A very good article. I've been living here (Nanjing) for nigh on 7 years and certainly there has been a noticable change in what is available in the supermarkets. The small ( and still numerous) food markets - without refridgeration or fly control - are still popular because of price.
I haven't yet noticed any drop in the serving of rice for each meal but there is now a larger variety of other dishes.
The memory of famine is still fresh in the minds of the middle aged and older. They rejoice in displaying their current bounty, and to shovel it into their progeny.

*The question remains, how will the hungry multitudes of the future be able to afford to purchase food?*

Interesting article, except for the author confusing her millions
and billions. But that is ok, journalists do it all the time.

As to the question, methods like permaculture are the way to go
in the third world. Places like Africa are not short of land,
nor are they short of labour. Some family planning might help
too, 2 kids are easier to feed then 6.

The Yanks keep trying to flog their American methods, but they
are based on cheap oil etc, so that is no solution.

Land title is another issue. If people don't own land, they can't
really establish farmland and grow crops.

Countries like Ethiopia, Sudan etc, have plenty of land, its
really a political problem that they face.

Yes, thanks for the article, Fay. I live in Zhejiang Province and also, as yet, haven't experienced any shortage of rice or change in eating patterns. But at least now I have an understanding of future trends.