HELP FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN A WORLD OF RISING GRAIN PRICES

Abstract

Humanity is entering a precarious era as world population and consumption are growing faster than crop production with nearly all growth occurring in the developing world. Global food production must increase by 70% by 2050 and in the next 50 years world will need to produce as much food as has been produced in the history of mankind. At the present time rising poverty, food prices, and food insecurity are impacting world stability. Issues include underinvestment in agricultural research; the impact of climate change on agricultural systems; and resource degradation such as loss of topsoil and fertilizers. The solution will involve improved and more diverse cropping systems; more emphasis on precision agriculture; increase information and communication technology; tapping latent genetic potential; improved efficiency of photosynthesis, nutrients, and water use; biotic stress resistance; increasing nutritional quality; and improved postharvest handling. The successful implementation will require global initiatives and partnerships as well as concerted vision and political will. FOOD SECURITY: CONVERGING ISSUES, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES Felista Mateo is slight woman who stands just over five feet tall. She is a 37-year old single mother of four children. There is nothing imposing or striking about her, but Felista, and others like her, are key to one of the world’s most pressing problems. Felista is a farmer. Traditionally, in her small Tanzanian village, women do not own land. Felista is an exception. After receiving special approval from the village council, she acquired a small plot from her father. With her inheritance, Felista joined the ranks of millions of subsistence farmers worldwide. Unwilling to accept convention, Felista embraced new farming techniques while her neighbors refused. She planted an unusual crop, pigeon pea, to assure a year-round harvest. For her main crop, maize, the region’s staple food crop, she tried a type of seed that needed less water. Had Felista failed, the results would have been devastating. For farmers like Felista there is no back-up plan, no food stamps, no public welfare, no forgiveness for bad decisions. There is either adequate food or there is scarcity. That is the reality. Fortunately, Felista did not fail. With help from local and global research and development organizations, she prospered. She not only grew enough food to feed her family but had extra to sell. Today, she is expanding her operations. Her children are thriving. Her neighbors, with guidance from experts, are now experimenting convinced they, too, can create a better life. There are millions of farmers like Felista. They work small parcels of land using modest means. High-quality seed and fertilizer are luxuries. Sophisticated machinery is a fantasy. They look to the sky for rain and to leaders for better policies. Their crops survive at the mercy of Mother Nature. Droughts, insects, and disease are always a threat to their