The news that changes the world … is agricultural
By David del Pino, Consultant, International Lecturer and Blogger
The mainstream media are full of politics, conflicts, social issues, sports, culture and some economics; and yet the events that are occurring now, and that will radically change our lives only if they appear. Sometimes we hear the echoes of these events in the form of press releases automatically play in the newsrooms of the media.
“Dow Chemical and DuPont merge to create the largest chemical company in the world”; “Sale of Syngenta colossus of China”; “Bayer has an improved offer to buy Monsanto“…
“We who live in the developed world (especially in Europe) world we find it hard to understand that our basic living conditions are not guaranteed. But everything is about to change. What I say. Everything has changed”
Latin quotation says: “Primum vivere, deinde philosophari”; or better yet: Primum manducare, deinde philosophari “. In my village they would say, “with things to eat is not played.” The most important for the future of humanity news is this: “They need to produce in the next 40-50 years food accumulated in the last 10.000 years and we know not how.”
This is because the world population will increase by 60% by 2050. But what have to do the above news of large mergers/acquisitions of multinational companies? All.
Governments around the world are betting (again as in the green revolution) by biotech solutions to increase production; but just in case, many other things are happening: farmland grabbing control of essential agricultural inputs (fertilizers, seeds, etc.), creation of investment funds billionaires agribusiness …
When you hear the neoprotectionism terms, return to the field (neoruralización) food sovereignty and Land Grabbing, know that the forces of history have been unleashed and is not guaranteed that we can eat tomorrow.
“So far, the lack of food has had more to do with other factors than the productive capacities of the planet. But the Malthusian ghost has raised its head by questioning the planet’s capacity to provide food for all”
Because of my work, I have seen firsthand research projects that are underway (some seem science fiction). Take for example the news returning to the press (appears from time to time since 2005) of the imminent commercialization of lab-grown meat. Laboratory tests have already been done and just have to have a method that allows production and marketing scale viably. And in the end, will end up going (do not know when) and the implications will be dramatic for many. Imagine the affected activities: pasture farming, livestock, animal feed, veterinary, disinfectants, slaughterhouses, cutting plants and process and so on.
But if we focus on some of the advances in research that are close to reaching the final stage of implementation and we can point to:
• Hybrid varieties of cereals. With potential to increase the current 30% productivity.
• Variety efficient use of nitrogen. Allow the cultivation absorb and make better use of nitrogen fertilizers, reducing the carbon footprint and achieving good harvests.
• Heat tolerant varieties. And therefore more adaptable to many production environments (considering an environment of climate change).
• New plant protection products (crop protection) of low environmental impact. To maximize the natural potential of a crop. Improved global crop yields of staple estimated 20-30%, while corn yields in Africa can be increased by almost 50%.
• New varieties with complete resistance to key diseases. That achieve the maximum production potential of a crop.
• Varieties with better and higher nutritional content in fruits. Which will allow better nutrition and health of world populations and therefore better nutrition and health of livestock that will get fit and reduce unit food needs of the world’s livestock.
• Variety in efficient water use. Which is to maximize the potential of one of the most limiting resource base in a changing climate.
Obviously the above is focused on biotechnological solutions but not only these will be part of the solution. Investments in agricultural infrastructure (efficient irrigation, protection systems, robotics, etc.), land reclamation, Big Data, and development of cluster production zones are clearly also part of success.
The good news is that human ingenuity is wonderful and progress in genomics and biotechnology is so promising that it could return to solve the problem.
“The bad news is that who controls food, controls the world and the threat of scarcity, the powerful forces that govern the world have two options. Collaboration or confrontation And today, occurring both.”
The opportunities are enormous, threats, many; although my father would care little. He grows his fruits and vegetables, grinding his own oil, makes its wine, consumes eggsf from his hens and etc … because it has long followed the old advice of Mark Twain: “Buy land, they’re not making it any more. “
