UN warns 3bn risk poverty

The world is running out of time to make sure there is enough food, water and energy to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population and to avoid sending up to 3 billion people into poverty, a UN report warned yesterday.

As the world’s population looks set to grow to nearly 9bn by 2040, and the number of middle-class consumers increases by 3bn over the next 20 years, the demand for resources will rise exponentially.

By 2030, the world will need at least 50% more food, 45% more energy and 30% more water, the UN estimates.