In Search of Answers: Tying It All Together

Abstract

Our global food production system is not sustainable. High input, intensive monoculture agriculture is productive but has high environmental cost, and low input subsistence agriculture is relatively sustainable but has poor productivity. What we need is a highly productive, eco-friendly and sustainable global food production system. Comprehensive initiatives are needed to achieve a fundamental change in how we think we can produce food without damaging the natural ecosystem, how we can protect it from loss and how we can provide it without exposing the environment and people to health and safety risks in a growing global economy. There is a plethora of untapped resources in the ocean, sky, land and even inter-galactic and huge opportunities exist to capitalise on and create knowledge-based food value chains underpinned by enabling technologies at small and large scale farming levels. Adoption of 3Ps Mantra—Produce food sustainably (P1); Protect food from loss in the value chain (P2) and Provide biosecure, safe and nutritious food (P3)—is vital to achieve sustainable global food production system.