Sara Menker quit a career in commodities trading to figure out how the global value chain of agriculture works. Her discoveries have led to some startling predictions: "We could have a tipping point in global food and agriculture if surging demand surpasses the agricultural system's structural capacity to produce food," she says. "People could starve and governments may fall." Menker's models predict that this scenario could happen in a decade -- that the world could be short 214 trillion calories per year by 2027. She offers a vision of this impossible world as well as some steps we can take today to avoid it.

Sara Menker: A global food crisis may be less than a decade away

A global food crisis may be less than a decade away

By 2027, the world faces a 214 trillion calorie deficit, signaling a potential global food crisis fueled by demand outpacing supply.

Commercializing agriculture in Africa and India is key, leveraging data for policy, infrastructure, and banking reforms to boost yields.

Addressing the food crisis requires bold action beyond reducing waste: exponential yield increases and changing consumption patterns.