From: , The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/30651

Published February 5, 2008 10:08 AM

Agriculture is possibly the most important sector of global activity. It is a source of foods, fibers and, increasingly, fuel. It provides livelihoods and subsistence for the largest number of people worldwide. It is vital to rural development and therefore critical to poverty alleviation. Up to 40% of the land's surface is used for agriculture, along with 70% of the world's fresh water supply. Today, agriculture accounts for 38.7% of total global employment.

Population growth and increasing affluence in some countries are increasing demand for food and changing the types of food in demand — from grain to meat, for example, a change that requires more farmland. More land is being used to grow fuel crops, and climate change and water scarcity are compromising the ability of agricultural lands to deliver quality produce.