AGRICULTURE IN A DYNAMIC WORLD - Science for Agriculture and Rural Development in Low-income Countries - page 1

CHAPTER 1

AGRICULTURE IN A DYNAMIC WORLD

R.P. ROETTER 1 , H. VAN KEULEN 2, 3 , J. VERHAGEN 2
AND M. KUIPER 4
1 Soil Science Centre, Alterra, Wageningen UR,
e-mail: [e-mail]

2

Plant Research International, Wageningen UR,
3 Plant Production Systems Group, Plant Sciences, Wageningen University,

4

International Trade and Development, Agricultural Economics Research Institute,
Wageningen UR

Through a combination of technological progress and economic policy convergence,
globalization has markedly changed the setting for agriculture during the last
decade. Through trade and international agreements, global changes increasingly
affect development options for both industrialized and developing economies. At
national level, continued population growth, expanding economies and urbanization
have, especially in densely-populated areas, led to unprecedented competition for
land and water resources between agriculture and other uses such as infrastructure,
urban, industry and recreation/nature. This challenges the agricultural sector to
produce sufficient, more diverse and safe food, fibre products and feedstocks for
biofuel in a sustainable manner. This has to be achieved in an increasingly
competitive and globalizing economy. Meeting these challenges requires significant
changes in the way agriculture and the value chain are organized.

Some of the major changes affecting agriculture are:

Globalization of trade, stimulating rapid expansion of the production of high-
value agricultural commodities;

•

Increasing impact of consumer preferences on agricultural production activities

•

and quality standards;