Brazil
10
Indonesia
0
1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021
Source: IFA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

32. Chapter 8
Rising Temperatures, Rising Food Prices
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / jansmarc

33. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration, 1000-2011
390
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
370
Parts Per Million by Volume
350
330
310
290
270
250
1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000
Source: EPI from Worldwatch; NOAA/ESRL
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

34. Average Global Temperature, 1880-2011
14.7
14.5
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
14.3
Degrees Celsius
14.1
13.9
13.7
13.5
13.3
1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
Source: NASA GISS
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

35. Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fossil Fuel
Burning by Fuel Type, 1900-2011
4,500
Coal
4,000
Earth Policy Institute - www.earthpolicy.org
3,500
Million Tons of Carbon
3,000
Oil
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000 Natural Gas
500
0
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
Source: EPI from CDIAC; BP
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

36. Chapter 9
China and the Soybean Challenge
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

37. World Soybean Production, 1950-2011
300
250
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
200
Million Tons
150
100
50
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Source: Worldwatch, USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

38. Soybean Production, Consumption, and Imports in China,
1964-2011
80
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
70
Consumption
60
50
Million Tons
40
30
Imports
20
10 Production
0
1964 1974 1984 1994 2004
Source: USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

39. Net Imports of Grain in China, 1960-2011
20
15
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
10
5
Million Tons
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Source: EPI from USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

40. Area Harvested for Wheat, Corn, and Soybeans in the
Western Hemisphere, 1960-2011
90
Soybeans
80
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
70
Corn
Million Hectares
60
50
Wheat
40
30
20
10
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Source: USDA
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

41. Chapter 10
The Global Land Rush
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / susoy

42. Large-scale Land Acquisition Area by
Target Region, October 2008 – August 2009
Middle East and
Latin America and North Africa, 1.9%
the Caribbean,
5.7%
Europe and
Central Asia, 7.6%
Southeast Asia,
14.7%
Sub-Saharan
Africa, 70.1%
Total Area: 56.6 million hectares in 203 projects
Source: GRAIN data compiled by Deininger and Byerlee (2011)
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

43. Large-scale Land Acquisitions by Project Type,
October 2008 – August 2009
Biofuel Crops
21%
Food Crops
37%
Industrial, Cash
Crops
21%
Conservation
Reserves, Game
Farms, Livestock,
Plantation Forestry
21%
Total Projects: 405
Source: GRAIN data compiled by Deininger and Byerlee (2011)
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

44. Chapter 11
Can We Prevent a Food Breakdown?
Photo Credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

45. Plan B Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reduction Goals for 2020
(Million Tons of Carbon)
Earth Policy Institute - www.earth-policy.org
Remaining net
emissions
Replacing fossil
1,680 fuels with
renewables for
Managing soils to electricity and heat
sequester carbon
3,210
600
Planting trees to 860
sequester carbon Restructuring the
1,500 1,400 transport system
Ending net
Reducing coal and
deforestation
oil use in industry
100
Baseline Emissions (2006) = 9,350 Million Tons of Carbon Source: EPI
Photo Credit: USDA / Scott Bauer

46. 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