The rate of global agricultural productivity has stagnated for a second consecutive year according to the 6th annual Global Agricultural Productivity Report (2015 GAP Report: Building Sustainable Breadbaskets) released by Global Harvest Initiative (GHI), which goes on to warn that if productivity does not pick up, the world will not be able to meet the future global demand for food, feed, biofuels, and fibers.
In order to supply the world’s 9.7 billion people in 2050, global agricultural productivity must increase by at least 1.75% per year. But according to GHI’s evaluation of productivity growth, also known as the GAP Index, the current rate of growth is 1.72%, with the rate of productivity growth in low-income countries trailing farther at 1.5%. If this rate of growth continues, by 2030 sub-Saharan Africa will only be able to meet 14% of its food demand, resulting in significantly increased imports, higher food prices and cultivation on environmentally critical land.
In the U.S., agricultural productivity growth held a historical average of between 1.5% and 2% between 1960 and 2000, but less than 1% from 2001- 2010. This fall in productivity has sparked concerns as agriculture is a key driver of the U.S. economy, accounting for $2 trillion in revenue annually. The GAP report warns that investment is needed to generate new innovative systems for the production of food while simultaneously protecting natural resources such as water and soil.
“By combining precision agriculture with advances in seed, fertilizer and bio-agriculture technologies, we are able to “farm smart”, meaning farmers can produce more while also conserving and protecting soils, water, and the natural resource base” said Cory Reed, Vice President of John Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Group and Chair of the GHI Board of Directors.