Even if the world was in good health, it would be extremely difficult to feed its rapidly increasing population, many of whom expect a diet with more meat.
But the world is not in good health, with many scientists giving repeated warnings that it is sick and getting sicker. James Martin in his book The meaning of the 21st Century says,
“The most dangerous consequence of our activities may be that we upset the way that our planet regulates itself. The Earth is a small but immensely complex entity sitting in endless black emptiness. Its great forests, oceans, weather patterns and ecology enable it to regulate itself, as it has done for 3 billion years. It’s complex mechanisms of regulation provide a breathable atmosphere, a pleasant climate and conditions in which diverse plants grow. The Earth is like a living thing-a green and beautiful sphere with immensely complex biology and weather. It is generally stable, but we can interfere with it. If we interfere with it gently, it will adjust and return to stability. However, if we interfere with it too much, it will change to a different state, and this would be disastrous for a population so excessive that only a portion of it can survive in decency.”