global food sustainability - australia and the road ahead

South Australian Murray Darling Basin NRM BoardRanges to River NRM - Community Science Forum

Farming Sustainability & Technologies

Life Impact | The University of Adelaide

Global Food Sustainability - Australia and the Road Ahead

Wendy Umberger, Ph.D.Food Economics and Policy

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Mannum Community Science Forum21 March, 2011


Sustainability Defined • “Sustainable agriculture is ...an integrated system of plant and

animal production practices ...that will, over the long term:• satisfy human food and fiber needs • enhance environmental quality and the natural resource

base upon which the agricultural economy depends • make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources

and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls

• sustain the economic viability of farm operations • enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a

whole.”Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (FACTA), Public Law 101-624, Title XVI,

Subtitle A, Section 1603 Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1990. NAL Call # KF1692.A31 1990


The Issue: Global Food Security• NOT “food self-sufficiency”• “when all people at all times have access to

sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. (World Health Organization, 1996-present)

• 3 Pillars– Food availability– Food access – Food utilization


Recent Increases in World Food Prices

Source: http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/wfs-home/foodpricesindex/en/


Trends in World Hunger

Source: FAO


1 billion undernourished1.3 billion overweight or obese


Australia and Food Security

• Australia produces about 1% of the world’s food supply• Contributes 3% of all food that is traded globally (2.2 % of

the value in 2009) • 5-9% of cereals (wheat, barley), meat, sugar• Export about 67% of all food we produce (by value)• #14 in terms of exports

• If it wasn’t grown here it would need to be grown elsewhere• WHAT IS OUR COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE??Source: http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1866171/afs-overview-aust-food-industry.pdf


Economic and Political Pressures Facing Food Systems 2050

1. Global population increases2. Changes in quantity and quality of food

demanded3. Competition for key resources4. Climate change and climate change policy5. Slowing of agricultural productivity growth

since 1990’s6. Future governance of global food systems


Global Population

Currently enough food, but access is the issue6.8 billion now, 8 billion in 2030 and 9 billion

by 2050Increases occurring in low to middle income

countries (e.g. Africa)Related transformational changes- move

from rural to urban & need for food, water and energyIncreasing pressure on constrained resources


Demand Challenges: Quantity• Demand for food expected to grow by 50-80% to

2050• Cultivable Crop Land per capita

0.45 ha. in 19660.25 ha. in 19960.15 ha. in 2050

• Food production has been a success due to Green Revolution, productivity growth etc.– Global crop yields grew by 115% from 1967 - 2007, yet

the area of land in agriculture increased by only 8%– 25% more food per capita over the past 40 years


Land, energy, water and nutrients under growing pressure

Urbanization & income growth Loss of productive land and demand for energy & waterDemand for protein (higher quality food) increases

Global energy demand projected to increase 45% from 2006 to 2030 and could double between now and 2050. Biofuel debate? Food vs. Fuel...Synthetic fertiliser use...

Global water demand increasing Ag. currently consumes 70% of total global blue water

withdrawals from rivers and aquifers


How to Secure Sustainable Food Systems?

• Reduce food wastage– 30-40% of food is wasted– Requires change in behaviour (food is cheap)– Requires infrastructure in developing countries and rural

areas (e.g. storage, transportation)• Education and change consumers’ values and

behaviour– Value sustainable food production practices– NOT food miles

• Coordinated food value chains and food systems– Consumer and retailer driven


Sustainable Consumerism?

http://www.happymeats.co.uk/

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/greenhousefriendly/index.html


How to Secure Sustainable Food Systems?

• Productivity and yield increases only one piece of the puzzle– GMOS, input use etc.– Environmental footprint

• “Food Systems” approach • QUALITY of food, not just more food and

calories• Already plenty of calories

• Soil science, biodiversity, low & no tillage

SAI Platform: 4 Pillars• Sustainable farming systems• Economic

• Social• Environmental

Sustainable Agriculture Platform: www.saiplatform.orgwww.saiplatformaust.org


Excellent Resources• Australia and Food Security in a Changing World

– PMSEIC (2010). Australia and Food Security in a Changing World. The Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council, Canberra, Australia.

– http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/FoodSecurity_web.pdf

• The UK Foresight project “The future of food and farming: challenges and choices for global sustainability”

– Foresight. The Future of Food and Farming (2011) Executive Summary. The Government Office for Science, London.

– http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/bispartners/foresight/docs/food-and-farming/11-547-future-of-food-and-farming-summary.pdf

• World Economic Forum “Realizing a New Vision for Agriculture: A roadmap for stakeholders”– http://www.weforum.org/reports/realizing-new-vision-agriculture-roadmap-

stakeholders?fo=1

• Alston, J.M., BA. Babcock and P.G. Pardey. The Shifting Patterns of Agricultural Production and Productivity Worldwide, Ames IA: Iowa State University, CARD-MATRIC e-book, 2010.– http://www.card.iastate.edu/books/shifting_patterns/