bonzaboy, Africa has nearly a billion people already. It would be the one continent now with the biggest shortage of food, combined with massive population growth. Even if Africa started a zero population growth scheme tomorrow, you'd be looking at hundreds of millions more mouths before the population platued out, and these people have no desire whatsoever to do that. It's ingrained into their religion and lifestyle to have heaps of kids. They will breed on until nature fixes the problem and it will be bad when it happens.
Add to that, the vast grasslands that are arable and not yet farmed are supporting africa's unique wildlife. I can't see the whole lot going under the plough. They may be better off saving this land and their tourism industry and import food rather than ploughing it all up.
Carbon trading will surely reduce food production. If only Australia will go the way the rest of the world does, and pay farmers to sequester carbon and not penalise for emissions. I think there will be no choice, as our ag industries won't survive otherwise. If agricultural production can't compete here, we will be importing food, thus increasing emissions. Surely they have worked that bit out. There is not the fat left to get anymore out of Aussie farmers.
