The Problem of Food Resources

The data on the growth in supply and demand is unequivocal. Agricultural production can no longer keep up with demand. The increase in the world’s population together with the even more dramatic growth in food consumption which now characterises key areas of the planet, are fuelling the demand for food whilst there has been a downturn in the availability of agricultural land and productivity. These trends are playing out at an increasingly rapid pace. Inverting the trends affecting public investment in agricultural research which we have witnessed over these last few years is becoming a priority for every country in the world. The food security challenge implies a long-term vision and use of financial resources which can only be assured by massive, targeted, public intervention.