LANSING, MI -- Sustainable practices and the latest technology are the keys to helping production agriculture increase yields and meet skyrocketing demand for food while reducing waste and minimizing impact to land, water and air, a national agricultural leader said.
"There really is significant challenge for agriculture to grow twice as much food over the next 30 years," said Paul Rea, vice president for U.S. Crop Protection at BASF. "We're not going to have more land, so producing more is the key. I'm confident that we can continue to provide a safe, affordable, abundant and nutritious food supply into the future."
Rea spoke at a breakfast session of the Michigan Agri-Business Association's 79th annual Winter Conference in Lansing. His topic, "Sustainability, innovation and the role of traditional chemistry in crop production," provided a snapshot of global trends, their impact on U.S. crop protection and the way forward for agriculture. Rea said Michigan agriculture can seize important new opportunities, including meeting the needs of a growing middle class in large markets such as China.
The key to keeping up is keeping an eye on important, pro-growth trends in the agro-chemistry sector, and investing in new scientific technology that can increase yield and productivity while reducing risks. In 2008, glyphosate was a dominant area. By 2015, glyphosate is expected to be scaled back, while plant health and crop resistance will increase in value and volume growth. Previously, innovation focused on seed and seed traits. In the future, the agro-chemical industry will shift to wider innovations, serve fewer key players, and embrace the globalization of generic models, among other steps.
Rea said BASF invests more than $2 million in the discovery of new sustainable agricultural technologies each day. Among new solutions: dicamba-tolerant soybeans, drought tolerant traits that can push up yields, and an increased focus on plant health treatment, all of which strengthen sustainable production agriculture. That investment in sustainability is essential to the future of agriculture, Rea said.
"There is no better example of a family farm that's been passed down from generation to generation, often in better shape, because of sustainable agricultural practices," Rea said. "Everything we do has to be sustainable. I see sustainability as adding to our bottom line."
"Paul Rea highlights an important point: That production agriculture is deploying the best science and the latest technology in sustainable practices to produce more and protect our natural resources in the process," MABA President Jim Byrum said. "Science and new technology are helping us grow more food on the same amount of land. They hold the key to resolving a range of global problems, from developing rural communities and growing jobs to feeding people and fighting hunger."
