8,000 years

I've talked in the past about the need to improve agricultural productivity to keep the world fed.

This was brought home to me this week when I read an astonishing fact.  (Assuming, of course, that this is true  ... and I have no reason to doubt it.)

"The world will need as much food in the next 40 years as it has consumed in the past 8,000 years."

I have nothing to add.