Grain: Record Harvests Fall Short of Demand

• The world's farmers reaped a record 2.32 billion tons of grain in 2007, following several years of declining harvests.
• Rising global demand will prevent any of this harvest from replenishing cereal stocks, which are already at a 30-year low.
• Low stocks and high demand have driven up the price of cereals, forcing developing nations to spend a record $52 billion on imports of cereals in 2007.

Record grain harvests—the result of increased output due to near-perfect weather in growing areas, and increased use of fertilizer—have failed to keep up with rising demand for grain. An estimated 48 percent of the grain harvest feeds humans directly, while another 35 percent feeds livestock and 17 percent is used in fuel production.

Read: Vital Signs Update: Grain Harvest Sets Record, But Supplies Still Tight