UNIB20014 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Biopesticide, Plant Breeding, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
29 May 2018
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LECTURE'15:'GLOBAL'FOOD'SECURITY'
THE&TRIPLE&BURDEN&&
- UNDERNUTRITION:'low'calories'–'macronutrients.'(1'billion)'
- MALNUTRITION:'low'micronutrients.'(2'billion)'
- OVERNUTRITION:'excessive'calories.'(1'billion)'
HOW&CAN&THE&WORLD&FEED&10&BILLION&PEOPLE&IN&2050&IN&A&MANNER&THAT&ADVANCES&
DEVELOPMENT&AND&REDUCES&PRESSURE&ON&THE&ENVIRONMENT?&
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The'world'needs'to'reduce'agricultures'impact'on'the'environment:'
- 40%'of'the'worlds'landmass'is'agriculture.'
- 70%'of'water'withdrawal'is'used'for'agriculture.''
- 25%'of'greenhouse'gas'is'from'agriculture.'
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The'challenge:''we'must'double'the'food'(calories)'production'by'2050'–'sustainably.''
- agriculture'systems'must'adjust'to'more'people'and'less'resources.'+'climate'change.'
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HOW'ARE'WE'DOING'SO'FAR?'–'BADLY.'
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We'must'address'three'problem:''
1. feed'the'world'
2. feed'the'future'
3. address'sustainability.''
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CHALLENGE&ONE:&DEGRADATION&OF&NATURAL&RESOURCES&
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- 5'million'hectares'per'year'is'lost'to'urbanisation'and'degradation.'&
- increasing'populations'leads'to'less'arable'land'for'agriculture.'&
- soil'health'is'crucial.'&
- conservation'agriculture'is'needed.&
- water'–'70%'of'global'freshwater'use'is'agriculture'–'however'there'are'competing'demands.'&
- we'need'new'technologies'to'use'less'water.'&
- diets'affect''sustainability'–'more'meat'more'water.'&
- with'current'consumption'levels'we'would'need'to'double'water'supply'by'2050.&
- air:'there'are'pressures'to'reduce'green'house'gas'emissions.&
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WHAT&NEEDS&TO&BE&DONE:&
- Integrated'policy'developments'across'fields.'–'cannot'be'approached'from'a'single'discipline.&
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CHALLENGE&TWO:&ADAPTION&TO&CLIMATE&CHANGE&
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- there'will'be:&
o greater'variability''-'in'temperature/'rainfall.&
o extreme'events'–'droughts/'floods/'fires&
o elevated'carbon'dioxide'are'affecting'food'supplies'and'nutritional'content.&
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- climate'change'is'already'affecting'our'food'systems.'&
o climate'change'stalled'wheat'yields'in'australia'since'1990.&
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CAN'THE'DEVELOPMENT'OF'NEW'TECHNOLOGIES'KEEP'PACE'WITH'THE'LOSSES'OF'CLIMATE'
CHANGE.'
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WHAT&NEEDS&TO&BE&DONE:&
- national'adaption'strategies'where'all'future'innovation'considers'climate'change.'
- there'must'be'substantial'long'term,'patient,'co'investment'in'adaption'by'both'public'and'
private'sectors'-''there'are'no'quick'fixes.''
- the'use'of'sustainable'intensification.''
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CHALLENGE&THREE:&NITROGEN&USE&INEFFICIENCY&
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As'nitrogen'fertiliser'is'used'on'crops'it'accounts'for'50%'of'protein'in'our'diets'–'it'is'
essential'to'global'nutrition'BUT''-'there'is'very'low'efficiency'–'only'50%.'there'are'
economic'and'environmental'costs'–'runoff'leads'to'eutrophication.'
- global'use'of'nitrogen'fertiliser'has'increased'rapidly.''
o The'more'we'use'nitrogen'the'more'inefficiently'we'use'it.''
- most'common'nitrogen'fertiliser:'urea.''–'it'is'dependent'on'fossil'fuels'for'production.'(one'
ton'of'urea'requires'four'barrels'of'oil).''
Nitrogen'cascade:'the'over'use'of'nitrogen'has'resulted'in'environmental'impacts.'
- haze/'adification/'eutrophication/'forest'impacts/'ozone'hole.''
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WHAT&NEEDS&TO&BE&DONE:&
- We'must'find'other'ways'to'get'nitrogen'than'just'fertiliser.''
o e.g.'use'biologically'fixed'nitrogen'in'legumes.''
- we'must're-invest'and're-invigorate'legume'research'and'development.''
- nitrogen'use'would'be'reduced'by'50%'if'everyone'was'vegetarian.'
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CHALLENGE&FOUR:&FOOD&LOSS&AND&WASTE&
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- 30%'is'lost'to'waste'–'(25%'of'the'calories'worldwide).'
- reducing' waste' would' assist'in'closing'the'food'gap.'–'reducing' food'waste'by' 50%'would'
reduce'food'gap'by'25%.'
- in'dev.'world'loss'is'at'production/'in'first'world'is'it'at'production.''
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WHAT&NEEDS&TO&BE&DONE:&
Document Summary
L e c t u r e 1 5 : g l o b a l f o o d s e c u r i t y. Undernutrition: low calories macronutrients. (1 billion) How can the world feed 10 billion people in 2050 in a manner that advances. The world needs to reduce agricultures impact on the environment: 70% of water withdrawal is used for agriculture. The challenge: we must double the food (calories) production by 2050 sustainably. agriculture systems must adjust to more people and less resources. We must address three problem: feed the world feed the future: address sustainability. 5 million hectares per year is lost to urbanisation and degradation. increasing populations leads to less arable land for agriculture. soil health is crucial. conservation agriculture is needed. Water 70% of global freshwater use is agriculture however there are competing demands. We need new technologies to use less water.
