World population concerns food experts

A UN report says the world population crosses the 7-billion mark on October 31 as experts are concerned about the availability of adequate foodstuff for the world's burgeoning population. Almost all specialists on nutrition and population growth believe that widespread hunger and scarcity of food resources in the world have their roots in politics rather than agricultural or natural problems, a Deutsche Welle report said on Monday. Some of them have also referred to intentional squandering of foodstuff in the Western countries. Joel Cohen, a professor with the Rockefeller University of New York says there is enough grain, including wheat, to feed nine, 10, or even 11 billion people. However, in some parts of the world about half of all available foodstuff are used to nourish animals or produce fertilizers and organic waste, he added. Experts maintain that rich countries also avoid helping Third World countries in their family planning and population control efforts. According to Cohen, there are about 215 million young women in developing countries who are willing to avoid pregnancy, but don't know how. Cohen continued by saying that only USD 6.5 billion was enough to solve those women's problem. The figure, he says, doesn't seem high when compared to USD 6.9 billion which is spent on Halloween celebrations in the US alone.