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Call for ‘wholesale’ investment in agriculture

Failure to fulfil a “wholesale” investment in agriculture could lead to a long-term food crisis that makes the price spikes of 2008 seem a mere blip, a leading rice research centre said on Sunday.

Declining agricultural productivity and continued growing demand have brought the world food situation to a crossroads, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said in a statement posted on its website.

The “wholesale” investment includes research into improved technologies, infrastructure develop ment, and training of agricultural scientists and trainers, according to the statement. There are two key things that the global community to remember as to the food situation, said Elizabeth Woods, chairperson of the IRRI Board of Trustees.

“First, that growth in agricultural productivity is the only way to ensure that people have access to enough affordable food. Second, that achieving this is a long-term effort,” Ms Woods said. “A year or two of extra funding for agricultural research is not enough. To ensure that improved technologies flow from the research and development pipeline, a sustained re-investment in agriculture is crucial,” she added.

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