The world continues to be in a phase of exceptional population growth. The global population rose from about 1.6 billion people in 1900 to 3 billion in 1960 and up to 7.3 billion today. It is expected to pass 9 billion by the year 2050. The demand for food is therefore expected to increase substantially as the global population increases and as higher incomes drive dietary pattern changes towards more livestock products. The agriculture sectors, including forestry and fisheries, are also expected to produce more non-food products, for energy and feed. At the same time, the natural resources upon which agriculture depends, such as land, water and soil, are increasingly threatened by environmental degradation and climate change.