The global agricultural model is no longer sustainable, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s director general.
In a speech delivered at Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in January José Graziano da Silva warned that increasing competition for natural resources required a "paradigm shift" in current production methods in order to feed a population that is heading towards 9 billion and beyond.
"Business as usual would mean a huge and simultaneous increase in the need for food, energy and water in the next decades: 60% more food, 50% more energy and 40%more water by 2050," he predicted.
Da Silva said that concerted efforts and investments were required to support a widespread, globe-spanning transition to sustainable farming systems and land management practices.
Global agricultural model unsustainable, warns FAO chief
