Food security in a world of natural resource scarcity: The role of agricultural technologies

This book examines 11 agricultural practices and technologies (crop protection, drip irrigation, drought tolerance, heat tolerance, integrated soil fertility management, no-till farming, nutrient use efficiency, organic agriculture, precision agriculture, sprinkler irrigation, and water harvesting) and how they could help farmers around the world improve the sustainability of growing three of the world’s main staple crops – maize, rice, and wheat.The book finds that no single agricultural technology or farming practice will provide sufficient food for the world in 2050, instead farmers must utilize a range of these technologies in order to maximize yields. Based on current projections, stacked technologies could reduce food insecurity by as much as 36 percent. Making this a reality, however, depends on farmers gaining access to these technologies and learning how to use them. This underscores the need for improved agricultural education to ensure that farmers are able to use the best available technologies for their region and resources. IFPRI highlights three key areas for investments prioritizing effective technology use: 1/ Increasing crop productivity through enhanced investment in agricultural research, 2/ Developing and using resource-conserving agricultural management practices such as no-till farming, integrated soil fertility management, improved crop protection, and precision agriculture and 3/ Increasing investment in irrigation.