Vaclav Smil has produced an increasing repertoire of books summarizing how humans consume different resources. Over four decades he has visited many topics including food availability and its constraints. His latest 2025 book, “How to Feed the World: The History and Future of Food” stands as his summum opus, and is the best current survey about the tension between human needs and food supplies, comparing key options and constraints. Therefore it is highly recommended to students, scientists, aid workers and general readers alike. The first section of his book tracks the inevitability of humans to depend on grains and legumes.
Smil highlights the paradox that some of the world’s largest food producers, like India, have significant undernourished populations. He attributes this to unequal “global entitlements to food” rather than insufficient production, pointing to economic, political, and social barriers that prevent equitable distribution. But he also is concerned with the ability of societies to grow enough food for a population growing toward 10 billion persons, particularly in Africa where crop yields are low and water/irrigation is limited.
Smil causes particular attention to food waste. He emphasizes the colossal scale of food waste—approximately 1,000 kcal per person daily in Western countries, with a third of food produced (around 3,300 kcal per person per day) wasted, including a quarter of unopened food in places like Britain. This inefficiency exacerbates hunger by reducing available food and straining resources, a critical issue as populations grow.
