Food production would need to double by 2050 to meet growing demands, which could have devastating impacts for the environment. Land sharing and land sparing are two strategies most frequently used when designing agricultural landscapes.

Global food demand has been increasing over the course of the past century, leading to increased food production and, as a consequence, an increase in the environmental impact of intensified agriculture. Current trends show that demand will continue to increase, and production would need to double to meet the demand projected for 2050, which has important implications for the environment. A key question to ask is what exactly is driving this growing demand. In this article, I will discuss the observed drivers of increasing global food demand and how these tie into global food security.