Global food demand is increasing rapidly, as are the environmental impacts of agricultural expansion. Here, we project global
demand for crop production in 2050 and evaluate the environmental impacts of alternative ways that this demand might be
met. We find that per capita demand for crops, when measured as caloric or protein content of all crops combined, has been a
similarly increasing function of per capita real income since 1960. This relationship forecasts a 100–110% increase in global crop demand from 2005 to 2050.