UN: Increased Agriculture Productivity Key to Feeding Growing Population

The facts seem daunting. By the year 2050 the world population could be as high as 9.2 billion people. According to Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the United Nation’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), “the combined effect of population growth, strong income growth and urbanization is expected to result in almost the doubling of the demand for food, feed, and fibre.”

‘“Agriculture will have no choice but to be more productive,’ Mr. Diouf said at the opening of the two-day High-Level Expert Forum on How to Feed the World in 2050. . . The two-day gathering focuses on policy options that governments should consider adopting to ensure that the world population can be fed when it nears its peak of almost 9.2 billion people by the middle of this century.”

According to the UN News Centre release, Diouf doesn’t think using more land is going to solve the problem. In fact, it could make the problem worse environmentally. Instead, agricultural yields will have to increase on already-existing crop lands, and more sustainable growing methods must be used. Diouf believes organic agriculture is positive, but it will not provide the solutions to this particular problem.

Diouf also pointed out agricultural needs can’t be met if certain realities, namely global warming, aren’t dealt with. Global warming has the potential to change entire weather patterns and lead to more frequent weather disasters. Additionally, “The combined effects of climate change could reduce potential output by up to 30 per cent in Africa and up to 21 per cent in Asia, [Diouf] noted.”

Focusing on smaller farms, women farmers, rural households, and their access to agricultural supplies and a clean environment must be part of the solution too, according to Diouf. ‘“The challenge is not only to increase global future production but to increase it where it is mostly needed and by those who need it most[.]”’

The conclusions derived from this forum will “contribute” to the World Summit on Food Security in Rome in the middle of November.

To read the UN news release click here.

Posted: 10/12/09