The world’s agricultural system faces a great balancing act among three needs. By mid-century, it needs to simultaneously close a gap of more than 60 percent between food available now and food required in 2050, help advance economic and social development, and reduce agriculture’s impact on the environment.
This balancing act poses one of the paramount questions of the next 40 years: How can the world adequately feed more than 9 billion people by 2050 in a manner that advances social and economic development while reducing pressure on ecosystems, climate, and water resources?