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Report shows ag productivity not strong enough to meet global food demand
A report from Virigina Tech shows that global agriculture production is not on pace to meet the demand to feed 10 billion people by 2050.
The annual Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) report says ag efficiency has not been achieving benchmarks to meet sustainable goals. It’s measured through total factor productivity (TFP), which calculates producer output while using the same or less inputs like land, labor, capital or fertilizer.
Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, who wrote the forward, says the report should serve as a red flag for producers and lawmakers. “I had hoped that maybe we could have seen better results indicating that technology acceptance (and) a quest toward greater productivity would be revealed. We’re seeing that in some areas, but all in all, we’re failing miserably. It’s getting worse.”
He says there are several potential barriers. “I think a lot of this is an indication that technology is being rejected in parts of the world. Skepticism rising and some of that is from populistic government that is on the rise. I include some of the U.S. views in that. That’s not a political statement it transcends both administrations.”
Dr. Thomas Thompson with Virginia Tech says productivity has declined significantly over the last decade, which has changed from the 1990s. “It really should concern all of us, including American farmers, because as TFP grows, it makes the agriculture sector more efficient. We evidently are not producing enough innovations or innovations are not being adopted on a wide scale by farmers.”
The report says productivity has been growing 1.14 percent annually, which is below the target goal of 1.73 percent. To meet the 2050 goal, productivity needs to average 1.91 percent.
He tells Brownfield farmers have to increase the output, but some ways are not sustainable. “Converting wildlands to agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa has once again has become the largest driver of agricultural output. That’s created challenges for environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity and so forth.”
The report says growth is strong in China and South Asia but below targets in the rest of the world.
Ted McKinney, CEO of NASDA:
Dr. Thomas Thompson with Virginia Tech:
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Another comment in response to the second featured speaker.. Correct ne if I am wrong, but Dr. Thompson saud that TFP GROWTH would be higher if TFP growth was higher. Furhthersmore, he sights the fact that farm productivity has declined steadily sonce the 1960’s. He sights exactly no technologies which are available which have potential to inprove oroductivity which his data driven mindset confused productivity with efficiency. And again with the genetic modification methods and the dependency on governmeng funding, instead of proven emerging small farm integrative methods such as REGENERATIVE FARMING, INTEGRATIVE FARMING, COMPANION PLANTING, GRASS ROOTS PROGRAMS LIKE 4H AND FFA instead this guy is shilling for genetic biotech which has a proven track record of growing nutrient deficient crops instead of nutrient dense real food. This guy has encouraged me to write congress and encourage them to cut the kind of pork spending that Thompson is mumbling about, that will produce less pork and lessen pork quality. Furthermore, he should mind his own business about the degenerated soil biome in the US and does not have a leg to stand in to tell other countries how they should or should not do. A word about this new crisper gmo technology is chromothripsis, which I doubt that Thlmpson even knows what that means. Come on broewnfield, this is the best you can do for your lead story with all the really useful tools available to farmers and non monocropping methods
Genetic Engineering has never been proven safe scientifically and never will be oroven safe, in my opinion and in many credible scientific studies as well. Furthermore, Ted Mckinney conttadicts himself, stating the benefits of US technology on one and and in the same breath saying that US productivity is dropping. I question whether he has ever succussfully grown anything. Additionally, his bs criticisms of europe, which by the way is not a country as he so stated, smells like the same bureaucratiic game tgat the US is trying to impose on Mexico.
I direct your attention to the real science. There is no evidence of global warming and I can orovide a long list of eorld famous scientists that can and will orove this beyond a shadow of a doubt. Furthermore, the very idea of reducing CO2 by byreaucrats like this guy and ooliticians like John Kerry is just plain ignorance. any farmer knows that CO2 is essential for photosynthesis and plant growth, as is sunlight. Some one should so inform William Henry Gates about this science also, as he is attempting to block out yhe sun and bury trees which consume CO2 and provide much needed O2. Also, maybe the fact that gates is the owner of more farm land in America than anyone and knows nothing about farming and is not producing viable healthy food for demestic use or export mighy have something to do with the drop in US productivity.. There shoukd be laws about owning farmland abd not oroducing healthy food which not only fines the oeners, but confiscates said farmland from globalist psychopaths and gives it back to local farmers with experience and proven rrack records.