In his inaugural address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Sir William Crookes alerted his audience to a looming food crisis in Europe. He highlighted the rapid population growth that would lead agriculture to fall short, as the world’s arable land was nearly fully utilized. Crookes argued that even if every wheat-growing region maximized its potential, yields would not keep pace with demographic growth post-1931. He stressed the necessity of improving agricultural efficiency through fertilizers to avert disaster, detailing the potential of sodium nitrate to increase wheat yields significantly.
Sir William Crookes utilized his inaugural speech as president to deliver a troubling warning about Europe facing a potential food crisis due to population growth.
Crookes emphasized the finite nature of arable land and the urgent need for greater agricultural yields to sustain the rapidly growing population of Europe.
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