Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
food staples such as wheat and rice increased by 50 and 20 per cent respectively (Chatham
House, 2008:2). Very high price rises across a wide range of food commodities is unusual.
Although grain prices subsequently lowered to 2006 levels, a series of violent protests and
demonstrations occurred in many countries across the developing world. Estimated
population increases suggest that the world population will reach nine billion by 2050 (95
per cent of this growth will occur in the developing world), thereby increasing the long-term
demand for food. Peak oil prices are a key reason for recent increases in food production
and distribution costs (although petroleum costs do not comprise a major proportion of
energy in agricultural production (Dodson et al., 2010)), resulting in high retail food prices
and, as a consequence, making it increasingly difficult to provide food security. World oil
prices have reached more than $100 a barrel and, at the time of writing (May 2011), the
current price is still averaging in excess of this figure (Mason, 2011). The World Bank
suggests that rather than having an agribusiness-based and petrochemical-dependent
industrial agriculture, a way of achieving food security is to increase productivity using GM
technologies. The claimed environmental benefits of such agricultural methods relate to a
reduction in existing high pesticide and fertilizer usage. However, the widespread use of
GM technology might further intensify the production of monoculture crops and change
some land use from food to fuel production, thereby exacerbating food security problems.
Another approach to achieving food security is to adopt the strong science-oriented, or
technocentric, concept of sustainable intensification (Godfray et al., 2010). This system
attempts to achieve higher yields from the same acreage without damaging the
environment. Supporters of this approach claim that substantial increases in crop yield can
be provided through science and technology
.
Examples are crop improvement, more
efficient use of water and fertilizers, the introduction of new non-chemical approaches to
crop protection, the reduction of post-harvest losses and more sustainable livestock (Maye &
Ilbery, 2011). However, it is debatable whether sustainable intensification can be achieved
without significant increases in the use of chemical inputs. Yet, such high levels of pesticide
usage reduce the ecological bases of sustainable farming, thus damaging prospects of
achieving food security.
A contrasting approach to conventional agriculture is organic farming, which can play a role
in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change. However, its role in food
security debates is far from clear. Organic agriculture is a holistic production management
system that promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity,
biological cycles and soil biological activity. It emphasises the use of management practices
in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, recognising that regional conditions require
locally-adapted systems (Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1999). More recently, in March
2008, the World Board of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
(IFOAM) approved the following definition:
'Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and
people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions,
rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition,
innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships
and good quality of life for all involved'.
An April 2008 report by the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and
Technology for Development (IAASTD) recommended small-scale farmers and agro-
ecological methods as the way forward in the current food crisis. Professor Bob Watson,
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