A recent study shows that scientists have underestimated the amount of land and water needed for agriculture, which is further complicated as the United States loses three acres of land every minute to development and has areas such as the West and Southwest facing increasing droughts and declining Colorado River water reserves.
Advances in agriculture make it possible to yield higher amounts of food, but the best and most fertile land is being lost to development in both rural and urban areas. As a result, the ability to grow the best crops in a sustainable manner with the least amount of water becomes more challenging. Technological advances will offer temporary solutions, but the issue will only be exacerbated as our population grows to over 400 million by 2060. Our population growth is driven by immigration policies set by Congress that must be reduced in order to alleviate pressures on our land and water supplies.