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WE’VE HAD a global financial crisis, and we now see a looming global food crisis which only innovation and technology will avert, says Berry Marttin, a Rabobank Group Netherlands executive board member.
The ‘Arab spring’ was kicked off by a drought resulting in rising food shortages and prices, he told the Rabobank F20 Summit in Sydney, Australia last month. This event attracted farmers, agribusiness people, academics and others associated with the agriculture in 20 countries to discuss global food security challenges and solutions ahead of the G20 summit in Brisbane.
Marttin said the countries with the world’s best soils were not the highest producers. Instead “farming is about creating the right environment so it can prosper”. The need is for good government policies, access to finance, technology, innovation and education: these are what truly make a difference to farming activity.
The US, Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand were the biggest producers of excess food – but the average age of farmers was 55. The industry has not promoted itself well, and that included agricultural schools.
A global survey by Rabobank of farmers showed a key issue was the need to attract the best young people. “If you are bright and have ideas on things, you would not go and work for the farm,” he said. Yet farming may offer the challenges these youngsters were looking for – managing people, managing systems and using exciting equipment and technology.
“The image is wrong.” Half of the farmers “did not have the guts” to discuss succession with their family. Regarding sustainability, farmers were not against it; the question was how to do it.
By 2050 we must double world food production to accommodate population growth and a growing middle class, Marttin says. – Pam Tipa
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