Transcript Présentation PowerPoint

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The IAASTD Reports
(www.agassessment.org
Key issues in relation to food and nutrition
security
Hans R. Herren, Co-Chair IAASTD,
President Millennium Institute
[email protected]
Brussels Rural Development Briefing on Food Security
Dec 9, 2009
IAASTD: The Reports
www.agassessment.org
Global / sub-Global Reports: 400 authors, 52 countries
IAASTD background: tasks
Stakeholder identified the IAASTD Development and
Sustainability Goals (=MDG) that the assessment will
have to address in respect of AKST’s past, present and
future impact on:
• Reducing Hunger and Poverty
• Improving Rural Livelihoods
• Improving Nutrition and Human Health
• Facilitating Environmentally, Socially, Equitable and
Economically Sustainable Development
…under the Challenges of:
• Climate Change
• Population and Demand Growth
• Shrinking Natural Resources / Energy
Global context and recent trends
Unprecedented increase in ag productivity through R&D
2008
The basis of the Green Revolution
Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, irrigation and pesticide use are
UNSUSTAINABLE
David Tilman et al. Science 2001
What’s the Problem with conventional
agriculture?
1. People have benefited unevenly
from the very significant yield
increases across regions
• inequity, poverty
• health / nutrition
• uneven trade
2. this productivity increase has
come at costs:
• environmental sustainability
• soils
• water
• biodiversity
• climate change
Uneven production across regions
Critical Challenges: Climate change
Source: Stern Review
Agriculture’s challenge: what is the right
course to food and nutrition security?
To meet the IAASTD (=MDG) sustainability and
development goals and respond to the new
priorities and changing needs means:
“a fundamental shift in AKST and the linked
agri-food system policies, institutions, capacity
development and investments”
…..an organic revolution…..
i.e., addressing the multifunctionality of
agriculture and the needs of the small-scale
and family farms with an emphasis on the
social, environmental and economic aspects
aspects
Agriculture’s critical challenges: Multifunctionality
Changing the R&D paradigm and focus
Understand complexity of agriculture
Food Production
Land Loss &
Flooding
Food Production
Health Catastrophes
Land Loss
Energy Sector
Biofuels
Production
Life Sustaining
Calories per Capita
S
S
S
O
Petroleum Use for
Fertilizer
S
Famines
O
O
Calorie
Gap
Habitat
Conversion
S
S
O
S
R
S
Fertilizer
Demand
R
Toxic
Residue
O
O
O
S
Soil
Capacity
Soil Nutrient
Productioin
S
Soil Nutient
Consumption
Human
Births
Calories per
Capita
B
Acres in
Agriculture
Plant
Production
Plant
Calories
O
Soil
Salinization
O
Droughts
S
Plant
Consumption
S
Human
Population
S
Migration
Plant Calories for
Human Use
S
S
S
Variation in Rainfall
Pattern
Human
Deaths
S
O
S
S
Population
Density
S
B
Human
Population
S
S
Exposure to a Higher
Standard of Living
Plant Calories for
Meat Production
Irrigation
S
S
Water
Demand
Fresh Water
S
Global
Temperature
S
Pursuit of 1st World
Food Mix
S
Methane
Production
S
S
S
Global
Warming
Meat
Production
Meat
Calories
S
Meat
Consumption
Migration
A major challenge for food security:
The small scale / family farmer
• Pro-poor progress requires:
– creating opportunities for innovation and
entrepreneurship
– Increased public research and extension
investment
• Small scale/family farm sustainability
poses challenging policy choices:
– payment for ecological services
– decentralized governance systems and
technology choices
A major opportunity for food security:
The small scale / family farmer
• Small scale/family farmers:
– Produce the bulk of global food
– Are the largest number of stewards for the
environmental services and biodiversity
– Higher and sustainable productivity increase at
their level will have a major impact on all the
development goals (organic/ecological)
• Critical need: suite of policy approaches that address
small-scale / family producers, including AKST
designed to improve profitability of the sector
Options for action : Sustainability Goals
1. Poverty and livelihoods
• Access to land and economic resources
• Access to urban and export markets
• Empower farmers with innovative tools, skills and
knowledge to manage soils, water, biological
resources, pests, etc….
• Combine farmers’ with external knowledge (new
partnerships)
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : Sustainability Goals
2. Food security
• AKST approaches for development of food stock
management, market intelligences, early warning,
distribution systems, ICT
• Local production (food sovereignty), access and
adequate nutritional information / education
• AKST policies geared towards high value and
underutilized crops, organic and fair trade,
strengthening of local markets, food safety nets
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : Sustainability Goals
3. Environmental sustainability
• AKST to enhance sustainability while maintaining
productivity (protecting the natural resource base
and ecological provisioning)
• improving nutrient, energy, water and land use
efficiency
• better understanding of crop – environment
interactions (realize yield potential), farm
diversification, promotion of agro-ecological and
conservation agriculture (CA) systems
• Policies include ending perverse subsidies, payment
for ecosystem services, promotion of IPM, organic
agriculture, agro-ecology…..
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : Sustainability Goals
4. Human Health and nutrition
The IAASTD recognizes the inter-linkages between
health, nutrition, agriculture and the ability to meet
the sustainability goals
• AKSTs for an integrated approach
• increase food security and safety
• Additional investments to maintain / improve current
systems
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : Sustainability Goals
5. Equity
• Reform of the governance of AKST and related
organizations (research, extension), integration of
traditional / local knowledge
• Equitable access to production resources (land /
water)
• Reward for multifunctionality and ecosystem services
• Multistakeholder participation in decision making
• Preferential investments in literacy, education and
training
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : AKST Themes
1. Bio-energy
• Suggest caution……and consideration for the local
context
• Different forms of agro-fuels and uses
• Weigh the full social, economic and environmental
costs
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : AKST Themes
3. Climate change
• Relationship is two ways: agriculture is part of the
problem and now needs to be part of the solution
i.e., win-win solutions:
• lower rates of ag expansion into forests, natural
habitats (preservation of biodiversity and
ecosystem services)
• carbon sequestration measures
• reduction of external production inputs, increase
resilience (fertilizers, pesticides, use organic ag
principles and CA)
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : AKST Themes
4. Human Health
• Complex links between health, nutrition, agriculture
and AKST not always recognized as policy issue
• Ill health in the farming community affects the
production potential (treadmill). Solution lie in
increased income, education, utilization of wider
range of food crops
• Consumption patterns: Need to focus consumers
on quality, diversity rather than price and quantity
• Provide incentives for health promoting foods
• Joint research projects with nutritionists
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : AKST Themes
5. Natural Resource Management
• NRs are the bases of food production
• Efficient management and utilization of NR to
assure long term productivity of the agroecosystem
• More investment in research, training and
education. Evaluate the value of the ecosystem
services
• Develop new practitioners networks for long term
NR management for the collective good
• Judicious use of the natural capital to ensure
quality of life for future generations
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : AKST Themes
6. Trade and Markets
• Key elements in assuring food security and sovereignty
• needed to protect small scale / family farms
• Ag trade offers opportunities to the small scale
farm sector, but only within a new economic order
that removes resource –use and market distorting
subsidies
• Environmental externalities need to be fully
accounted for
• Ecosystem services and Carbon trade: new
mechanisms to assist the small-scale farm sector
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action: Trade
Opening national agricultural markets to international competition can
offer economic benefits, but can lead to long term negative effects on
poverty alleviation, food security and the environment without basic
national institutions and infrastructure being in place
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action : AKST Themes
7. Traditional and local knowledge and
community based innovation
• Traditional / local knowledge key in agriculture and food
systems
• importance of local knowledge in traditional foods
• maintenance of crop diversity builds on local
knowledge and depends largely small-scale farmers
• traditional knowledge is dynamic and need to be
integrated through participative working methods
into modern AST
• issues with farmers rights to their knowledge and
innovations
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action
Biotechnology
• Issue of definition (conventional, modern)
Options for action : AKST Themes
8. Women in agriculture
Current trends in agricultural market liberalization and
reorganization of farm work, sustainability and health
concerns are redefining links between gender and
development
• 20 to 70 % women in ag production and postharvest
activities (export crops)
• women face deteriorating health and work
conditions, limited access to education and control
over production resources, low income
• AKST to be directed towards women’s need
• investments in value chain (processing), safe
practices, remove drudgery
Business as usual is not an option
Options for action
New Policies for food and nutrition security
Invest in long term gains versus short term
quick fixes (i.e., deal with the cause not the
symptoms by understanding the system)
You cannot solve the problem with the same
kind of thinking that created the problem
Albert Einstein
Thank you
Options for action : Sustainability Goals
6. Investments
• More public investments in regional, national and local
public goods; food security and safety; climate
change and sustainability
• More public investments in agricultural knowledge
systems/ knowledge networks; improved access to
information (ICT); ecological, food, nutrition, social
and complex systems’ science; life long learning
along the food system.
• Public – private partnership to fund AKST
• Investment in rural infrastructure
Options for action
Biotechnology
• So far little impact on IAASTD Development and
Sustainability Goals
• Methodological limitations in efficacy and safety
testing
• Problem oriented R&D to continue, but not at the
expense of other agricultural research, education
and training
• Patent issue (increased costs for farmers, restricted
experimentation, research and seed exchange;
undermining local practices that would assure food
security and economic sustainability)
• Exposure of farmers to liabilities, etc.
Options for action: consumption patterns and
sustainable development
Business as usual is not an option