No empty plates

As we approach World Food Day on Sunday 16 October, one question is front of mind. How can we ensure there is enough sustainably produced nutritious food available to feed growing populations?

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 3.1 billion people (almost 40% of the world’s population) cannot afford a healthy diet. In 2021, some 193 million people experienced high acute food insecurity, requiring humanitarian assistance for their survival. This shocks me. It's 2022 and this should not be our reality.

A dramatic increase in food prices, including wheat, barley, rapeseed and sunflower oil, and also fertilizers, are moving countries that were already vulnerable into crisis.

This year, food security has also been affected by the ongoing pandemic, conflicts, and international tensions. On top of this, volatile weather has created additional challenges for growers across the world. Climate change particularly affects the rural poor, contributing to increased pests and diseases and harming agriculture yields and productivity.

In this modern day, no one should go hungry. There should be no empty plates. No one should be left behind.

The crop protection industry, and its ability to improve soil and plant health, offers many solutions for food security. Plant health, planet health and people health are all connected. Healthy plants tend to have bigger roots, which improve soil health, carbon retention, contributing to environmental benefits.

The planet has limits, resources and land are finite, and populations are growing. Therefore, crop protection is essential to sustainably grow the 70% more food needed by 2050 to feed a projected global population of 10 billion.??

Up to 40% of crops are lost around the world to 90,000 types of pests and diseases each year.?It is estimated that without pesticides, yields would be down 20-40% depending on the crop.??During the next decade, global agriculture productivity needs to grow by 28% (OECD-FAO July 22) to feed the growing populations.??

Crop protection solves many modern dilemmas. How to create more food, on finite land. How to feed growing populations, whilst caring for the environment. How to make plants resilient to pests and diseases and the effects of climate change.

As an industry, we continue to help farmers and growers be more productive and improve yields.

And we won’t rest. We know more should be done and will continue to innovate and provide the necessary breakthroughs that will allow the agriculture industry to feed future growing populations in volatile and uncertain times. ?