雅思词汇课文（12）· Food Security and the Future of Farming 粮食安全与农业的未来

环境与农业主题，约 350 词，融入 30 个雅思核心词。

🎧 课文朗读音频（约 1 分钟）

📖 课文 Text

Food Security and the Future of Farming

The world's population is projected to reach nearly ten billion by 2050. To feed that many people, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that global food production will need to increase by around 50 per cent. Yet the land available for farming is not expanding. Soil erosion, urban sprawl and climate change are reducing the productivity of existing farmland.

The problem is not simply one of quantity. Food waste is enormous: roughly one third of all food produced globally is lost or thrown away, either on the farm, in transport, or in supermarkets and homes. In wealthy countries, consumers discard perfectly edible food because of confusing date labels or overly strict cosmetic standards. In poor countries, the loss occurs earlier — in the fields, where harvests rot because of poor roads and inadequate storage.

Agricultural scientists are responding on several fronts. Precision farming uses satellite images and sensor data to apply water and fertiliser only where they are needed, reducing waste and lowering costs. Vertical farms, built inside tall buildings, grow crops under LED lights using a fraction of the water required by conventional agriculture. Genetically modified crops have been engineered to resist drought and pests, although they remain controversial in many parts of Europe.

Critics of these technological solutions argue that they focus on production rather than distribution. Even now, the world produces enough food to feed everyone, yet hundreds of millions remain undernourished. The problem, they say, is poverty and inequality, not scarcity. Improving transport infrastructure, reducing food waste, and giving small farmers access to markets would go further than any new technology.

The likely future combines both approaches. Sustainable intensification — producing more from the same land without harming the environment — will be essential. But so will political will to ensure that food reaches those who need it. In the end, feeding ten billion people is as much a question of justice as it is of technology.

📝 生词表 New Words and Expressions

🧠 课文理解 Comprehension

1. According to the passage, global food production needs to increase by...

• A. 10 per cent
• B. 25 per cent
• C. about 50 per cent
• D. 100 per cent

2. In wealthy countries, food is wasted mainly because of...

• A. poor roads and storage
• B. date labels and cosmetic standards
• C. natural disasters
• D. lack of farmland

3. Vertical farms...

• A. use more water than conventional farms
• B. grow crops indoors with LED lights and less water
• C. are impossible to build in cities
• D. require no artificial light

4. Critics argue that technological solutions focus too much on...

• A. production and not enough on distribution and poverty
• B. genetically modified crops
• C. urban consumers
• D. climate change

5. The writer concludes that feeding ten billion people requires...

• A. only better technology
• B. only political action
• C. both sustainable intensification and fair distribution
• D. reducing the world's population

✏️ 词汇练习 Vocabulary Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list. Change the form where necessary.

| erosion / discard / inadequate / controversial / scarcity / infrastructure / poverty / sustainable |

1. Heavy rainfall has caused severe soil ______ on the hillside farms.
2. Please do not ______ food — take only what you can eat.
3. The old warehouse was ______ for storing large quantities of grain.
4. The new law on genetically modified crops remains deeply ______.
5. During the drought, water ______ became a serious problem.
6. The government invested billions in road and rail ______.
7. Many rural communities are trapped in cycles of ______.
8. Farmers are being encouraged to adopt more ______ methods that preserve soil quality.

✅ 答案 Answers

Comprehension

1. C（"increase by around 50 per cent"）
2. B（"confusing date labels or overly strict cosmetic standards"）
3. B（"grow crops under LED lights using a fraction of the water"）
4. A（"focus on production rather than distribution... poverty and inequality"）
5. C（"combines both approaches... as much a question of justice as technology"）

Vocabulary

1. erosion　2. discard　3. inadequate　4. controversial　5. scarcity　6. infrastructure　7. poverty　8. sustainable