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The human race now appears to be getting close to the limits of global food productive capacity based on present technologies. Substantial damage already has been done to the biological and physical systems that we depend on for food production. This damage is continuing and in some areas is accelerating. Because of its direct impact on global food production, injury and loss of arable land has become one of the most urgent problems facing humanity. Of these problems, this is perhaps the most neglected. Controlling these damaging activities and increasing food production must now receive priority and resources commensurate with their importance if humanity is to avoid harsh difficulties in the decades ahead.
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References and Notes
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The authors wish to express their appreciation to the following people for their help in the preparation of this work: V. Abemethy, M. Brower, S. Chisholm, W. Dazong, M. El-Ashry, P. Faeth, M. Falkenmark, M. Giampietro, R. Goodland, K. Gottfried, S. Harris, D. Hornig, T. Mount, I. Oka, E. Oyer, M. Paoletti, M. Pimentel, P. Pinstrup-Andersen, T. Poleman, S. Postel, P. Raven, K. Robinson, T. Scott, L. Stifel and N. Uphoff.
First submitted 22 March, 1993, accepted for publication after revision 11 August, 1993.
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Kendall, H.W. (2000). Constraints on the Expansion of the Global Food Supply. In: Kendall, H.W. (eds) A Distant Light. Masters of Modern Physics, vol 0. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8507-1_20
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