On the one hand, feeding so many people will require a 56 per cent increase in crop calories in comparison to 2010 production rates. Bridging the crop gap using prevalent farming practices will require an expansion of 593 million hectares in the agricultural land area​ii. On the other hand, it is hard to overlook the fact that agriculture is one of the most resource-intensive and polluting industries. Emission from agriculture activities are pegged to touch nine gigatons or more by 2050​.

• What we grow: Aiming for more targeted outcomes

  One of the most critical and viable solutions is to meet the projected food demand is by increasing the yield of our staple food crops. Research suggests that a focus on staple crops such as wheat and rice in key countries, including China, India, the US, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan and Europe, would pay off in terms of producing more food for the world’s growing population​iv. Conventionally, this is achieved through the selection of best-performing seeds based on genetic traits. The process can be time-consuming and expensive. New advances in molecular biology accelerate and economize the process of mapping genetic codes of plants, testing for desired DNA traits, purifying crop strains, and turning genes on and off.

• Where we grow: Demonstrating better management of existing land resources

  Good soil health is integral to optimizing the use of available landscape to meet growing food needs. Crop yields in regions with degraded soil can be boosted through eco-friendly strategies. Farming practices such as optimal fertilization, crop-grassland rotation, hedgerow planting and animal manure application can be employed to improve soil health. Further, methods such as sub-surface drip irrigation foster efficiency and give more ‘crop per drop’ from our nutrients. Also, lands with low environmental opportunity cost should be identified for inevitable cropland expansion. Likewise, unproductive agricultural land should be reforested.

• How we grow: Adapting to the challenges of a changing environment

  Climate change can disrupt food quality, availability and access. Factors such as temperature increase, precipitation pattern changes, extreme weather events, shortened sowing seasons and reduction in water availability have a significant impact on agricultural output. Enhancing agriculture output in this context can be challenging. Strategies such as reduced tillage, expanding crop rotations, planting cover crops and reintegrating livestock into crop production systems have proven beneficial in the past​v. Further, breeding crops to sustain higher temperatures, establishing on-field water conservation systems, the adaption of renewable energy, and reforestation can help to combat the effects of climate change on agriculture production.

  Additionally, efforts should be streamlined to reduce food wastage. It is estimated that 25 per cent of the world’s food calories and up to 50 per cent of the food weight is either lost or wasted before it is consumed​vi. In the developing world, the losses are usually because of a lack of infrastructure such as refrigerated transport. Among the more affluent countries, the losses are attributed to wasteful habits. The issue can be tackled by introducing greater logistical efficiencies in the farms-to-forks transition of agriculture produce in developing countries. Communities in the more prosperous nations should espouse food waste-reduction methods in their everyday lives.

  The choices that we make today will impact the future of our generations and the sustenance of our earth. Policymakers, academicians and private sector participants must join hands to assist farmers in making the right choices in the present for a more prosperous future.