A Korean scholar has published a book suggesting environmental problems will cause a world food crisis.

Titled “Food War 2030,” the book is written by Lee Cherl-ho, who holds a Ph.D. in food science from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Fredericksberg, Denmark. After working as a researcher for four years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he worked for the Korea Food Security Research Foundation for 30 years.

“We now know that the world cannot be conquered through military force alone,” Lee writes. 

“So what means are left? The answer is simple: food. More of it will be needed to feed Asia’s burgeoning population. The planet’s food production has failed to keep pace with its rising levels of consumption, and signs of a new era of shortage are everywhere apparent.”

According to Lee, “fully a billion people” are going hungry in Asia alone. Lee thinks China faces the worst situation of all: While its animal product consumption is increasing, it is also becoming the world’s biggest importer of soybeans and corn.

He also predicts that the U.S. will likely restrict food exports to the countries that do not cooperate in reducing global warming. This will put China and other rising industrial powers in Asia in crisis, as they will heavily rely on food imports from developed countries.

“China produced 158 million tons of corn in 2010, but that figure is expected to fall to 140 million by 2025,” Lee projects.

“As the U.S. jockeys to maintain its dominance, it will have no option but to use food as a means of applying pressure, leveraging environmental concerns as its excuse for doing so. It is currently the world’s biggest exporter of food. ( ... ) China and other developing countries in Asia’s survival hinges on their ability to purchase the food that they need from overseas.”

The book is an English-language edition translated from the original Korean text by translator Colin Mouat.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)