Perfect Storm Forming For Global Food, Agriculture

US - A new paper from Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) assesses the current readings and charts the critical course under the title Agricultural Productivity Strategies for the Future: Addressing US and Global Challenges.

22 January 2010

2 minute read

North America

Numerous factors are converging to create 'the perfect storm' for global food and agriculture, conclude the authors of CAST's newest Issue Paper, Agricultural Productivity Strategies for the Future: Addressing U.S. and Global Challenges. Prepared as an update of CAST's first publication written in 1973 by Dr Norman E. Borlaug (Agricultural Science and the Public, CAST Paper No. 1), the newly released paper is dedicated to Dr Borlaug and features a Preface written by him shortly before his death in September 2009. Dr Borlaug, credited with saving more lives than any other person who has ever lived through his development of high-yielding grains, was a lifelong promoter and advocate for CAST.

The authors of the current paper address:

future demands facing agriculture
the relationship of bioenergy and bioproducts to agriculture
major issues impacting future US agricultural productivity
major issues facing agricultural productivity in other parts of the world
strategies to meet future food needs, and
examples of research areas that could enable the next 'Green Revolution'.

Dr Gale Buchanan, former USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and former CAST President, chairs the task force of notable scientists, researchers, and government leaders who drew from an extensive pool of literature as well as from their own broad experience and insight in preparing the new document.

Dr Buchanan said: "We need to end the three-decade-long pattern of living beyond our means; importing more than we export, borrowing more than we lend, spending more than we earn, and consuming more than we produce. We are most concerned about the apparent lack of commitment by the United States and other countries to make the research and education expenditures needed to address the problems affecting our survival on this planet. Complacency is unwarranted at this time of unprecedented challenges."

Dr John Bonner, CAST Executive Vice President/CEO, concludes: "CAST is pleased to contribute this excellent, frank assessment of where we are and where we need to be to establish and sustain the health and abundance of world agriculture. We also are honored that the paper includes Dr. Borlaug's last known published work, in which he summarises both today's challenges and CAST's mission: 'You have to be able to communicate. Research information must be applied in order to meet human needs.'"