9 billion people will inhabit our Earth in the next 40 years. How can we provide for this growth while protecting the land and water that sustains life?

Our Goal
By 2050, we must eliminate the global productivity gap by sustainably doubling agricultural output to meet the needs of a growing world. 

The Problem
With the world's population in excess of 6 billion today, we are already experiencing constraints on global agricultural production. As we add another 3 billion people to the planet in the next four decades, these concerns are only expected to grow. The enormity of the challenge faced by global agriculture in meeting the future food, feed, fiber and other needs of our expanding and more affluent population is widely accepted. Land, water and habitat constraints are tightening, while at the same time there is growing recognition of the critical need to protect these resources for future generations. Failure to meet these challenges in a sustainable way has consequences that transcend agriculture, with significant implications for political stability in many parts of the world.

Currently, a "global productivity gap" exists - the difference between the historic rate of productivity growth and the pace required to meet future needs. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization predicts we must double agricultural output by 2050 to meet the needs of a growing world.

How can we as a global society mobilize to close the gap, while protecting the very land and water that sustains life?

The Solution
The only sustainable solution is to double agricultural production on land already in production. This goal can be achieved by working together to develop, share and advocate for further agricultural innovations while protecting our resources.

While a challenge, Global Harvest Initiative aspires to:

• Increase supply and improve distribution to eliminate the productivity gap

• Prevent deforestation and use of fragile lands for production, helping ensure long-term sustainability

• Protect fresh water resources through improved plant technology and irrigation efficiency, as water supplies are predicted to tighten as population expands

Increasing productivity has a successful track record. And it has enabled millions of people, especially in developing countries, to greatly improve their diets. Enabling subsistence farms to increase production and profits in a sustainable manner is critical for meeting future needs. History shows many tools developed for modern agriculture also help smallholders.
 

• U.S. farmers have boosted corn production more than 40 percent in the past 25 years. This was done with only a small increase in inputs thus reducing the environmental foot print of production

• A program in Malawi to utilize high-quality white maize seed and fertilizer has increased production 65 percent to a record of 2.44 million metric tonnes in 2007

• Another program in Kenya is helping to double or sometimes triple maize yields by providing improved products and better agronomic practices

Hunger and poverty often begin where the road ends.
Self sufficiency isn't an option in many parts of Asia, the Middle East and some other developing nations. Expanding agricultural activity to meet growing needs isn't possible where quality soils, accommodating climate and water aren't distributed proportionally to population, meaning expanding agricultural activity sufficient to meet needs simply isn't possible in all countries.

And even where farming can be improved, the challenge extends beyond the farm gate. Improvements also must be made in storage, distribution, and processing technology.   Minimizing post-harvest losses is key as well. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates at least one-quarter of grain production in developing countries is lost after harvest due to mishandling, spoilage and pests.  Other estimates are even higher. These critical improvements will require substantial capital investments.