A Sustainability Challenge Food Security for All: Report of Two Workshops (2012) / Chapter Skim
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[Part I]: 3 NATURAL RESOURCES AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
[Part I]: 3 NATURAL RESOURCES AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
Pages 33-58
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From page 33... ...
MEASURING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND NATURAL ASSETS This first section examines a variety of metrics associated with changes in agricultural productivity and natural assets. Richard Perrin describes two standard productivity measures -- single and multiple factor productivity and then links these to projects of future food demand to illustrate the extent to which productivity must expand in the coming decades.
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If the growth rate were lower, additional resources would be required if demand growth were to be met. Trends in Measured MFP versus a Goal of 1.34 Percent World agricultural productivity growth rates, both single factor productivity (grain yields)
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Conclusions Perrin stated that world agricultural productivity growth rates are perhaps declining slightly, but in recent years they appear to have been sufficient to provide security in 2050 if they were to persist. He also noted that it is not certain that these rates will persist, and unfortunately, the available measures of MFP are not measures of the productivity of those resources that are most likely to be limiting -- land, water and natural resources.
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From page 36... ...
The project also includes detailed information on the location and extent of human welfare metrics, which can be analyzed together with the agricultural productivity information described above. Wood showed a map of Africa illustrating the extent to which rising rural population density is increasing stress on critical natural resources (Figure I 3-2)
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From page 37... ...
Furthermore, the ecological data necessary to value ecosystem services are very limited. 5 The presentation is available at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/sustainability/foodsecurity/PGA_060826, presentation by Steve Polasky (February 16, 2011)
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From page 38... ...
The analysis focused on the following: ecosystem services -- water quality and carbon sequestration; biodiversity -- grassland bird habitat, forest bird habitat, and general biodiversity; and return to landowners from agricultural production, timber production, and urban development. He presented a series of slides illustrating how alternative land-use scenarios affect each of these key variables and the need to have a complete set of metrics (e.g., Figure I 3-3)
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Disrupting this relationship are flood and drought events, which are expected to become more frequent and severe as agricultural production expands and intensifies in flood 7 Prepared in collaboration with David Molden, Deputy Director General of Research, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 8 The presentation is available at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/sustainability/foodsecurity/PGA_060826, presentation by Peter McCornick (February 16, 2011)
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Decision making related to food security must carefully consider water resources, especially to identify regions where there is the opportunity to increase agricultural productivity without further stressing water resources (i.e., more crop-per-drop)
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Air Quality Manure management Odor Animal emissions Ozone precursors Combustion Greenhouse gasses Land Use / Land occupation and conversion Land management Biodiversity Habitat degradation / fragmentation (Tillage, riparian zone management, etc.) SOURCE: Presentation by Greg Thoma, University of Arkansas, February 17, 2011.
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He noted that life cycle assessment is a useful but far from perfect tool, in part because it does not yet include spatial or temporal dynamics very well. He mentioned some newer tools, such as InVEST, that can assess the impacts of ecosystem services, but those methods are not yet ready for incorporating into life cycle assessment Thoma provided a brief overview of some ongoing efforts to develop sustainability metrics, sustainability indicators, and software tools (Box I 3-1)
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" Field to Market Indicators of Sustainability • Environmental Indicators o Land Use o Water Use o Soil o Energy o Climate o Water Quality o Biodiversity • Productivity Indicators • Grower Economic Index • Social Indicators • Health Indicators • Ability to Meet Global Demand FTM has developed metrics for five of the environmental efficiency indicators listed above (energy, water, climate change, soil and land use/productivity)
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• Respectful of confidentiality • Verifiable concerning improvements • Not disruptive to efficient product movement & relationships • Focusing on decisions in the control of the grower • Recognizing & addressing land tenure relationships in creating incentives • Phased & realistic • Move with value creation, not in front of it • Improve over time The lack of certainty concerning metrics is beginning to hold up adoption both at the producer level and among downstream players. Producers do not know how to think about metrics: opportunity or threat?
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Insights from Sustainability Pilots Shaw explained that Syngenta incorporated the FtM metrics into one of their leading onfarm management systems, Land.dbTM, and introduced the metrics to growers during the last growing season. The TLand.dbTM tool allowed growers to run scenarios with the FTM metrics, testing the impact of various cropping decisions on their environmental indicator score as it compared to neighbors as well as the state and national averages.
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EXPERIENCE ON GATHERING MEANINGFUL DATA FOR LIFE CYCLE ANALYSES: THE BASF ECO-EFFICIENCY TOOL IN INDIAN AGRICULTURE12 Dirk Voeste, BASF Crop Protection Dirk Voeste presented details on how key indicators and data can be used to effectively measure sustainability over an entire life-cycle. He shared information gleaned from a unique case study carried out in India to assess soybean production.
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While the study highlighted that BASF's methodology had the potential to become a valuable decision tool for politicians and the entire food chain, the company also recognized the tool's limitations. As Voeste pointed out, the current set of indicators in the Eco Efficiency Analysis, used for the Samruddhi study, do not support the measurement of biodiversity, specific soil indicators, or other indicators being of high importance for agricultural production systems.
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FOOD SECURITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: FOOD SECURITY AND LAND CROPPING POTENTIAL14 Jonathan Foley, University of Minnesota Jon Foley began by emphasizing the role of agriculture on the planet, noting that about 40 percent of our global land area, 70 percent of our global water withdrawals, and 30 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions come from land use and agriculture. It is also the single largest driver of biodiversity decline.
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Expansion has significant implications for carbon, climate change, and biodiversity. Intensification, on the other hand, requires the increasing use of water resources, nutrients, pesticides, and fossil energy.
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THE ENERGY AND CARBON CONUNDRUM IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION16 Paul Vlek, University of Bonn Paul Vlek noted that growth in population and income in the developing world is driving an increase in demand for food and agricultural production, calling for more land to be converted or existing agricultural land to be used more intensively. This pressure has led to an increase in land dedicated to agriculture in its various forms of around 20 percent over the last 40 years of the past century with more than 50 percent of the tropical regions suffering from land degradation and half of this area also showing serious soil degradation.
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The annual CO2 emission associated with this fossil energy use is estimated to amount to 200 106 t, or one-tenth of what is emitted as a result of land conversion, two-thirds of it associated with fertilizer use and one-third associated with the use of mechanization. Thus, though less costly in greenhouse gas emissions, the long-term prospects of relying on fossil energy for food production are risky.
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From page 52... ...
If the present competition for energy, land, and water supplies continues, Capper noted, resources available for agricultural production are likely to decrease concurrently with increased population growth. The global livestock industries, therefore, face the challenge of producing sufficient nutritious, safe, affordable animal protein to meet consumer demand, using a finite resource base.
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Consequently, the total greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint) per unit of milk were reduced by 63 percent, and the carbon footprint of the entire dairy industry was 41 percent lower in 2007 compared with 1944.
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The challenge of producing more animal protein to fulfill human population requirements while minimizing resource use and waste output is not confined to future scenarios, Capper explained. A recent FAO report on greenhouse gas emissions from global dairy production differentiated the results by region and demonstrated a decrease in the carbon footprint per kg of fat and protein-corrected milk at the farm gate for industrialized nations (1-2 kg CO2-equivalent
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As demonstrated by improved efficiency in the U.S. livestock industry over the past 60 years, this challenge may be partially met by making productivity gains that reduce resource use and cut greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production.
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Agricultural Productivity Growth and the Benefits from Public R&D Spending. New York: Springer.
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Beef Production: 1977 Compared with 2007. Proceedings of the Greenhouse Gases and Animal Agriculture Conference 2010.
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2010. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy Sector: A Life Cycle Assessment.
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