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Challenges for Agriculture (.pdf 156K)
Produce More
Helping farmers meet the needs of a growing planet.
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Preserving natural resources for future generations.
Improve Farmers' Lives
Increasing incomes and standards of living.
The challenges facing agriculture are really challenges facing all of us. In order for agriculture to be sustainable, we must meet our present needs – providing affordable food, fiber and energy for 6.6 billion people. In fact, we have not yet achieved this. In a little over a generation, we must meet the needs of more than 9 billion people – most of whom will demand better, more diversified foods.
At the same time, how can agriculture be sustainable if we meet the needs of 9 billion people while doing harm to our only environment? This cannot happen. For agriculture to be sustainable, we need to protect and even improve the environment so future generations can meet the challenges of their day.
Photo taken in Pakistan by Monsanto employee Maria Saleem.
While many offer advice or policy on sustainable agriculture, farmers are the people who make it happen on the land. Large farmers in industrialized countries must produce sufficiently to keep food and energy affordable. Small farmers in developing countries need to feed their families and create additional income from agriculture to break the cycle of poverty and hunger. Agriculture certainly will not be considered sustainable if the social well-being of nearly one billion farmers is lost in the process.
Addressing these three challenges individually is not enough. For agriculture to be sustainable, we must: (1) meet the needs of everybody while, (2) protecting and even improving the environment, and (3) providing opportunity for the social well-being of one billion farmers. All three are essential. None are optional.
Agriculture has a history of making dramatic productivity improvements due to the deployment of numerous innovations, better genetics, and better informed farming practices. Today, Monsanto is a global leader in agricultural crop research, spending nearly one billion dollars annually on better crops such as corn, oilseeds, cotton, and vegetables. We have sought the knowledge and wisdom of others, and we will continue to foster a dialogue on these issues. We have reflected on our company’s strengths and capabilities. As we consider the challenge of sustainability in agriculture, we are prepared to partner with others to meet these challenges. The challenges are significant and meeting them will require all of us to do far more than most expect.
What do you think?
Send your comments to the sustainable yield team at Monsanto. We would love to hear your perspective. Send an email to agsustainability@monsanto.com.
