The native method is often a marvel of ingenuity developed over many generations through intimate contact with unique situations.There may be no bumper crops, but the wonder is that there is any crop at all.

             Many countries in the Western Hemisphere consistently produce more food than they use. The surpluses are stored in granaries and warehouses for later use or sale to other countries. Storing the surpluses costs money because giant bins and huge buildings must be built and maintained. Techniques for reducing spoilage and loss to pests add to the cost.

             As farmers continue to seek the greatest possible yield for the most reasonable cost, advanced agriculture is becoming as elaborate and as complicated as other modern industries. In the United States and in other wealthy nations where population is not yet a burden, the cost of labor is relatively high and is the limiting factor in production. Thus there has been more and more mechanization and automation.

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             In general, the world is no better fed today than decades ago. The world's population is growing at an alarming rate, and agriculture has just barely kept up with it. Despite overproduction in some nations, perhaps one out of six persons throughout the world is undernourished. Some studies show that as much as half of the world's population may be suffering from malnutrition or starvation.

             Distribution of agricultural surpluses to areas of deficiency seems an ideal solution. But it is far more difficult than it seems. The surpluses currently produced by agriculturally advanced countries are often given to school lunch programs, to families on public assistance, and to welfare institutions within the nations themselves. Food and fiber crops are sold abroad for foreign currencies to improve the producing country's balance of trade.

             Even if the food could be easily distributed to other nations, the costs for transporting it run high.