The United Nations Population Division estimates that, by the year 2050, there will be 9.7 billion people living on Earth – around 30% more people than in 2017. Nearly all of this population growth will occur in the developing countries.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that, in developing countries, 80% of the necessary increases in food production keep pace with population growth are projected to come from increases in yields and the number of times per year crops can be grown on the same land. Only 20% of new food production is expected to come from expansion of farming land.
Pesticides can prevent large crop losses and will therefore continue to play a role in agriculture. However, the effects on humans and the environment of exposure to pesticides are a continuing concern.