More than 50 crop production specialists attended a meeting organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in Rome, Italy, which concluded that cereal-based farming systems must be part of the transition to sustainable agriculture in order to meet the increased demand for maize, rice and wheat.
FAO estimates that over the next 35 years, farmers will: have to increase annual production of these crops on more degraded farmland, and with less water, fossil fuel and agrochemicals; and face increased droughts, pest and disease threats, and extreme weather events brought on by climate change.
19 December 2014: More than 50 crop production specialists attended a meeting organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in Rome, Italy, which concluded that cereal-based farming systems must be part of the transition to sustainable agriculture in order to meet the increased demand for maize, rice and wheat. FAO estimates that over the next 35 years, farmers will: have to increase annual production of these crops on more degraded farmland, and with less water, fossil fuel and agrochemicals; and face increased droughts, pest and disease threats, and extreme weather events brought on by climate change.
The meeting advocated for eco-friendly agriculture that achieves higher productivity while conserving natural resources, adapting to climate change, and providing economic benefits to small-scale family farms.
The FAO meeting agreed: that agriculture could no longer rely on input-intensive agriculture to increase crop production; and that improved crop varieties must occur in tandem with eco-friendly farming systems, such as ‘Save and Grow,’ which maintains healthy soil, integrates crop, tree and animal production, uses water more efficiently, and employs integrated pest management.
Case studies presented at the meeting illustrated successful ecosystem-based farming technologies and practices. They included: the adoption of the System of Rice Intensification by more than a million small-scale farmers in Viet Nam; planting genetically diverse rice varieties in the same fields in China, leading to a significant reduction in fungal disease; site-specific nutrient management in southern India, which reduced fertilizer applications and costs and increased wheat yields by 40%; eliminating soil tillage on wheat land in central Morocco, which cut water runoff by 30% and sediment loss by 70%; and conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe.
The meeting highlighted challenges policymakers face when trying to adopt ‘Save and Grow’ farming systems, and urged greater support to smallholder farmers in adapting ecosystem-based farming practices to local conditions, which will require revising national policies, and upgrading extension services, such as farmers’ field schools.
The conclusions of the meeting, which took place in December 2014, will be presented in a policymakers’ guide to be published in 2015. [FAO News Story] [Save and Grow Website]