Ag at a Crossroads

In a few days, I’ll be heading to Des Moines, Iowa, for the World Food Prize where I have been invited to speak at the 2018 Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium. I’m honored to be joining the Laureates and the 1,200 attendees from 65 countries to discuss the most pressing issues related to global food security. As I reflect on the theme of this year’s Borlaug Dialogue – “Rise to the Challenge” – I’m struck by the fact that we are at a true crossroads in agriculture, where the policies we adopt and the path we take today will define the entire agriculture industry – and human progress – for generations to come.

The challenges facing the global food system have never been more complex. We live in the most abundant time in history, yet one in nine people in the world don’t have enough food to nourish their lives. To keep up with our growing population, we need to increase food production, access and nutrition. Experts agree that to be able to provide the affordable and quality food to meet global needs, agricultural output must increase by 70 percent by 2050. To do this, our global food system must navigate a web of international hurdles, including a future marked by the implications of climate change and a dwindling supply of arable land and natural resources. We must also reconcile under-investments in agriculture, gaps in technology, market consolidation, shrinking food chains, and regulations limiting trading and food’s ability to travel freely to the places it is needed most.

At the same time, farmers face more pressure from consumers to grow quality, nutritious food in sustainable ways. Consumers are eager for farming to implement practices that are more environmentally and “human healthy.” And consumers want to know more about how their food is produced. The ability to trace ingredients is increasingly necessary to meet consumer demand.

Adding to the challenge is food waste. While we have improved the production of crops and livestock over the years, trillions of pounds of food go to waste each year. Consider this, only 60 percent of all calories grown for human consumption ever make it to our tables. Poor infrastructure and transportation and wasteful habits are among the culprits.

These critical issues demand that we take a new approach. At the heart of these crossroads, is the need to build new bridges between farmers, consumers, and all who play a role in getting food to those consumers. The best solutions often lie not within one of us, but among all of us.

Listening is key to finding those solutions. Listening not so we can better advance our own ideas, but listening to better to define the problem that we are solving for. Listening to better understand how others can contribute to the solution.

I’ve learned an incredible amount from listening sessions – what we here at Corteva call our Insight Series, which bring together a wide range of perspectives – including those skeptical of the work we are doing – to discuss emerging technologies.

Sometimes the sessions are a couple days. Sometimes they are part of day. And other times it’s a discussion over dinner. No matter the topic, length of time or how challenging the conversation might be, I always leave impressed with all we have in common vs. where we might disagree. And I leave energized and optimistic about the future of food production.

Agriculture is at a crossroad and finding the best path to its future resides among us. Listening is key to finding that path.

Jim Collins   -  Corteva Agriscience