Growing food in a challenging world

THE world is changing. And those changes bring with them new structural challenges. Rapid population growth, increasingly scarce resources, food lost or wasted and climate change are putting enormous pressure on agricultural productivity which is vital for food security and livelihoods.

No one will be immune from the effects of climate change. But it will be the poor - the majority of whom earn their living from the land - that are disproportionately affected. Agriculture and land use change account for 24 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that 500 million small farms produce 80 per cent of the food consumed in emerging markets; therefore, action on climate is as much a development challenge.

We are at a crossroads. In 2015, governments will agree on a new global development agenda, with the adoption of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals in September and the climate deal in December. This is a unique opportunity to put in place the frameworks for sustainable growth that will benefit the planet and all of its people.