Solutions for

Sustainable
Agriculture and
Food Systems

TECHNICAL REPORT FOR THE

POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

18 September 2013

Prepared by the Thematic Group on

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
of the Sustainable Development Solutions
Network

Solutions for
Sustainable
Agriculture and
Food Systems
TECHNICAL REPORT FOR THE
POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

18 September 2013

Prepared by the Thematic Group on

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
of the Sustainable Development Solutions
Network

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) engages scientists, engineers, business and civil society leaders, and
development practitioners for evidence-based problem solving. It promotes solutions initiatives that demonstrate the potential
of technical and business innovation to support sustainable development (www.unsdsn.org).

Thematic Group 7 on Sustainable Agriculture and Food

Systems comprises

Co-Chairs

Achim Dobermann, Deputy Director General for Research, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),
Philippines
Rebecca Nelson, Professor, Cornell University, USA


Members

Doug Beever, Senior Director of Sustainability & Stakeholder Relations, Agrium, Canada; David
Bergvinson, Deputy Director, Digital Design for Agriculture, Agriculture Development, Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, USA; Eve Crowley, Deputy Director and Chair IDWG Institution Building, FAO, Italy;
Glenn Denning, Professor, Columbia University, USA; Ken Giller, Professor, Wageningen University and
Research Centre, Netherlands; Jacqueline dArros Hughes, Deputy Director General for Research,
AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center, Taiwan; Molly Jahn, Professor, University of Wisconsin, USA; John
Lynam, Consultant, Kenya; William Masters, Professor and Chair of Food and Nutrition Policy, Tufts
University, USA; Rosamond Naylor, Professor and Director of the Center on Food Security and the
Environment, Stanford University, USA; Gavin Neath, Senior Vice President for Sustainability, Unilever,
UK; Ikenna Onyido, Professor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria; Tom Remington, Principal
Agriculture Advisor, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Burundi; Iain Wright, Theme Director, International
Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Ethiopia; Fusuo Zhang, Professor and Dean, China Agricultural
University, China.

Executive Support

Lauren Barredo, SDSN Secretariat, New York

Members of the Thematic Group serve in their personal capacities; the opinions expressed in this paper
may not reflect the opinions of their institutions. A draft version of this report was made available for
public consultation from 25 July to 15 August 2013. The Thematic Group is grateful for the hundreds of
detailed submissions received in writing from experts representing the institutions listed below. Any
remaining errors or omissions are the sole responsibility of the authors.
ADM Institute; Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW); Borlaug Institute;
Brighter Green; CABI; Columbia University; Concern Worldwide; CropLife; EcoAgriculture Parters; FAO;
GIST Advisory; GFAR; Greenpeace; ICBA; IFA; ILRI; International Christian University; IPNI; IRRI; John
Deere; KEHYS; Michigan State University; Monsanto; Nestle; University of London; University of
Nebraska; University of Perugia; Usmanu Danfodiyo University; USDA; Vale Columbia Center;
Wageningen University and Research Centre; World Bank; WSPCA

iii

CONTENTS

Preamble ......................................................................................................................... vi
What are some of the tough questions that need to be addressed? ......................... vii
Summary ....................................................................................................................... viii
1. Agriculture is at the center of sustainable development ............................................. 1
1.1. Challenge domains for agriculture and food ......................................................... 1
1.2. Risks under a Business-As-Usual scenario ........................................................ 10
2. Towards a sustainable development path for agriculture and food systems ........... 13
2.1. Reducing food losses and waste and shifting to healthier diets ........................ 14
2.2. Producing more food through sustainable agricultural intensification................ 16
2.3. Climate-smart agricultural landscapes ............................................................... 23
3. Agriculture in the post-2015 action agenda for sustainable development................ 26
3.1. General considerations ....................................................................................... 26
3.2. Sustainable Development Goals, Targets and Indicators for agriculture and food
systems ...................................................................................................................... 29
3.3. Improving metrics, data and access to information............................................ 46
4. Solutions available for action .................................................................................... 52
4.1. Context-specific solutions that transcend small- to large-scale farming and food
systems ...................................................................................................................... 52
4.2. Solutions for early action..................................................................................... 54
4.3. Investing in long-term change............................................................................. 70
5. Planning and implementing action ............................................................................ 74
6. Concluding remarks .................................................................................................. 81
References .................................................................................................................... 82
Annex 1. A baseline scenario for future production of cereals and meat ..................... 93
Annex 2. Sustainable Development Goals and Targets proposed by the Sustainable
Development Solutions Network. .................................................................................. 94
Annex 3. Composite indices and tools for analysis, decision making and
communication .............................................................................................................. 98

Preamble
It is hard to exaggerate the role that agriculture plays in human development. This report shows the
multi-faceted contributions of the global food system to all pillars of sustainable development in the
post-2015 era. It recognizes the need to eradicate poverty and hunger in our generation, and it also
points out the importance of having an integrated agricultural and rural development goal in the
sustainable development agenda.
The report aims to outline principles for developing more specific solutions that are adaptable to local
realities. Perhaps the only commonality of agricultural systems worldwide is that they provide that most
critical resource, food. Beyond this, agricultural systems are incredibly diverse, with crops, livestock,
climates, soils, tools, and technology varying from country to country and even farm to farm. Therefore,
we have tried our best to avoid generic prescriptions of any kind. One-size-fits-all solutions are unlikely
to work and solutions will need to be tailored to address regional and site-specific barriers to
sustainability. This adaptation process will require the engagement of diverse stakeholders and sectors.
Our objective is to advance the process of setting global, science-based goals and targets. The SDGs,
targets, indicators, and solutions we propose are meant to be examples to spur further discussion. They
will require validation and tailoring of concrete strategies in each country. We encourage all
stakeholders to participate actively in further efforts to define the post-2015 agenda, and in taking
action to advance sustainability.
This report has benefitted from substantial input from many people, including the members of the
Thematic Group and hundreds of suggestions received from experts representing all sectors of
agriculture and food systems. The authors have inevitably brought their biases to the document, and
perhaps focused primarily on science and technology solutions. We recognize that many other areas
may not have received due attention, including strategies for reforming agriculture and food systems in
industrialized countries, biofuels, agricultural policies and trade, food aid, land tenure, financing, farm
insurance, alternative agriculture, counterfeit farm inputs, fisheries, agroforestry, environmental and
health issues of agrochemicals, and ecosystem services management, to name a few.
To many, entering a sustainable development path for agriculture and food seems like a daunting
challenge. We believe that it is feasible. The overarching motive for this report is to encourage people to
act, despite the enormous challenges, or as John F. Kennedy said:

"By defining our goal more clearly, by making it seem more manageable and less
remote, we can help all people to see it, to draw hope from it, and to move
irresistibly towards it."

vi

What are some of the tough questions that need to be addressed?

How can we make farming more profitable and more sustainable in our generation?
How can consumer behavior be changed towards healthier diets and wasting less food? Will aspiring
consumers in Asia follow the same food consumption model as in the West?
Will China import more food and thus also water, nutrients and energy from other countries? How
can it transform its own agriculture to produce enough food in a sustainable and safe manner?
How can India direct more of its economic growth towards rural development and eradicating
widespread poverty and malnutrition?
How can Africa utilize its land and water resources better? What will be the role of large-scale
commercial agriculture development compared to smallholder production?
What will be the future role of Latin American countries that still have arable land and water
resources that could be tapped? What should be produced there? How?
How can the double poverty trap of small farms with poor soils be overcome? Will rural development
and job creation require more consolidation of farms into greater sizes or business entities that could
be more productive and sustainable?
How can agriculture become an attractive entrepreneurial undertaking, reducing drudgery, reducing
unemployment, and getting people - women and youth in particular - decent and fulfilling work?
How can biotechnology best contribute to future food and nutritional security and serve the needs of
the poor?
To what extent can agroecological principles be harnessed in soil, plant and pest management, to
substitute for and/or improve the efficiency of external inputs?
How much can organic agriculture contribute to feeding the world? Where and at what cost?
How much can urban farming contribute to feeding the world? Where and at what cost?
How can we capitalize on the revolutions in genomics, IT, physics, biology, chemistry, and material
sciences to take agriculture to a new level? Who will invest in strategic blue-sky research?
How can countries make the best choices for a sustainable agriculture development path and what
should be the role foreign aid in it? How can we ensure that investments are motivated by facts and
priority needs rather than political interests?
How should current global, regional, and national policies on subsidies and trade be changed to
enable equitable and sustainable agricultural development?
How can we improve the business climate to encourage more investment and small business
development? What new mechanisms and incentives can be provided for public, civil society and
private sector actors to work more effectively together?
What could be new, more effective models for agricultural extension?
What should be the future investment models for agricultural research and development?
Do current agreements and laws on plant genetic resources and other intellectual property serve
future needs? How can we ensure that intellectual property is honored but also accessible to poorer
countries as well as small- and medium-sized businesses?
What are the concrete targets and metrics for measuring the performance of the agriculture and
food sector? How can they be monitored at a disaggregated level?

vii

Summary
Agriculture faces many challenges, making it more and more difficult to achieve its primary objective -
feeding the world each year. Population growth and changes in diet associated with rising incomes
drive greater demand for food and other agricultural products, while global food systems are
increasingly threatened by land degradation, climate change, and other stressors. Uncertainties exist
about regional and local impacts of climate change, but the overall global pattern suggests that the
stability of the food system will be at greater risk due to short-term variability in food supply.
Agriculture must change to meet the rising demand, to contribute more effectively to the reduction of
poverty and malnutrition, and to become ecologically more sustainable. This transformation will be
crucial for achieving many of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Poverty and hunger
must be eradicated in our generation and should therefore be a prominent stand-alone goal. The
majority of the worlds poor people live in rural areas, and agriculture growth has proven effective in
lifting rural families out of poverty and hunger. Managing the linkages between agriculture, poverty and
nutrition is critical as we look towards providing children with an opportunity to reach their full
potential. The new agenda should also have a goal that explicitly focuses on improving agricultural
systems and addresses rural development in an integrated manner, as underscored also by the interim
report of the Open Working Group. Food and nutrition security targets are fully embedded in these two
goals. The contributions of agriculture to goals on gender equality and social inclusion, health, climate
change and energy, ecosystem services and natural resources, and good governance must also be
recognized in specific targets and indicators for these goals.
Sustainable Agricultural Intensification (SAI)a offers workable options to eradicate poverty and hunger
while improving the environmental performance of agriculture, but requires transformative,
simultaneous interventions along the whole food chain, from production to consumption. It also
requires unprecedented, large-scale behavior change by consumers as well as producers of food. Major
elements of a sustainable development path for agriculture and food systems are:

Shifting towards healthier diets;

Ensuring the supply of safe, nutritious food to all through increasing agricultural productivity on
existing crop and pasture land and making it more resilient to climatic extremes;
Preserving the environment through systems management principles that increase resource
efficiency, reduce net carbon emissions and other pollutants associated with agriculture, and
improve soils and conserve natural resources;
Reducing food losses and waste;
New visions and business models for smallholder agriculture and rural development that create
economic and job opportunities and make rural areas more attractive places to live;
Empowering women along the value chain;
Coherent policies at all levels that stimulate behavior change, align all actors, provide secure
rights to land and other resources, and incentivize solutions for sustainable intensification of
agriculture and food systems that take advantage of rapid advances in science and technology.
Clear goals, targets and indicators that address critical areas of food production and
consumption, motivate people and provide a structured approach to guide countries in
designing their own development paths for agriculture;

Sustainable Agricultural Intensification (SAI) includes the application of genetic, agro-ecological, and socioeconomic

viii

Monitoring agriculture and food systems at unprecedented level of detail;

Long-term vision and investments in capacity building and research.

A key principle to recognize is that - given the huge diversity of agriculture and of the starting points for
change - there can be no one-size-fits-all solutions. Countries should follow the most suitable pathways
and timelines for addressing their specific challenges through tailored SAI solutions, policies, monitoring
and other implementation mechanisms. Solutions are workable options that can be tailored to raising
system productivity or diversity, efficiency, resilience, value and profitability of farming, including the
enabling mechanisms needed within diverse local contexts. Advances towards SAI will be most effective
and durable where all stakeholders work together to bring their ideas and support to developing and
implementing site-specific solutions that allow for iterative, continuous improvement of the world's
food systems and their key components.
Long-lasting solutions will require re-thinking of rural development and smallholder agriculture towards
structural transformations that include and benefit the poor. Improved farming systems and new
technologies and business models can create decent jobs, allow the overcoming of resource constraints,
enable greater market participation, and also lessen physical hardships in agriculture, particularly for
women and youth. Agriculture in industrialized countries will also need to change, including changes in
policies that affect many low- and medium-income countries. High-income countries will have to
embark on a pathway that addresses urgent issues such as unhealthy diets, food waste, the right
balance of food vs. biofuels production, and fair agricultural policies. These countries will also have to
lead in demonstrating how higher standards of productivity, resource efficiency, food safety and
traceability, and environmental impact can be met. This can also provide important lessons for
developing countries in terms of technologies and policies to consider.
New technologies will make it possible for sustainable agriculture to become the new global standard,
not the exception; the main factors resisting change are political will, lack of policy coherence at many
levels, financing, governance and human behavior. Many of the solutions needed are known or could,
with wise investments, become available in the next 10-20 years. Early action is important, but more
support and better mechanisms are needed for long-term thinking and action, including strengthening
public research and development (R&D), human resources development, and institutional change. We
propose evidence-based indicators that could be applied to track progress towards meeting the new
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their Targets, at local, national, regional and global scales.
Their effective use will require investing more in monitoring agriculture and food systems, taking
advantage of rapid advances in digital information technologies.
The transformation of agriculture will also require re-thinking of international and national structures.
The global food system should morph into a true global partnership that widely shares information,
experiences and new technology, following open access principles and practices that honor intellectual
property but enable wide access and use. Otherwise progress in implementing SAI will be slow, and
consequently goals and targets for sustainable development will not be met in many countries. New
models for implementation are needed that unlock the real potential of farmers, public and private
sectors in solving complex problems. The private sector will be a key player in sustainable agriculture
and food systems. Good governance will be essential, including supporting farmer groups, managing
risks, and deploying tools and accountability measures that foster greater private sector investment in
agriculture, but also put clear constraints on unsustainable or inequitable exploitation of land, water,
forests and fisheries.

ix

1. Agriculture is at the center of sustainable development

1.1. Challenge domains for agriculture and food
Agricultureb - the supplier of that basic human need, nutrition - is the worlds largest user of land,
occupying more than one third of Earths terrestrial surface and also using vast amounts of water. It
affects our daily life in many ways, both directly and indirectly. Humans expect agriculture to supply
sufficient nutrients, economically and culturally valued foods, fibers and other products. Agriculture
must also provide desirable employment and optimized land use and productivity in relation to limiting
resources. It must coexist with the needs of urban and natural environments, landscapes and a wide
range of other ecosystem services. Agriculture is essential for inclusive development because it
produces food as well as economic wealth for many of the world's poorest people wealth that allows
for improved livelihoods through better health care, education, infrastructure improvements and
greater investment in environmentally sound practices. For Sub-Saharan Africa, growth generated by
agriculture is eleven times more effective in reducing poverty than GDP growth in any other sectors1.
The development of agriculture was essential for the rise and survival of early civilizations2. Increases in
the worlds population from 800 million at the start of the industrial revolution in 1790 to just over 7
billion today and the prospect that the human population will grow to around 9.3 billion in 2050 have
created new concerns about our ability to feed the world in a sustainable manner. The agricultural
community has had tremendous success in increasing food production over the past five decades and
making food more affordable for the majority of the worlds population, despite a doubling in
population. Global production of main grains such as rice, wheat and maize has roughly tripled since
1960, resulting in corresponding decreases in food prices3. New estimates show that investments in crop
improvement that led to unprecedented yield increases during the Green Revolution saved an estimated
18-27 million hectares of natural ecosystems from being converted to agriculture4. The transformation
of agriculture benefited from technological innovations and inexpensive fossil fuels to raise agricultural
productivity in many world regions, but also left others behind, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa5.
Progress has been made in reducing global hunger (protein-energy malnutrition) from about 1 billion
people in 1990-1992 (18.6% of total population) to about 870 millionc in 2010-2012 (12.5%)6. Yet, global
progress in reducing hunger has varied greatly by region and has slowed since 2007. Further, the effects
of recent food price spikes relative to household incomes and economic opportunities have not yet been
fully accounted for, food prices are expected to remain high, and hidden hunger (micronutrient
deficiencies) and other forms of malnutrition remain widespread or have emerged. Many countries,
particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, still face major food and distribution gaps7. Unacceptably, every day
more than 8,000 children die from undernutrition, despite unprecedented global growth in wealth and
technology.
About 70% of the worlds very poor people live in rural areas, and a large proportion of the poor and
hungry are children and young people8. This figure is higher in South and Southeast Asia and Sub-
Saharan Africa, where three quarters of the poor live in rural areas. The prevalence of rural poverty is a

b

Agriculture refers broadly to the cultivation of animals, plants and other life forms for the production of food, fiber, biofuels,
raw materials, drugs and others purposes, including aquaculture and agroforestry.
c
FAO projections. This includes 304 million people in South Asia, 234 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, 167 million in Eastern Asia,
65 million in Southeast Asia, and 42 million in Latin America. In Asia and the Pacific the number of undernourished people
decreased from 723 million to 528 million during the past two decades, whereas in Africa and the Near East it increased from
6
192 million to 275 million . Data quality is uncertain for many countries.

challenge that can be met by improving agricultural performance, improving market access and reducing
the risks faced by farmers, and investing in rural infrastructure and enterprise.
Meeting world food demand conflicts with current trends of increasing competition for land, water and
other natural resources by non-agricultural sectors9, and needs to be accomplished under a more
extreme and also more uncertain future climate in many parts of the world. For many countries, coping
with water scarcity and building resilienced for adaptation to climate change in the agriculture sector
have become top priorities10. Reducing agricultures environmental footprint while ensuring global food
and nutritional security11 will be especially difficult as 87% of the population in 2050 will live in the
presently developing world, including 27% in least developed countries. This is the portion of the worlds
population for which economic growth will be highest and for which increasing incomes will also shift
dietary patterns towards increasing demand for food. This is also where there will be increased pressure
on many ecosystem services, especially in the tropics. In the past two centuries, 27% of the worlds
tropical forests, 45% of temperate forests, 50% of the savannahs and 70% of natural grasslands have
been converted to agriculture12, with agriculture being the major driver for deforestation worldwide,
leading to the large share of GHG emissions attributed to the sector13.
Crop intensification has enabled increases in food production and labor productivity without putting
more land under cultivation, but this often comes at a price, such as land degradation through soil
erosion, inappropriate irrigation and land management practices, loss of soil organic matter and
nutrients, depletion of freshwater resources, pollution of waterways and marine environments through
inappropriate use of nutrients and crop protection products, increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
and reduction in biodiversity and ecological resilience through dependence on a reduced number of
species and varieties. If the environmental costs involved were properly accounted for, the real costs of
producing food would be much higher. Is it feasible to continue with a consumption model that largely
treats natural resources such as soil, water, and air as free goods?
Crop and animal production systems are hugely diverse. A good framework is needed to identify entry
points that can lead to the desired outcomes of reducing poverty, improving food security from
household to global scale, enhancing population nutritional and health status, and reducing agricultures
environmental footprint. Such a framework must consider the trade-offs and outcomes explicitly, across
different scales. To identify entry points for action, three challenge domains are identified as: (1)
Sustainable intensification of agricultural systems for food security with high resource use efficiency and
environmental protection, (2) Poverty alleviation, economic and social rural development, and (3) Food
systems for nutritional security and better health.
Sustainable intensification of agricultural systems for food security and environmental protection
High food prices slow down economic growth14. After decades of decline, food prices began to rise
slowly in the early 2000s and more sharply after 2005 (Fig. 1-1). Since a spike in 2008, commodity prices
have fluctuated, reflecting a different market context for agricultural products than prevailed for the
previous half century. It should also be noted that the commonly used food price indices have
shortcomings because they measure prices against the earning power of populations which have
experienced substantial economic and income growth, and thus do not represent the conditions of the
poorest and most food insecure members of global society15.

d

Resilience is the ability of agricultural systems and communities to recover successfully from adverse shocks through the
capacity for adaptation and transformation. It involves being able to adapt to a changing and increasingly unpredictable
environment, and the ability to learn from disturbance. In agriculture, a production system should be resilient and contribute
to increased production of food or other products over time.

Price index (2005 = 100)

300
Current US$
Constant 2005 US$

250
200
150
100
50
0
1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

Figure 1-1. Global food price index, current and constant US dollars, 1960-2012.
Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data (Pink Sheet).
Supply and demand balances for agricultural products have become tighter. Global food demand will
continue to increase for at least another 50 years due to increasing population and changes of diet. A
rapidly expanding middle class in transition countries is expected to further increase the demand for
fruits, vegetables, livestock products (milk, meat and eggs) and fish, but generally also for more
processed, packaged and branded food. While economic growth will generally lead to an improvement
in nutrition in low- and middle-income countries, both rural and urban food and nutrition insecurity
remain challenges because of rising numbers of people with low and unstable incomes living in
settlements with inadequate infrastructure, including inadequate access to food16. In many developing
countries, urban and rural households that are net buyers of food often spend half of their income on
food, have limited means to store it, are exposed to natural disasters and disease epidemics, and are
also the most vulnerable to shocks.
It is difficult to make accurate predictions of future demand for food and other agricultural products
because consumption depends on demographic trends, economic growth, behavioral choices and policy
decisions, i.e., to what extent countries and their citizens commit to a sustainable development path. If
recent trends in population and per-capita wealth continue, feeding a world population of about 9
billion people in 2050 would require raising aggregate global food production by at least 60-70%. Many
developing countries may have to even double their food production to nourish their rapidly growing
populations17,18. It is likely that the demand growth for cereals will be less than demand growth for food
in the aggregate, but one can also imagine a scenario in which both cereal and livestock production may
have to double within that period if meat consumption and bioenergy use of crops accelerate19. Under
such a scenario, it will be difficult to meet simultaneously the goals on eradicating poverty and hunger
while also safeguarding the environment (Annex 1).
On the positive side, annual growth in global agricultural output has remained fairly steady at 2.1 to
2.5% over the past five decades (Fig. 1-2). The contribution of technological change to agricultural

productivity, measured as total factor productivity (TFP)e, has shown a remarkable increase, from less
than 0.5% annual growth in the 1960s to greater than 1.8% annual growth in the 2001-2009 decade. In
other words, TFP growth accounted for three-fourths of the total growth in global agricultural
production during the past decade, outpacing area expansion and input intensification as the primary
source of growth in world agriculture5. However, TFP growth has been uneven worldwide. Countries
with strong investments in agriculture, including strong research and development (R&D) capacity (e.g.,
China and Brazil), have demonstrated high productivity growth. By contrast, growth has slowed
elsewhere and remains slow in many food-insecure countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Rate of output growth (% per year)
3.0

2.5
Contribution to
growth from:

2.0

Total factor productivity

Input intensification

1.5

Irrigation
Area expansion

1.0

0.5

0.0
1961-
2009

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Figure 1-2. Agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) has replaced resource expansion and input
intensification as the primary source of growth in world agriculture. The total height of the bar is the
average annual gross rate in gross agricultural output over the period, which is partitioned into the four
components shown. Source: Fuglie et al.5
Indicators such as crop yield or partial factor productivities of land, water, fertilizer, and labor show a
less encouraging global picture20. Declining freshwater resources, rising energy prices, or low efficiency
of nitrogen fertilizer affect many former Green Revolution regions21. Recognizing that each country has
different staple crops that form the basis for food and nutritional security, a major global concern is the
slowing yield growth in cereal crops, particularly rice and wheat that are the basis of food security in
many parts of the world9,22. During the 1989-2008 period global yield growth rates have averaged 1.6%
for maize, 1.0% for rice, 0.9% for wheat and 1.3% for soybean, which is insufficient for meeting future
food demand without having to convert a lot more land into agriculture23. For comparison, doubling
yields over the next 40 years would require annual yield growth rates of more than 1.7%.
Farm yields are approaching their economic upper limits in highly productive areas. In major irrigated
wheat, rice, and maize systems, yields appear to be near 80% of the yield potential, with little evidence
for having exceeded this threshold to date24,25. Further genetic improvement of crop yield potential is

e

Total factor productivity is the productivity of all inputs taken together. It compares growth in all inputs (land, labor, capital,
material inputs) with growth in total output of crop and livestock products. It is mainly a measure of technological efficiency
and does not account for agricultures effects on the environment.

difficult and will take decades rather than years to be achieved9,26. On the other hand, many improved
agronomic practices can still lead to higher yields and/or higher efficiencies and greater sustainability in
many farming systems. Rainfed farmers, for example, appear to have relatively large yield gaps (50% or
more) that persist largely for agronomic, economic and social reasons24. There is also strong evidence
for decreasing crop yield growth due to rising temperatures and uncertainty in growing season
weather27. More broadly, climate change will affect agriculture in many ways, requiring substantial
investments in designing and implementing climate-smart food systems (Box 1-1).
Box 1-1. Climate change and agriculture
th

At present our world is 0.8C above pre-industrial levels of the 18 century. At current trends 2C warming
could be reached within one generation. Globally, warmer temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, rising sea
water levels, increased frequency and perhaps also severity of extreme weather, and ocean acidification are
likely to cause greater short-term variability in the food supply and have long-term consequences for
agriculture and food systems. The potential impact is less clear at regional or national scales, but the available
evidence indicates that climate variability and change will exacerbate food insecurity and malnutrition in the
areas that already suffer most from poverty and hunger and are also most vulnerable to extreme weather at
28
present . Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are particularly prone to productivity losses from climate change
because major staples in these regions are often already grown above their optimum temperature, with as
27
much as 10% yield loss for +1C of warming predicted in some locations . Climate change thus directly affects
the food and nutrition security of millions of people, potentially undermining progress towards a world without
poverty and hunger. It is likely that food inequalities will increase, from local to global levels. Food access and
utilization will also be affected indirectly via collateral effects on household and individual incomes, and food
utilization could be impaired by loss of access to drinking water and damage to health. The impact of past
greenhouse gas emissions cannot be reversed in the next few decades. There is need for considerable,
immediate investment in adaptation and mitigation actions that address climate change impacts on all
dimensions of food and nutrition security. Each country needs to have a clear climate change strategy for
agriculture, including strong commitment to near-term adaptation measures. Many technology, policy and
28,29
governance interventions must be integrated to move towards a "climate-smart" agriculture (CSA) . The
whole food system needs to adjust to climate change, with strong attention also to trade, stocks, and to
nutrition and social policy options. Despite a massive research literature, m uch remains unknown about many
direct and indirect food security impacts of climate change, including human and agro-ecological dimensions.
To enable countries to plan and act will also require significant improvements of data, models and decision
tools used for projecting climate change and its impact on agriculture, and for supporting real-time action on
30-32
the ground
.

In densely populated world regions land and water are becoming scarce resources in agriculture. How
much more fertile agricultural land will be lost to urbanization and industrialization in rural areas is
difficult to predict. It is safe to assume that those trends will continue in many countries, thus increasing
the pressure to produce more from the remaining land. Various forms of land degradation already affect
about 20% of all cultivated land and the hundreds of millions of people living there, often coinciding
with areas of extreme poverty33. Soil erosion, drought, salinization, waterlogging, desertification and
other forms of land degradation have spread widely in the past 30 years, particularly threatening
ecosystems and agriculture in arid and semi-arid environments. Economic losses associated with land
degradation have recently been estimated at US$ 490 billion per year, or 5% of total agricultural gross
domestic product (GDP)34.
Current predictions indicate that less water may be available and more droughts may occur in the
coming decades35. The world is currently using some 6000 cubic kilometers of fresh water per year, 70%
of which goes to agriculture, mostly in Asia (Fig. 1-3)36. In dryland regions such as the Middle East and
Northern Africa water use in agriculture can reach up to 90% of the available water. Considering that
40% of world food production comes from irrigated systems on only about 20% of the arable land area,
5

more investments in improving water productivity in existing schemes and safely expanding irrigated
agriculture will be needed for long-term food security, but with a strong emphasis on policies and new
technologies that ensure maximum efficiency and protect critical freshwater resources37,38.
Unsustainable depletion of aquifers has become a major concern in some of the largest food-producing
and -consuming countries (China, India, USA), but there are also many aquifers worldwide that could still
handle further expansion of irrigation39. During the Green Revolution in Asia contributions from
expansion of irrigated area were at least as large as those from improved varieties, fertilizers and other
intensification measures. It is unlikely that Sub-Saharan Africa can achieve a much higher level of food
security and sovereignty without more irrigated agriculture. Integrated solutions will need to balance
the use of surface water and groundwater resources by different sectors40, while increasing water
productivity in the whole food system. For example, consuming less water can also be achieved through
wasting less food, consuming less water-intensive food, and improving water use efficiency in crop-
livestock systems as a whole, from forage production to meat consumption.
3500

2500

Water use (km per year)

2000
1500
1000
500
0
1900

5000
4000

Agriculture
Industry
Households
Reservoirs
Total

Water use (km per year)

3000

6000
Europe
North America
Africa
Asia
South America
Australia and Oceania

1920

1940

1960

Year

1980

2000

2020

3000
2000
1000
0
1900

1920

1940

1960

1980

2000

2020

Year

Figure 1-3. Global freshwater use by regions and sectors. Source: UNESCO, I. Shiklomanov
Modern food production depends on fossil fuels and fertilizers, but the planets nitrogen and
phosphorus cycles are out of balance: excessive or otherwise inappropriate nutrient use is causing
environmental problems in some regions, while nutrient deficiencies and insufficient fertilizer
availability prevent productivity increases in other regions41. In Sub-Saharan Africa in particular,
continuous cultivation without such fertilizer leads to widespread soil nutrient mining and traps people
in poverty42. Such regional imbalances and different contexts need to be addressed in defining
successful strategies for better nutrient management. Increasing sustainability will demand a push
towards both access to fertilizers and greater efficiency in nutrient use. Significant opportunities exist to
increase nutrient use efficiency and thus also reduce GHG emissions through full life cycle approaches in
the contexts of integrated use of both organic and inorganic fertilizers43. Globalization of the food
system has also created massive nutrient and virtual water flows of traded agricultural commodities
across regions, which also need to be considered when developing new solutions for sustainable use of
nutrients and water resources44. The nutrients imported are commonly concentrated in cities, creating
waste disposal problems rather than alleviating deficiencies in rural soils.
Some 17 billion animals in the world utilize substantial amounts of natural resources, mostly in the
developing world, where most of the growth of the sector will occur45. Common global concerns about
intensive livestock production include overgrazing, costs and environmental consequences of global
trade of feed and meat, pollution due to livestock waste, transmission of diseases, animal welfare and

large emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly methane. The productivity and nutritional services of
extensive livestock systems will need to be boosted substantially in many regions, including crop-
livestock systems that enable better utilization of the available resources45. Grasslands occupy 40% of
the worlds land surface (excluding Antarctica and Greenland) and support extensive nomadic as well as
intensified livestock-production systems. Nearly 1 billion people living on less than 2 dollars a day in
South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa keep livestock. For many, these animals are their most valuable asset
and income source. Many grazing lands are in a degraded state, particularly in marginal areas of
developing countries, affecting productivity, household incomes and environmental services such as
hydrology, biodiversity, and carbon cycles. Grassland management practices can be optimized to result
in positive outcomes for grasslands, the environment, and households46. Pastoral communities are
among the most marginalized, living in remote areas with poor infrastructure and communication. They
often lack access to markets and input supplies and are dependent on their animals to support them.
The development challenge for these communities is how to reduce their vulnerability and increase
their resilience in the face of external shocks such as drought, which can devastate their herds and
livelihoods. Both short and longer term interventions are required for these areas, including rangeland
and herd management, early warning systems, social safety nets, livestock insurance programs, timely
disaster responses, better education and ensuring political stability47,48.
Fish are a rich and often cheap source of protein and nutrients for the poor. Aquacultures contribution
to fish supply for human consumption will soon exceed that of wild capture fisheries. Aquaculture has
grown at record pace in recent years and it has been a major factor in annual fish consumption reaching
an average of 18.6 kg per person in 201149. Growth is driven by increasing demand from a growing
urban middle class as well as by technological changes that have increased productivity and lowered
prices and volatility. However, for countries most dependent on fish to meet the nutritional
requirements of their population, wild capture fisheries remain the dominant supplier, particularly for
the poor. FAO - mainly relying on the opinions of regional experts - estimated that about 30% of world
fish stocks were overexploited, depleted, or recovering in 200949. Inadequate reporting in official
statistics of the small-scale fishing sector in developing countries likely leads to underestimates of global
marine and freshwater catches. Others have estimated that 80% of global stocks of over 500 fish species
are fully or over-exploited50. Although not all fisheries are in crisis, securing the sustainability of global
fisheries is essential and requires innovative efforts across a broad spectrum of fishery systems51.
Poverty alleviation, economic and social rural development
The first MDG of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger was in many ways the most ambitious and the
most difficult to define in terms of implementation strategies. The goal of halving the proportion of
people whose income is less than $1.25 a day was met five years ahead of schedule, primarily due to the
extraordinary economic growth rates in East and Southeast Asia, and the associated structural
transformation of those economies. Progress in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa was limited and most
of the billion people who remain below the poverty line live in rural areas in those two regions.
Reducing rural poverty still remains one of the more difficult development challenges because it
requires sustained, socially inclusive economic growth, particularly in the agricultural sector. Clear
strategies to generate broad agricultural growth in Sub-Saharan Africa are needed. Farm sizes are
shrinking due to population increase as well as current land tenure systems in densely populated areas,
while there is continued reliance on area expansion where populations are sparse. Reliance on market
mechanisms only may contribute to inequality in rural income distribution, as efforts to increase farm
productivity, improve access to markets, and subsidize inputs may favor farmers with sufficient land and
capital resources. Other policies can contribute to inequality by favoring those with legal tenure over

those without, male farmers over female, ethnic majorities over minorities or nomadic peoples, and
farmers living closer to population centers and markets over those living in the most rural areas.
In South Asia rural poverty tends to be concentrated in lagging areas that have not been integrated into
the larger economic growth process. In Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in countries that lack major
mineral resources, the agricultural sector is the largest employer and contributes significantly to overall
economic growth. Between 2010 and 2050 the rural population in East Asia is expected to decline by
50% and by 10% in South Asia, but is likely to increase by about 30% in Sub-Saharan Africa52. Annually,
some 10-15 million young people will be looking for jobs in these rural areas. Although this increases the
pressure on natural and social resources, it is also an opportunity for vibrant rural development. Igniting
a structural transformation towards sustained and sustainable growth in smallholder productivity in
Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the dominant development challenges into the medium-term future.
Rural households in many countries obtain half or more of their income from non-farm sources.
Facilitating the diversification of off-farm income sources for rural people will play an important role in
building resilience and food security for rural families. Policy support for the establishment of small-
scale food processing industries in rural areas could contribute to reduced losses, increased food quality,
smoothing of consumption and the reduction of drudgery.
Small farming businesses are hugely important for the sustainable food systems of the future, but many
of them are left behind because, unlike large farms, they lack land resources and other capital or have
poor access to markets and functioning extension services, even in many industrialized countries53.
Some 1 to 2 billion people live on land for which they have no legal title, preventing them from
obtaining credit and investing in productivity-enhancing measures8. Female smallholder farmers
comprise about 50% of smallholders in Eastern and Southeastern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. They
typically face more challenges than their male counterparts, but they represent a huge, underutilized
potential. It has been shown that women farmers who have the same access to productive resources as
men could increase yields on their farms by 20-30%54.
The trends of rapid urbanization and the vanishing rural labor pool have huge implications for the future
of small-holder systems in which abundant labor is needed for field work, tending livestock and nutrient
recycling55. New models for consolidation of farms or farm operations and services will be needed in
many areas, also to allow for greater mechanization. Broad investments in rural infrastructure, inclusive
entrepreneurship models, strengthening of local capacity to customize best management practices, and
other social innovations are needed to transfer more value to smallholder farmers, minimize risk, and
provide a safe operating environment for them.
Food systems for nutritional security and better health
Achieving food and nutritional security requires every member of society to have access to nutritious
food and the information and freedom to make appropriate choices concerning good nutrition. Progress
has been made in reducing undernourishment, underweight, child stunting, child mortality, and
micronutrient deficiencies. But progress has varied among countries and setbacks are common due to
volatile food prices, conflicts and natural disasters. Currently, about 870 million people (12.5%) are
chronically undernourished in terms of energy intake and about 2 billion people suffer from vitamin and
mineral deficiencies6,56. Malnutrition f resulting in fetal growth restriction, underweight, stunting,

f

Malnutrition = an imbalance between nutrient intake and nutrient needs for an active, healthy life, which may involve over- or
under-nutrition by a variety of conditioning factors. Undernutrition = insufficient nutrients for an active, healthy life, often
observed during gestation and infancy and among adolescent girls and women whose specific nutritional needs are least likely
to be met by the family diet.

wasting, and deficiencies of vitamin A and zinc and suboptimum breastfeeding causes more than 3
million child deaths annually (or 45% of all child deaths in 2011)57. Stunting has surpassed underweight
as the most prevalent nutritional challenge, affecting 165 million children worldwide, or one in 4
children under the age of five57,58. Overcoming malnutrition during the first 1000 days of life, from
conception until age 2, is among the most critical interventions needed, for which agricultural strategies
can provide solutions.
The growing new challenge is that two thirds of the world's population live in countries where
overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight. Some 1.4 billion adults and 40 million
children under the age of five are overweight, including 500 million who are obese59. Maternal and
childhood overweight and obesity are becoming an increasingly important contributor to adult obesity,
diabetes, and non-communicable diseases57. Inequalities are increasing within countries, requiring new
policies to address both overweight and undernourishment at the national level. In rapidly growing
countries such as China or India a wealthy, urban, and more obese population coexists with a poor,
rural, undernourished one. Multiple forms of malnutrition may occur in the same families or individuals.
Those that are undernourished often have insufficient resources to make food choices and are often
also in a situation where there are environmental disasters or social unrest and thus unable to gain
access to sufficient, quality food. Those that are overweight often have more resources but make poor
food choices, leading to obesity and the associated non-communicable diseases which can put a very
heavy load on medical and support services. A new phenomenon is that people may be exposed to
deficient diets in early life but are at heightened risk of becoming overweight later in life57.
Generally speaking, people who are fed properly are healthier, but nutritional and health linkages differ
widely. For example, the stunting and wasting of under five children which is widespread in rural areas
of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa is an entirely different problem than the increasing obesity or
concerns about food quality and safety in rapidly urbanizing populations. It is broadly accepted that an
adequate and balanced diet provided through effective agricultural production results in healthier
children and communities. The relationship between agriculture and nutritional outcomes is mediated
by access to food, womens and youth education, cultural habits, health status and the health and
sanitation interventions that allow vulnerable children to take advantage of dietary improvements.
Systematic efforts to explore these linkages are still rare and the results are not always clear60.
Needs for dietary changes for improved health and nutrition vary. In most low-income countries modest
increases in consumption of animal source foods can contribute substantially to ensuring dietary
adequacy, preventing undernourishment and improving nutritional deficiencies. On the other hand, if
high-income countries continue to consume more meat and sugar and middle income countries follow a
similar path, health risks as well as pressure to grow more crops for animal production would increase to
levels that could be difficult to manage. Horticulture, on the other hand, is likely to make a positive
contribution to nutrition via income and diversified consumption in all countries.
Agriculture-health linkages also include food-borne and animal-transmitted diseases or water- and
vector-borne communicable diseases related to the management of agroecosystems. Mycotoxins -
substances naturally produced by molds and microfungi that are capable of causing disease and death in
humans and animalsg - have emerged as a major global concern61,62. High levels of mycotoxin infections
are mostly caused by stress on the plant grown in the field, delayed harvest and poor storage of grains,
thus also resulting in negative economic impact for farmers. Moreover, in less developed countries more

g

For information on mycotoxins see www.knowmycotoxins.com

than 10% of the infectious disease burden is due to zoonosesh, and the majority of them are transmitted
to people from livestock hosts through consumption of animal source foods, vectors or direct contact45.
The growing densities of human and livestock populations, especially in South and East Asia, are
increasing the probability of new zoonotic diseases63. Agricultural intensification and/or environmental
change are associated with an increased risk of zoonotic disease emergence, driven by the impact of an
expanding human population and changing human behavior on the environment64.

1.2. Risks under a Business-As-Usual scenario

In the absence of change towards a new, shared global framework for sustainable development of
agriculture and food systems, a Business-As-Usual (BAU) trajectory would have severe implications for
food and nutritional security, economic and social development, public health as well as environmental
sustainability. In a scenario of continuing current trends world cereal production would increase by 52%
from 2010 to 2050, whereas world meat production rises by 64% (Annex 1)65. Although positive efforts
are already underway in some regions and countries, they are not sufficient yet to enter a sustainable
development path for agriculture. Some countries will be less negatively affected than others under a
BAU scenario, but the vast majority will be worse off (Table 1-1; Box 1-2).
Table 1-1. Regions likely to suffer moderate (M) and high (H) costs in the Business-As-Usual scenario
of unsustainable agricultural development.
North
America

Latin
America
&
Caribbean

Europe

Middle
East &
North
Africa

Sub-
Saharan
Africa

South &
Central
Asia

Food
insecurity

Malnutrition

Obesity,
health

Poverty

Poor rural
infrastructure
Conversion of
natural land
Soil and land
degradation
Water
shortage
Water and air
pollution
Biodiversity
loss

Southeast
Asia &
East Asia
Pacific

Notes on Table 1-1: Each row in the table is based on a general assessment of current levels and future trends, for
which the authors reviewed available data and projections. We underscore the illustrative nature of the results.

Zoonotic diseases are those that evolve in animal populations but are transmitted to humans.

10

Box 1-2. Examples of major risks that could arise in the BAU scenario

Food and nutritional security

High food prices will put a drag on economic growth.
Agricultural productivity growth and access to food will be insufficient to eradicate extreme hunger and
nutritional deficiencies in a growing population by 2030 or even 2050.
Volatile food m arkets and prices, and little ability to absorb supply shocks caused by climatic extremes,
natural disasters, economic constraints, political unrest, and competition with biofuels.
Many countries will continue to have unexploited yield and efficiency gaps and rely heavily on food aid
and imports.
Continued large food losses and waste; eroding public trust due to frequent food quality scandals and
diseases caused by unsafe processing and handling of food.
An excessive focus on staple productivity exacerbates the problem of m icronutrient deficiency.
Persisting m alnutrition in mothers results in the next generation not being able to fulfill its human
potential.
Increasing obesity problems due to unhealthy diets and emergence of numerous associated health
problems.

Economic and social development

Agricultural productivity growth will not be sufficient to eradicate rural and urban poverty. Due to
volatile food prices, tens of millions of people will swing between being lifted out of poverty and being
thrown back into it.
Social, economic, and political stability is at risk due to large regional, national, and within-country

nutritional and food distribution gaps as well as competition for natural resources.
People and countries may fight over land, water, and some mineral nutrient resources, particularly

countries that do not own such resources.
Smallholder farmers and local agricultural businesses will continue to lack access to markets and
financial resources, and thus are not able to overcome the poverty traps associated with small holdings
and/or poor soils. They will be unable to benefit from new technology. Farming families will be left
behind in the economic and social development taking place in urban areas.
Gender asymmetry in access to assets and economic services continues.
Farmland prices will rise, making it difficult for young people to enter farming.
Lack of roads, clean water and electricity will continue to make it impossible to significantly improve the
lives of the rural poor.
Youth unemployment in rural areas will further rise. More young people will leave the countryside and
move to the city, accelerating urbanization.
A less mobile, aging workforce will be left behind in the villages.
Environmental sustainability

Global fertilizer production will increase by another 40-50% by 2050 to feed the growing population and
its dietary lifestyle. If not managed correctly, the increase in fertilizer production may have unwanted
environmental impacts.

Faster depletion of water resources used by agriculture may lead to reduced access and/or higher
prices.

More forest, wetlands and other land could be converted to agriculture, further increasing greenhouse
gas emissions.

Degradation of existing agricultural land may increase further. Soils in developing countries would
become even m ore depleted of carbon and nutrients, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Excessive or otherwise inappropriate use of agrochemicals in agricultural systems could cause more
water pollution and loss of species diversity, particularly of insects and their food webs.

Unsustainable depletion of many fish stocks will continue.

Declining diversity and species habitat quality in agricultural landscapes could reduce ecological
resilience and increase the vulnerability of agriculture, particularly in fragile environments.

Progress in sustainability reporting and stewardship system development by a variety of stakeholders

will continue, but at a relatively slow pace.

11

In many countries, a BAU scenario would also mean a continuation of dependence on foreign aid
investments in agriculture as opposed to governments and private sector making their own investments
and policy reforms that create an enabling environment for broad-based economic development. Lack
of long-term strategy, commitment and coordination would continue to dominate investments in
agricultural research and development, slowing progress in much-needed innovations.
The BAU scenario is clearly not a sustainable development path because food prices would rise further,
poverty and hunger could not be eradicated, poor food choices in both rich and poor countries would
continue, and environmental pollution, loss of forests and biodiversity, and degradation of land and
other natural resources would accelerate even further. Many countries would not be able to achieve
their economic and social development goals (Box 1-3).
Box 1-3. The role of the smallholder in the structural transformation of Kenyan agriculture and economy

Kenya is poised to embark on a sustained economic growth path of at least 5% per annum that could move it
into the status of a middle income country within 20 years. The locus of the economy will shift from its agrarian
roots to one that is more urbanized, industrial and service-based. Kenyan economic development faces a
number of challenges, many of which have their origin in the health of the smallholder farm economy. Kenya
has rapidly urbanized, from less than 9% in the 1960-70 period to over 20% at present. Over half of the urban
population is absorbed in informal employment and settlements. Despite two decades of growth, structural
adjustment and poverty reduction plans, rural poverty rates have remained consistently high at over 40%, with
significant regional differences. About 80% of agricultural production comes from Kenyas 2.9 million
smallholders, yet only 30% of them are net sellers of maize, whereas 10% of larger farms account for 75% of
maize marketable surplus. Farm productivity is increasing but it is not sufficient to improve incomes and in
several high population density regions farm size is now limiting sustainable intensification.

Balanced structural transformation of the economy is dependent on a number of processes driving structural
change of the agricultural sector, namely (1) increasing marketable surpluses through formal supply chains, (2)
rising land and labor productivity in agriculture, (3) rural livelihood specialization, in which agriculture becomes
the key economic activity of fewer, m ore professionally m anaged farming households, (4) the development of
efficient input and output m arkets, and (5) eventually an increasing average farm size. Kenyan agriculture is far
from achieving these outcomes and is particularly constrained by declining farm size, in many areas below an
asset base that will allow a realistic pathway out of poverty. At the same time smallholder farming systems
themselves must intensify, often with significant change in the mix of production activities, farm m anagement,
and improved market integration. Structural transformation thus involves change at three different levels,
namely the flow of goods, labor and investment capital in the overall economy; the change in markets,
institutions, infrastructure, and supply chains within the agricultural sector itself; and the response at the level
of the farming system as it intensifies and engages increasingly in the market.

Although, compared to the BAU scenario, any scenario of accelerated productivity growth would help
with reducing poverty and hunger, productivity and efficiency increases alone will not be sufficient to
achieve all of the targets of sustainable agriculture and food systems, including better environmental
stewardship, protection of natural resources, and healthier human beings. More radical transformations
of food systems will be required, but without neglecting the basic need for broad productivity growth as
the fundamental driver for eradicating poverty and hunger.

12

2. Towards a sustainable development path for agriculture

and food systems
Population and income growth are the major drivers for agriculture. A sustainable development path
will require decisive and ultimately transformative changes of the global agriculture and food system to
increase food availability and utilization, improve the environment, make human beings healthier, and
create more prosperous rural communities. Although opinions may differ about the specific solutions to
pursue, a consensus is emerging that measures to be taken must address food demand, production,
consumption and losses3,6,9,11,11,17,19,19,20,66-75. Management of population growth, food losses and waste
will be important for reducing the pressure on agricultural land, water and natural ecosystems, in
addition to increases in agricultural productivity and efficiency and measures to protect natural
resources from unsustainable exploitation, degradation or pollution11,66,76.
Transformative changes of agriculture and food systems are needed in all countries, but the priorities
differ. Eradicating poverty and hunger and accelerating rural development are the highest priorities in
low-income countries. Both require broad-based agricultural productivity gains. More generally, broad
global productivity growth is important for keeping world food prices low enough to combat
poverty and hunger, but also to curb food and bioenergy-driven expansion of agriculture into natural
ecosystems. Future growth in food production needs to be decoupled from recent trajectories of
inefficient and unsustainable use of primary resources.i This will require increasing the efficiency of
complete food chains and changing the behavior of all actors involved, including policy makers,
businesses, consumers and farmers. The consumption models that have dominated economic
development in richer countries during the past five decades also need to change77. Food safety
standards need to be raised for major food production and processing chains worldwidej, but also in live
animal and wet food markets of many developing countries.
Many interventions are needed, but due to different starting points and many barriers that need to be
overcome not all can be implemented in the same order of priority and at the same speed everywhere.
Changing diets towards healthier, less resource-intensive foods and reducing food waste are likely to be
difficult and uneven processes. The priority on the supply side is to increase production on existing crop
land. This can be achieved by closing yield and efficiency gaps and, where possible, diversifying and
increasing the number of crops grown per year, as well as reducing pre- and post-harvest losses.
Although there is still suitable land that can be developed for agriculture, a fundamental question is how
much of that land should be taken under cultivation or whether future food demand can be entirely met
without bringing more land under cultivation. For livestock, the challenge is to increase productivity per
animal through better feeding, effective animal breeding and livestock health care, and where possible
shifting to more efficient animals, such as from cattle to poultry and fish or small ruminants.
The transition to sustainable development pathways for agriculture will require all stakeholders in the
food system to adapt and adopt state of the art knowledge and technologies, and it will require trying
multiple models. Ideological battles over whether it is right or wrong to eat meat or whether agriculture
should be conventional, GM, or organic can lead to inconsistent and inefficient outcomes,
particularly when local contexts are ignored in sweeping campaign rhetoric. To feed and green the world

i

Decoupling means an increase in the use efficiency of primary resources and reduction in pollution as agricultural growth
proceeds, through a combination of new technologies, policies and economic incentives for individuals, businesses, and
governments.
j
See www.who.int/foodsafety/en for an overview of the key issues and measures.

13

means to support the dynamic evolution of farming systems more strongly by providing farmers with
necessary information, inputs, and recognition. There is no revolutionary alternative. Proposals to
transform agriculture to low-input and organic systems would, because of lower productivity,
exacerbate the global food and nutrition security challenge78.
Farms of different sizes and commercial orientation coexist in any location, and further differentiation
over time is driven by the interaction of demographic and economic change. In terms of
commercialization, while many hinterland farms continue to face high transaction costs and therefore
remain largely self-sufficient, farms closer to markets are becoming increasingly specialized and linked
to agribusinesses55. In terms of farm size, the momentum of population growth will continue to drive
declining total land area per farm across Africa for many more years, with corresponding reduction in
natural resources available per farm family. The land available per farm will continue to shrink until non-
farm opportunities expand enough to absorb all new workers entering the labor force. Asia as a whole
has already passed this turning point so its average farm sizes can rise, compounding the opportunities
afforded by increased commercialization55. The resulting interlinked transformations of the agrifood
system from urbanization include changing diets, food markets, rural factor markets and agricultural
technologies as well as farm size79. While recognizing the huge importance and potential of smallholder
farming for current and future agriculture80, we also have to accept that for many small farmers and
their families the best roadmap for development is to move out of farming. Non-farm rural and urban
employment opportunities will drive this process. For those who remain in farming this will provide new
opportunities to increase productivity and income, and use resources more efficiently.
These trends have huge implications for agricultural policies, rural development, and research. The
world needs to concentrate its efforts on science-based, actionable solutions that are tailored to local
situations and support structural transformations of the whole food system. New business models for
farming and new approaches for providing access to modern agricultural technology to all farms at
different scales are needed to ensure a sustainable development path. Good governance and support
mechanisms must ensure fair access to resources, new markets and innovative technologies. Policy
makers, scientists, agricultural professionals from all sectors and farmers need to be equipped with the
right knowledge and information. Basic education and vocational training will play an important role. It
is only through education that we can provide every child the chance to escape poverty in rural areas,
and that we can change the behavior of food consumers towards healthier diets, less food waste and a
greater understanding and acceptance of agriculture and new technologies.

2.1. Reducing food losses and waste and shifting to healthier diets
Healthier dietsk and less food loss and waste must be integral components of future sustainable food
systems. Given the diversity of causes involved, solutions for that need to be flexible, targeted, and
applied in a local context, with strong government leadership at all levels as well as participation by all
key actors along the food chain, including the food industry. Greater coordination among agriculture
and health extension workers would be beneficial.

A healthy diet provides nutrients in the proportions needed for bodily function and development, with sufficient quantities of
essential nutrients and limited exposure to harmful substances. Nutrient needs vary over time and across people, and include
adequate fluid and total calories, protein and fats, as well as a range of vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients. These
needs can be met from a variety of plant-based and animal-based foods, in proportions tailored to each person's activity levels
and developmental circumstances.

14

Urbanization, the commercialization of food systems and the globalization of food trade have changed
the way food is supplied and consumed. The movement towards increased consumption of simple and
refined carbohydrates and excessive saturated and trans fats is causing a decline of dietary diversity81
and health among the poor and rich alike82. These foods also have a higher energy intensity during
production, leading to increased consumption of land, water, energy and nutrient resources41. Shifting
to plant-based protein and more diverse diets would be beneficial for human health and resource use
efficiency in many regions, but there are important exceptions to consider. Ingrained cultural patterns
related to the consumption of animal products, fat, salt, and refined foods, for example, necessitate a
nuanced approach to the pursuit of healthier diets. For example, in fragile regions the most sustainable
way of farming and livelihood is through grazing animals and consumption of their products. Hence,
intervention strategies need to be based on culturally-variable definitions of what is considered
healthy. In many countries they will require focusing on inappropriate quantities and quality of our
food choices, compounded by other unhealthful lifestyle choices. In other countries they will have to
also address other issues, including improving the traditional farming systems to enable healthier diets.
It has been estimated that - on fresh weight basis - as much as one third of all food grownl, some 1.3
billion tons per year, may be lost or wasted83,84. When converted into calories, this means that about
one out of every four calories grown is not ultimately consumed by humans85. The economic value of
food losses in affluent countries appears to be in the range of 0.5 to 1% of GDP, but in many developing
countries, where food forms 20-40% of GDP, the food loss equates to 7-15% of GDP41. Environmentally,
food loss and waste inflict a host of impacts, including unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and a
waste of water and land resources85.
Crop losses are often associated with the earlier stages of the food chain (i.e., pre-harvest, harvest and
postharvest losses), whereas food waste mainly occurs at the market, retail and consumer ends.
Decreases in food and nutritional quality due to poor harvest, storage and processing also negatively
affect the income realized by sellers and health of consumers. In developing countries, ineffective pest
and disease management, poor harvest practices, poor storage facilities and inadequate infrastructure
mean that large losses occur during and after harvest between farm and market. In developed
countries, and increasingly in developing countries, there are substantial losses in the processing,
packing, and distribution stages, compounded by legislated due date restrictions, and also waste in the
home and restaurants. The latter is increasingly becoming a problem in developing countries,
particularly in urban areas. Food distribution and consumer behavior play a major role; information and
awareness is needed as well as better technologies to manage food marketing.
By how much food losses and waste can realistically be reduced remains unknown. There is also no
evidence that if the food loss was prevented, those who need more food the most would have access to
the rescued food. Nonetheless, for the hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers who are
substantially self-provisioning and market their surpluses, reducing their losses would increase
consumption and income. As a general strategy, developing countries should increase their investments
in reducing postharvest losses, whereas developed countries should create entities devoted to reducing
food waste85.
The task of tackling the problem of food loss and waste is also bedeviled by lack of data. Historically,
given the technologies and methods available, the cost of measurement has tended to exceed the
benefits of obtaining those measurements. FAO has only recently started to assess food losses and

l

FAO estimates global losses (on fresh weight basis) of about 30% for cereals; 10% for oilseeds and pulses; 40-60% for root and
tuber crops, fruits and vegetables; and 20% for meat, dairy, and fish. However, the quality of the underlying data is generally
uncertain. Actual losses vary widely and are likely to be lower in many food production systems.

15

waste by region and food type. This work is important because once countries, companies and
individuals know both the extent of food waste and location in the value chain it is easier to identify and
take steps to address the problem. The degree of financial loss caused by food waste needs to be
communicated clearly to all stakeholders, including consumers. The food system is unlikely to grow less
complex. Therefore, innovative new techniques and methods need to be aggressively developed to
know how much food loss and waste can realistically be prevented. Digital technologies have many
applications in postharvest loss and food waste tracking and prevention, and will also serve to deepen
actor and stakeholder understanding of the complex nature of the supply chain. With this
understanding, interventions can be carefully assessed and targeted to ensure losses are prevented
sustainably and effectively.
Many successful interventions would require substantial investments in infrastructure and improved
technology. Reductions of postharvest losses often require significant capital investment to improve
storage and transportation systems. However, many less costly technologies can also help reduce losses
at different stages of the food chain, including packaging for portion control at pre-consumer stage;
breeding crops with longer shelf life; using micronutrient-enriched fertilizers with boron, known to
prolong the shelf life of fruits and vegetables; improving harvest practices; and low-cost drying and
hermetic storage solutions.

2.2. Producing more food through sustainable agricultural intensification

A consensus is emerging that addressing the new challenges requires a Sustainable Agricultural
Intensification (SAI)m in small and large farms throughout the world86-89. A simple operational definition
of the objective of SAI is to provide sufficient, accessible, nutritious food, while enabling economic and
social development in rural areas and treating people, animals and the environment with respect. Key
premises of SAI include89:

The need to produce more food, and more nutritious food.

Increased production primarily through higher yields, to limit conversion of forest, wetlands or
grasslands to agriculture.

Re-thinking and transformative changes of food systems to achieve greater resilience and major
reductions in environmental impact.

Formulation of context-specific strategies and solutions for SAI that are integral components of
accelerating economic and social development in rural areas.

In practical terms, this primarily means to deliver more product (food and other agricultural goods) per
unit of resource, whilst preventing damage to natural resources and ecosystem services that underpin
human health and wellbeing both now and in the future76. Depending on the context, improved
performance may mean any or all of the following: increased profitability and productivity (agricultural
outputs such as food, feed, fiber, and biofuels), high efficiency and returns from external inputs,
improved crop and livestock yield stability, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, enhanced ecological

m

Sustainable agricultural intensification is the efficient production of safe, high quality agricultural products, in a way that
protects and improves the natural environment, the social and economic conditions of farmers, their employees and local
communities, and safeguards the health and welfare of all farmed species (www.saiplatform.org). SAI is an evolving concept
and definitions of it vary. Other terms proposed in the literature include, for example, sustainable intensification, ecological
intensification, eco-efficient agriculture or agro-ecological intensification.

16

resilience, better animal welfare, and environmental service provision (e.g., clean water, flood
protection, recreational and cultural landscape values).
Not all of these outcomes can be achieved at once or simultaneously everywhere. Trade-offs among
different outcomes are often required to achieve SAI76. High priority must be given to helping farmers
worldwide adapt to climate change and weather extremes by building more resilient agricultural
systems. Otherwise, world food security will be at tremendous risk and other development goals cannot
be achieved28. Agricultural labor productivity is of fundamental importance to economic growth, poverty
reduction and food security and must receive sufficient attention when setting the goals and strategies
for future, sustainable agriculture15. Simply speaking, SAI aims to reduce the environmental footprint of
agriculture while meeting all of its other goals. That requires making farming more precise by
implementing genetic, agro-ecological, as well as socioeconomic intensification measures, and having
the necessary support systems in place for maximum impact (Fig. 2-1)86.
INPUT
PROVIDERS

Ag Retailer
TRAINING
PROVIDERS

SUSTAINABILITY
OUTCOMES
Same/less land and water
Efficient use of inputs
Minimized GHG emissions
Increased natural capital
Strengthened resilience
Reduced water/air pollution

INPUTS
Labor
Seed
Water
Crop protection
Fertilizers
Organic m aterials
Machinery

Financial capital
Knowledge
Infrastructure
Technology
Markets

FARMER & COMMUNITY

OUTPUTS

FINANCE
INSURANCE
PROVIDERS
SERVICE
PROVIDERS
INFORMATION
PROVIDERS

INTENSIFICATION
PROCESS
Genetic
Agro-Ecological
Socioeconomic

PRODUCTION INCOME NUTRITION

NATIONAL/LOCAL
MARKET

PROCESSOR or
TRADER

INTERNATIONAL
MARKET

Figure 2-1. Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and its enabling environment.

Source: Modified from The Montpellier Panel86.
In practice, workable options - actionable "solutions" - must focus on raising the diversity, productivity,
efficiency, resilience, value and therefore also the overall profitability of farming. This is the entry point
for moving from the vicious circles trapping rural people in poverty or creating environmental problems
towards virtuous circles of agriculture for sustainable development (Fig. 2-2). It requires flexibility to
adapt to new information and the recognition that the information upon which one takes initial action
may, in retrospect, be misinformation. Sustainability will necessarily require trial and error, i.e., adaptive
approaches on a grand scale. One of the chief hurdles will be to deal with resistance to change.
Raising productivity has additional benefits to those listed above; it is also an entry point for creating
jobs and entering new domestic and export markets. If done properly, productivity- enhancing
technologies reduce the unit cost of food production as well as the ecological footprint per unit food

17

produced. They lead to a supply shift and thus reduced equilibrium market prices for commodities. The
reduced lower prices positively affect food and nutritional security and reduce poverty. But lowered
prices also reduce the profitability of expanding cultivation into marginal areas, thus reducing the
demand and the incentives for agricultural incursion into remaining natural ecosystems. This in turn
results in positive consequences, such as better conservation of biodiversity or less emissions of carbon
stored in aboveground vegetative biomass or soils of natural ecosystems. The virtuous circle can be
greatly accelerated through efficient support systems: e.g., policies, infrastructure, markets, research
and development, human resources, digital information, and other tools.

Figure 2-2. Enhancing system productivity and value is the entry point for enabling farmers to enter a
virtuous circle of sustainable agricultural production and livelihood. Source: Modified from IRRI90.
Among the greatest challenges for agriculture is to boost crop yield growth rates to levels that would
allow feeding the growing world population a healthy diet primarily through increased production
growth on existing agricultural land. In most low- and middle-income countries diversification of
cropping systems and/or conserving more land can only happen if yield growth in cereals and other food
staples can be accelerated. How fast yields need to grow depends on the overall trajectories of food
demand in a country, how much more land could safely be utilized for agriculture, or to what extent
cropping intensity on existing land can be increased. Food production projections by FAO assume an
annual global crop yield growth rate of only 0.8% during 2005/2007 to 2050, whereas arable land area
would expand by more than 70 million hectares during that period18. However, if arable land expansion
is to be halted completely, global yield growth rates have to be accelerated substantially. One target of
sustainable agriculture should be to ensure that annual yield growth of the worlds most important
staple crops rises as fast as or faster than the demand by closing existing productivity gaps and raising
the yield ceiling. Ensuring food security in the 2015-2030 period with minimum expansion of agriculture
would require that yields of the major cereal crops increase by about 1.3-1.5% each year. Growth in
major food staples cannot be compromised, but countries should also take other measures, including
feeding less grain to cattle or using them as biofuels, and enhancing the productivity and adoption of
legumes and other crops of local importance.

18

To define the right SAI strategy in a country, a precise understanding of yield, efficiency and/or product
quality and value gaps, i.e., how large they are, where they occur, and what their biophysical and
socioeconomic causes are, is needed at sub-national and local levels.n Progress has recently been made
in establishing better methodologies for yield gap analysis, mapping the yield gaps of major crops at
global and regional scales, and understanding their different contexts92-96. Although this is encouraging,
a lot more remains to be done to obtain a deep understanding of yield and efficiency gaps in the worlds
major agricultural systems, at a scale that enables people to use this knowledge for concrete action in
farmers fields. Similar methodologies need to be applied to quantify livestock productivity gaps.

Figure 2-3. Yield-defining, yield-limiting and yield-reducing factors determine the exploitable yield
gaps in crop production. Source: Modified from Tittonell and Giller96.
Some yield gaps in food-deficient regions of the world can still be exploited through relatively simple
interventions such as better seed, appropriate and efficient use of fertilizers, and better crop, soil and
water management92. Likewise, low livestock productivity can be tackled through better feeding
practices (quantity and quality of feed), improved animal health (preventative measures such as
vaccines), better animal handling and transport, and robust breeding strategies. However, for most of
the world it is generally necessary to move towards more precise, knowledge-intensive forms of

n

24,91

Many different definitions of yield gap are in use and methods for quantifying them vary widely
. We use a biophysical
definition of crop yield gaps following a production ecology concept that focuses on yields per unit land area (productive
capacity and impact on the environment), recognizing that productivity per person is just as critical (in defining real food
prices, real incomes across an economy, economic diversification, etc.).

19

agriculture and provide the technologies and incentives that make it viable for farmers to adapt and
adopt them. In crop production a key goal is to apply modern production ecology principles to improving
the management of each and every field, no matter how small or how large it is97. Farmers and
agricultural professionals must learn how varietal characteristics, the environment, and agronomic
management determine what yield (and income) can be achieved at a given location (Fig. 2-3)95,96,98. The
interplay of these factors determines both the productivity and overall efficiency of the system as well
as its environmental impact.
Yield potential is defined as the maximum yield of a crop variety when grown in environments to which
it is well adapted, with nutrients and water non-limiting, and pests and diseases effectively controlled. It
is primarily defined by varietal characteristics and climate, mainly solar radiation and temperature
regime98. For crops grown under rainfed conditions the amount of water available during the growing
season determines the yield ceiling, i.e., the water-limited yield potential. Yield potential is highly
variable across and within regions. It is impossible for a large population of farmers to have the
perfection in crop and soil management required to achieve the full yield potential, and it would also
not be cost-effective to aim for this because yield response to inputs follows diminishing returns as
average farm yields approach the yield potential. Average farm yields often begin to plateau when they
reach about 75 to 85% of the yield ceiling9,24. Hence, a realistic goal of SAI should be to move as many
farmers as possible from current average yields to about 80% of the yield potential (or water-limited
yield potential), which has been shown to be a general, profitable target for the yield that can be
attained with good management95. This requires choosing the right variety and systematically improving
soil, water, and crop, pest and disease management to adapt to the environment and close the yield
gaps caused by yield-limiting as well as yield-reducing factors (Fig. 2-3).
Varieties with high yield potential, enhanced tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, and high nutrition
and product value are a prerequisite for successful agriculture. The addition of high nutritional value
would contribute significantly to food and nutritional security. Recent advances in gene discovery,
biotechnology and genomics-based precision breeding methods have opened up new opportunities for
genetic improvement that must be fully exploited99,100,108,109, particularly those that can benefit
smallholder farmers most. The full potential of modern biotechnologyo for genetic improvement of
plants and animals has to be harnessed faster because it is one of the key technologies that will be
required for meeting multiple goals of SAI, including increasing productivity and protecting the
environment (Box 2-1). Developing countries need a rationale debate about GM crops that thoroughly
weighs the benefits and risks and leads to each country making informed decisions that are not swayed
by politicized arguments dominant in Europe110. We must also recognize, however, that improvement of
complex traits such as yield potential or drought tolerance remains much more challenging and slow,
requiring long-term investment and a multitude of approaches26,111-113.
Implementing SAI in crop production implies taking full advantage of genetic potential by implementing
good agronomic principles tailored to the local context, including:

Profitable and sustainable crop rotations and other forms of using functional diversity in time
and space, including intercropping where appropriate
Tillage, cover crop and crop residue management that conserves and improves soil productivity

Biotechnology in agriculture includes a range of technologies used in crop and animal breeding programs. It includes
conventional methods (e.g., molecular-marker assisted selection, tissue culture) as well as genetic engineering. The latter is
often referred to as "genetic modification" (GM), "GMO", "GM food", or "transgenics". Genetic engineering involves a precise,
mediated transfer of one or few genes (DNA sequences) from other organisms, but it may also involve mutation or deletion of
genes.

20

Access to quality seed of well-adapted varieties that meet local preferences or market demands
Planting at the right time to maximize the attainable yield
Maximizing the capture and efficient utilization of available water for high water productivity
Precise, integrated use of mineral fertilizers and available organic nutrient sources to meet crop
nutrient requirements with high efficiency and sustained soil quality
Integrated pest management strategies that include host-plant resistance, functional
biodiversity, biological control and the judicious use of pesticides
Harvesting at the right time
Optimizing recycling and use of biomass and agricultural by-products, including better use of
crop residues for livestock feeding or other purposes

With the right approach and support mechanisms, agronomic interventions can lead to fast, large and
sustainable productivity and efficiency gains (Box 2-2).
Box 2-1. Biotechnology as a component of SAI
Biotechnologies such as tissue culture, genomics, marker-assisted selection and genetic engineering can
contribute to successful implementation of SAI strategies in many agricultural systems worldwide, to the
benefit of both farmers and consumers. The application of DNA-based technologies can improve the
effectiveness of conventional crop and animal improvement programs, allowing natural genetic diversity to be
99,100
better understood and utilized
. Transgenic or GM approaches may be useful when the variation available
in the natural gene pool is not sufficient to overcome major constraints to crop and animal productivity,
improve tolerance to stresses and increase nutrition quality. The available scientific evidence is clear:
biotechnology solutions are not necessarily more risky than conventional plant and animal breeding
technologies, and they can be deployed safely under regulations that detect and prevent hazards to human
health and the environment. As a result, commercially released GM crops have sharply reduced farmers use of
herbicides, pesticides and fossil fuels, while consumers use of ingredients derived from GM crops has been no
riskier than consuming the same foods containing ingredients from crop plants modified by conventional plant
101-103
improvement techniques
. In their more than 15 years of existence, GM crops have contributed positively
to commercial and smallholder agriculture in all regions where they have been introduced, in terms of farmers
104-106
profits, health, and agronomic and environmental impacts
. A s with any other new technologies, farmers
as well as consumers should have the right to chose from a range of available options, for which the scientific
community must provide evidence-based, unbiased information. Genetic engineering solutions in agriculture
need to be m onitored and managed well, as integral components of SAI strategies and with m easures in place
that allow the detection and prevention of any risks that may occur, including legal or financial risks for
farmers. Most of the GM solutions that have been commercialized so far have focused on single or few traits,
e.g., insect resistance (Bt) or herbicide resistance in crops such as cotton, maize, soybean and canola. For GM
technologies to play a more significant role in ensuring food and nutrition security as well as protecting the
environment, more complex genetic engineering challenges will have to be tackled, including drought
tolerance, nitrogen use efficiency and yield potential. Intellectual property needs to be protected, but it must
also be made widely available for wider utilization in breeding programs of public institutions as well as small
seed companies. Breeding and biotechnology capacity in national programs has to be expanded greatly in most
developing countries. Rethinking of institutional arrangements, biosafety laws and variety release systems is
required, towards lower costs and faster approval of GM crops/animals and greater participation by small
107
companies and the public sector - but without comprising safety or environmental risks .

One major lesson from successful interventions is that simplistic, universal prescriptions or
recommendations will not work. The principles of SAI can be applied to any production system and its
associated value chain, no matter whether it is conventional, organic or some other form of agriculture.
It can be done in farm enterprises of different sizes and degrees of market integration and will
particularly benefit resource-limited, small farm enterprises. Actual crop yield, water productivity and
profitability are to a large extent determined by weather and the quality of soil, water, nutrient and crop
21

management the interactions between genotype, environment and management. Knowledgeable

farmers with access to good quality land, inputs and new technologies will be more successful in
exploiting the location-specific yield potential than farmers who do not have these assets.
Box 2-2. Success through better agronomy extension in irrigated rice systems of South America
In recent years irrigated lowland rice yields have risen rapidly in some countries of South America and
elsewhere at an annual growth rate four to five times the global average. For example, on about 1 million
hectares in southern Brazil average irrigated rice yields stagnated around 5-5.5 t/ha from 1982 to 2002, but
increased to 7-7.5 t/ha in recent years. A similar phenomenon has occurred in Uruguay, where rice yields rose
by 25%, from about 6.5 t/ha in 2000 to over 8 t/ha at present. The major factors contributing to this success
were:
Strong public research and extension systems, including qualified, motivated extension agronomists
Science-based, production-scale agronomic management principles that can be tailored to farm-specific
needs
A participatory research and extension approach, including key stakeholders and farmer-to-farmer
extension
Functioning m arkets, supply chains and local agri-businesses with transparent business relationships
Good governance and supporting policies that avoided distortions or disincentives
Extension programs also reward farmers for meeting best management standards and environmental
stewardship requirements, which are also communicated to rice consumers through branding schemes. Water
consumption, nitrogen consumption, energy consumption and methane emissions per unit food produced
have all decreased. Agrochemical use was reduced and soil and water quality m eet high standards.

Another lesson is that SAI should not aim to blindly copy natural ecosystems that have not been
optimized for food, feed, fiber or bioenergy production114. Instead, SAI can derive options from natural
systems, traditional systems, industrial systems and alternative systems; from experimentation and
traditional knowledge; from scientific theory and empirical observation. These options need to be
tailored to local conditions by well-integrated research and development systems. Although many
principles for a systematic SAI approach are generic, the scope for increasing eco-efficiency in
agriculture can vary widely (Box 2-3).
Similar SAI concepts can be applied to a wide range of agricultural systems. Livestock systems play a
particularly significant role for food and nutrition security, rural livelihoods and the economies of
developing countries. They provide nourishment for rural and urban households, income and
employment for producers and others working in value chains, and a crucial asset and safety net for the
poor45,51. Increasing the productivity, resource efficiency and sustainability of livestock systems includes
following principles such as45,46,116:

Adopting management practices that improve animal health and welfare

Increasing animal productivity and efficiency through genetic improvements and better feeding,
including adoption of age-specific, balanced feed rations
Decreasing pollution by optimizing critical metabolic and nutrient cycles (e.g., nitrogen,
phosphorus, methane gas emissions)
Enhancing diversity within animal production systems to strengthen their resilience
Improving rangeland productivity, diversity and grazing management
Adapting management practices that preserve biological diversity in livestock agroecosystems
Using manure within comprehensive nutrient management systems while recognizing and
mitigating its associated health and contamination risks

22

Box 2-3. Pathways for improving eco-efciency will differ among diverse cropping systems
Global food security requires producing the required food and ber crops concomitant with ecologically
efficient use of resources. This eco-efficiency concept was used to diagnose the state of agricultural production
in China (irrigated wheatmaize double-cropping systems), Zimbabwe (rainfed maize systems), and Australia
115
(rainfed wheat systems) . More than 3,000 surveyed crop yields were compared against simulated grain
yields at actual levels of nitrogen (N) input. Many Australian commercial wheat farmers are close to existing
production frontiers and gain little additional return from increasing their N input. Signicant losses of N from
their systems are infrequent and at low intensities relative to their level of grain production. These Australian
farmers operate close to eco-efcient frontiers with regard to N. Innovations in technologies and practices are
essential to increasing their production without added economic or environmental risks. In contrast, many
Chinese farmers can reduce N input without sacricing production through more efcient use of their fertilizer
input. There are real prospects for the double-cropping systems on the North China Plain to achieve both
production increases and reduced environmental risks. Zimbabwean farmers, on the other hand, have the
opportunity for signicant production increases by both improving their technical efciency and increasing
nitrogen and other inputs. Doing so will require improved management expertise and greater access to
institutional support for addressing the higher risks that can be associated.

Aquaculture - the farmed production of fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants such as algae - is currently
among the fastest growing animal food production sectors in many developed and developing countries.
It will soon supply more than half of the world's seafood for human consumption49,117. Continued growth
in aquaculture production is likely to come from further intensification, which is often accompanied by a
range of resource and environmental problems. Novel culture systems, alternative feeding strategies,
and species choices are among the SAI strategies for such systems, but policies that provide incentives
for innovation and environmental improvement are equally important117.
Further important components are urban food production and delivery systems, which have two facets:
(i) bringing food from peri-urban and rural areas to meet the needs of urban centers and their inherent
systems, policies and regulations; (ii) opportunities for producing food in the urban environment. The
potential for urban food production needs to be assessed realistically, but there may also be important
avenues for improving it within a SAI context (Box 2-4).
In summary, a flexible approach for SAI must embrace modern science and technology and combine it
with local knowledge, enabling governance and business support systems to develop and implement
location-specific solutions. In the short term there is an opportunity to address local and regional
markets through incremental improvements. With improved performance and the expansion of regional
infrastructure and governance, global markets may be accessed, depending on the commodity grown
and its competitiveness. Importantly, SAI requires better access to and utilization of knowledge and
information by all actors along the value chain.

2.3. Climate-smart agricultural landscapes

Implementing SAI in practice is also situated within broader concepts of a more Climate-Smart
Agriculture (CSA), uniting the agendas of the agriculture, development and climate change communities.
Historically, farmers have adapted their farming systems and management practices to changing climate
and variable weather. This process needs to accelerate in our generation. In that context, CSA is a
continuous process of improving agriculture through innovations in policies, technologies, management,
and financing that aim to:

23

Sustainably increase agricultural productivity and incomes;

Strengthen the adaptive capacity and resilience of people, food production systems and
ecosystems in agricultural landscapes;

Reduce and/or remove greenhouse gases emissions, where possible119,120.

The concept and practical solutions for CSA are still debated because the relationship between these
three dimensions is poorly understood121. It often involves trade-offs, driven by different incentives by
different actors. Why, for example, should a poor farmers invest in agricultural practices that may
reduce GHG emissions if there are few if any immediate benefits related to his income or food security?
In practice, many improved agricultural practices can be considered climate-smart, but not all may have
the desirable short- and long-term benefits. Just from a plant breeding perspective, there are often
trade-offs between yield gain and yield stability, if not resilience. Is mitigation, e.g., in livestock systems,
compatible with intensification? Hard choices may often have to be made on trade-offs between
intensification, mitigation and adaptation. Climate-smart agriculture should therefore be developed
further, as an implementation concept that also utilizes the SAI principles stated above to bring us closer
to operating within foreseeable local and planetary limits for agricultural and food systems121.
Scientifically sound indicators and metrics must be defined to guide this process.
Box 2-4. What is the potential for urban food production?
There are complex and often well-integrated systems and processes (often private sector driven) that bring
food to urban areas and ensure it can be reached by the urban populations through a range of traders, retail
markets, shops and supermarkets, or direct purchasing from producers or middlemen by consumers through
electronic and other means for door-to-door delivery. The need for packaging and transportation increases the
carbon footprint of agricultural products and there are potential losses from poor postharvest management of
perishable products. Where in place, inflexible regulatory systems between retailers and consumers minimize
risk to the consumer while creating a large amount of wastage. There has always been urban food production
in cities e.g. market gardens for perishable, high-value products and also for recreational or home production
in gardens or through city-allocated land allotments. Where property rights are not well established, including
many cities in Africa and Asia, there has been an opportunistic incursion onto available land for production of
crop and animal products, and along rivers and streams. Most urban food production focuses on high-value
and perishable products such as vegetables and milk. There are also opportunities for vertical production,
rooftop gardens and small-scale crop production in cities to fill some commercial and household niches. What
proportion of the food for cities can be safely grown within city boundaries remains unknown and it is also
uncertain how much of this is actually marketed. Land is expected to be in even shorter supply as urban
infrastructure deepens. Urban crop and animal producers and consumers also need to be aware of the
possibility of contamination with heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, pesticides, manure and other
byproducts where waters contaminated with industrial effluent and/or sewage are used for irrigation. New
118
strategies and technologies for increasing vertical food production in cities are being studied . However,
the costs of this are likely to be uncompetitive with traditional supplies from rural and peri-urban sources.
Current rates of urbanization suggest, even in less developed areas, that the rural population will start to
decline absolutely over the period to 2030. There is likely to be land consolidation and growing labor
productivity in rural-based agriculture resulting in increased productivity and lowering costs; it is unlikely that
capital-intensive urban production will have a comparative advantage over increased labor and land efficiency
in rural areas, but it will continue to play a local but important role in the food system.

Beyond achieving such climate-smart objectives, agricultural systems must also provide and protect a
wide range of ecosystem services. Many need to be operated on principles of integrated landscape
management, while explicitly incorporating adaptation and mitigation into their management
objectives122. Such landscape approaches seek to provide principles and tools for allocating and
managing land to achieve social, economic, and environmental objectives in areas where agriculture,
mining, and other land uses compete with environmental and biodiversity goals123. Potential exists in
many agricultural areas to realize greater efficiencies and multiple benefits through managing larger
landscapes and regions. Examples include large-scale irrigation and rainwater harvesting systems;
grazing reserves in a small portion of the landscape that can be accessed by livestock keepers in times of

24

drought; ecological engineering approaches for integrated pest and disease management; management
of invasive alien crop or animal species (e.g., exotic weeds, crop an animal diseases, fish); or payment
for environmental services schemes. Promising examples have already emerged in all world regions.
There are many uncertainties, competing demands and other factors that often require making
compromises in land use and landscape management. Achieving multiple objectives is an ongoing
process subject to negotiation, learning, adaptation, and improvement. Ten principles have recently
been proposed to guide the process of decision-making in landscape contexts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

25

Continual learning and adaptive management,

Common concern entry point,
Multiple scales,
Multifunctionality,
Multiple stakeholders,
Negotiated and transparent change logic,
Clarification of rights and responsibilities,
Participatory and user-friendly monitoring,
Resilience and
Strengthened stakeholder capacity123.

3. Agriculture in the post-2015 action agenda for

sustainable development
3.1. General considerations
Directly and indirectly agriculture will contribute to achieving interrelated development outcomes such
as poverty, food and nutritional security, economic and social development, gender equality, energy,
water, climate, biodiversity, peace and security, and disaster prevention or mitigation. A framework is
needed for understanding and realizing these contributions, with clear goals and targets, effective
solutions for concrete action, and indicators that allow measuring progress. Building on the Rio+20
outcome, sustainable development is a holistic concept with four interconnected dimensions: economic
development (including ending poverty), social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and good
governance124. Measures taken to improve one dimension often improve others125.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the post-2015 era and the concrete Targets for these goals
still need to be agreed on by the global community. They will guide the publics understanding of
complex sustainable development challenges, inspire action, promote integrated thinking, and foster
accountability. They will be complementary to the tools of international law by providing a shared
normative framework that fosters collaboration across countries125. Each country needs to choose its
own sustainable development paths, with specific, achievable targets at country or local level and taking
into account their current positions along these paths. We use the following definitions125,126:
Goal

Expresses an ambitious, specific commitment. Lays out a single challenge with great
impact. Should be universal, comprehensive, operational, and easy to understand.

Target

Specific, measurable, attainable, time-bound sub-component that contributes in a major

way to achievement of the goal, i.e., an outcome variable that is easy to understand,
representing one major direction of change. To qualify as a target, the problem must be
preventable or a way out of it is found through interventions in agriculture and food
systems. Targets should be specified at the global and national level, reflecting the level of
ambition of each country and the speed at which a country pursues a goal.

Indicator

A sound, measurable metric to assess whether the target is being met, including detecting
trends and anomalies. Often multiple indicators are used for this purpose. Indicators
should be meaningful, sensitive to the most critical aspects of a target, reliable and doable
in terms of available data and measurement protocols, quickly available, and easy to
understand by policy makers, investors and other stakeholders. They should also allow for
disaggregation, i.e., targets to be measured in various dimensions, such as by geography,
socioeconomic status, gender, age, and ethnicity, for example.

Goals and targets for agriculture and food systems need to encourage systematic solutions for making
food production, processing, trade and distribution more sustainable, equitable and resilient, thus also
contributing to nutrition and other outcomes127. They also need to address the trade-offs between
consumption in wealthier countries and its potential consequences for other countries. Where trade-
offs are required in cases of scarce resources, the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people
must be addressed first, many of whom live in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture. The new SDGs
and targets also need to mobilize attention and action to reverse or mitigate threats to food production
from ecosystem degradation affecting landscapes and whole communities, many of which cannot be
overcome with improved seeds or farm-level nutrient and water management solutions. These offer

26

great opportunities for collaborative action between agriculture, rural development, environment and
education ministries and other stakeholders in the SDGs.
Most targets should be defined as practically achievable targets for which decision-makers can be held
accountable. Recognizing the aspirations of the Zero Hunger Challengep we aim to provide guidance on
pragmatic targets, indicators and approaches that could ultimately lead towards meeting that challenge.
We recognize that solving global problems involves many transnational issues, but we propose that
goals and targets should place strong emphasis on the responsibilities of countries, including developed
and developing countries.
First contours of possible post-2015 SDGs and their specific targets are emerging. The UN System Task
Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda provided first suggestions, including a discussion of
statistics and indicators for the post-2015 development agenda128,129. In its report to the UN Secretary
General the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda proposed 12
possible SDGs with 54 targets126. Agriculture makes direct and indirect contributions to 9 of the 12 goals
proposed, but particularly to Goal 1 (End Poverty), Goal 5 (Ensure Food Security and Good Nutrition) and
Goal 9 (Manage Natural Resource Assets Sustainably). The Sustainable Development Solutions Network
(SDSN) proposed 10 priority development challenges addressing the four dimensions of sustainable
development. They are interconnected and form the basis for 10 possible SDGs with 30 targets designed
to trigger practical solutions that countries can pursue with high priority (Annex 2)125.
We restrict our discussion to the SDGs and targets proposed by the SDSN, primarily to stimulate further
discussion. Because poverty and hunger must be eradicated in our generation a prominent stand-alone
goal should address that urgent need (Goal 1). The global development agenda should also have a goal
that explicitly focuses on improving agricultural systems and rural development in an integrated manner
(Goal 6), to adequately address the need for transformative changes that are required to make
agriculture more productive and more sustainable, as underscored by the interim report of the Open
Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals. Food and nutrition security targets are fully
embedded in these two goals, recognizing that adequate and nutritious food is a universal human right
and all the states in the world have the responsibility to respect, secure and implement this right. Future
goals should pay extra attention to the availability and quality of food during the first 1000 days (from
conception until the age of two), because malnutrition under the age of two is fatal for a persons
development in the longer term. We must also recognize and capture the contributions of agriculture to
goals on gender equality and social inclusion, health, climate change and energy, ecosystem services and
natural resources, and good governance.
The new SDG framework could more explicitly address sustainable landscape management as a goal or
targets and indicators that focus on livelihood provision, ecosystem services, products, and resource
efficiency as key landscape dimensions130. Difficulties in terms of political and administrative planning,
implementation and monitoring may be associated with a landscape-based framework, but we
encourage further discussion of this. Likewise, a holistic global framework such as FAOs Sustainability
Assessment of Food And Agriculture (SAFA) could be applied for the assessment of sustainability along
food and agriculture value chains, to establish an international reference for assessing trade-offs and
synergies between all dimensions of sustainability131. Elements of it could also be applied to the SDGs
and their targets and indicators.

p

Aspirational goals stated for the Zero Hunger Challenge are: (1) 100% access to adequate food for all, throughout the year; (2)
Zero stunted children less than 2 years of age; (3) All food systems are sustainable; (4) 100% increase in smallholder
productivity and income and (5) Zero loss or waste of food. www.un.org/en/zerohunger

27

Unless otherwise noted, the targets stated are for 2030 (relative to the current situation, i.e., 2010-
2015). Most targets need to be specified at country or sub-national level. We propose indicators that
link to existing ones, such as the current MDGs (www.un.org/millenniumgoals) and those used by many
United Nations agencies and other international and national organizations, including the World Bank
(http://data.worldbank.org), but we also propose some new ones that may be needed for assessing
progress in agriculture and its associated functions. Some indicators may also be improved towards
measuring more deeply the inequality within a country, and many should be disaggregated by gender.
Both existing and new indicators will require improved data collection and other monitoring
mechanisms. Statistical agencies should promote the use of advanced data tools, including remote
sensing, real-time monitoring with smartphones, crowd sourcing, GIS mapping and other techniques.
Due to the diversity and complexity of agriculture and food systems, setting concrete targets for the
next 15-20 years is challenging. The concept of planetary boundariesq is used by the SDSN for guiding
the transformative changes needed for sustainable development on a global scale125,132,133. Achieving
future growth within these boundaries will require the adoption of sustainable technologies and
behaviors that decouple economic growth from unsustainable patterns of production and
consumption125,133. There is an ongoing debate on the relevance of planetary boundaries for agriculture
and how they could be quantified. For example, the currently proposed planetary boundaries for
nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) flows have been arbitrarily set, do not include social dimensions, and
would likely lead to severe risks for ensuring global food security41. Moreover, adoption of new
technologies in agriculture is a slow and uneven process, which also affects what realistic growth rates
for improving productivity and resource use efficiencies could be. Recognizing that major
transformations in food systems will take time and also involve many trade-offs, the targets and
aspirational outcomes we propose for the post-2015 period should be viewed as a starting point. For
example, the main rationale for proposing to increase the efficiency of resources such as water,
nutrients and energy in agriculture and food systems by 30% in 2030 relative to current levels (see
Target 6a) is that, on a global scale, improvements in the efficiency of these resources should at least
exceed the annual rates of yield increase required during that period. Just achieving this would be a
major, welcome departure from the trajectories of the past five decades. Transformative changes that
could lead to even greater efficiency gains will likely take more time, including radical shifts in diets or
major reductions of food loss or waste.
We suggest outcome-oriented measures of success for most indicators, i.e., numerical values (in square
brackets) that countries could aspire to achieve, for setting their own vision of success. They can be
viewed as minimum thresholds to aim for, but require further analysis and consensus. Such quantitative
targets will differ among countries, depending on their starting points and the different transformational
pathways to enter. Hence, timelines and additional indicators could be adapted to national
circumstances, and countries may also use additional targets and indicators. Customization and
disaggregation of targets and indicators form the basis for tailoring practical solutions for meeting the
aggregated global SDGs (Chapter 4). Implementation pathways require country-specific analyses and
involvement by many stakeholders to exploit all opportunities, and to improve metrics and data
gathering processes and other tools that enhance decision making, education, communication and
behavioral change (Chapter 5). Building more reliable data systems that provide timely, disaggregated
indicators to measure progress in all countries, sub-populations, and at all levels (local, sub-national,

q

Planetary boundaries define the safe operating space for humanity in the Earth system. climate change, biodiversity loss,
biochemical cycles (nitrogen and phosphorus loading), global freshwater use, land use change, ocean acidification,
132
stratospheric ozone, chemical pollution, and atmospheric aerosol loading .

28

national, regional, global) will be vital for success. It requires the use of innovative technologies as well
as greater, sustained investments in monitoring world agriculture and food systems (see Chapter 3.2).
The subsequent discussion focuses on contributions of sustainable agriculture and food systems to
Goals 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 (Annex 2). Agriculture also contributes to other Goals, such as Goals 3 and 4.

3.2. Sustainable Development Goals, Targets and Indicators for agriculture and food systems
GOAL 1: END EXTREME POVERTY INCLUDING HUNGER
End extreme poverty in all its forms (MDGs 1-7), including hunger, child stunting, malnutrition, and food
insecurity. Support highly vulnerable countries.
Target 1a. End absolute income poverty ($1.25 or less per day) and hunger, including achieving food security
and appropriate nutrition, and ending child stunting.
Possible Indicators

Comments

Aspirational outcomes

Proportion of
population with
income below
[$1.25] a day (PPP)
(%)

Current MDG 1 indicator 1.1, but using the current

World Bank threshold for poverty, i.e., the percentage
of population living on less than $1.25 a day (PPP at
2005 prices). The threshold to use may require further
adjustment. Global poverty rates cannot be directly
compared with national level poverty rates, which are
derived using country specific poverty lines estimated
in local currencies. Multiple poverty lines can be
used for further disaggregation and analysis.
iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet
Similar to the current MDG 1 indicator 1.3; countries
often have their own thresholds for what constitutes
acceptable poverty for their citizens, defined at a
national or sub-national level. This indicator would
allow countries to move the poverty line upwards
126
over time . This indicator could also be defined as
income or consumption share held by the lowest [x]%.
Current MDG 1 indicator 1.9; but could be measured
in various ways. Calorie availability can be measured
at the country level based on national food balance
sheets (FAO), or at household level from food
expenditure or consumption surveys. FAO uses
country-specific cut-offs for minimum energy
requirements calculated by the WHO for different age
6
and gender groups . This indicator could also be
defined as the share of people consuming less than
2100 calories per day (depending on the region) to
measure the proportion and total number of the most
7
food-insecure people .
A simple dietary diversity indicator that is well
correlated with stunting, wasting and low Body Mass
Index. Can be calculated from FAO food balance
sheets, with staple foods consisting of cereals and
root crops, but preferably from more disaggregated
data sources that also allow assessing distribution
134
differences within a country or within households .

The number of people living on

less than [$1.25] a day is
effectively zero by 2030 in every
country.

Proportion of
population living
below a countrys
poverty line (%)

Proportion of
population below
minimum level of
dietary energy
consumption (%)

Share of calories
from non-staple
foods (%)

29

The share of people living below

their countrys 2015 national
poverty threshold is less than
[x]%

The share of the population not

able to meet minimum calorie
requirements is effectively zero
by 2030 in every country.

The share of calories from non-

staple foods has increased by
[20]% by 2030 (relative to a
2010 baseline). The share of
animal-derived protein in the
diet of women and young
children has increased by [20]%

Prevalence of
stunting in children
under [5] years of
age (%)

Prevalence of
anemia in non-
pregnant women of
reproductive age (%)

Other indicators could be used too, for example an

indicator reflecting the share of animal protein in the
diets of pregnant women and young children, which is
likely to be related to anemia, stunting and other
consequences of malnutrition.
Defined as percentage of children under five years of
age whose height-for-age is below minus two
standard deviations from the median of the WHO
Child Growth Standards. Child growth data are widely
available; WHO has maintained the Global Database
135
on Child Growth and Malnutrition since 1986 . Good
trend data already exist, but more global training will
be needed on how to properly measure height at
young age. Some experts suggest to use a stunting
indicator defined as up to age 2 as a measure more
sensitive to conditions for the most recently born.
Proportion of non-pregnant women in reproductive
age (15-49 yrs.) with hemoglobin concentration of
<120 g/L at sea level. Anemia is diagnosed through
finger-prick blood sample tests. The test could be
easily integrated in regular health or prenatal visit to
capture all women of reproductive age. Data on
anemia prevalence collected in 1993-2005 are
available for 73% of non-pregnant women of
135
reproductive age, in 82 countries .

in countries with high

prevalence of malnutrition and
low-meat and dairy diets.

The global number of children

under [five / two] who are
stunted (as a result of
malnutrition) has been reduced
by [70]% in 2030 relative to the
2010 baseline. By 2050, no
country has any child stunting
beyond levels occurring in
r
normal populations.

Anemia in non-pregnant women

of reproductive age has been
reduced by [50]% in 2025
(relative to a baseline set in the
136
1993 - 2005 period) .

Target 1a and its indicators recognize that agriculture-led growth is essential for ending poverty, food
insecurity and malnutrition. Although it has also been proposed to have a separate Goal on food security
and nutrition126, the SDSN proposes to include hunger and malnutrition under extreme poverty (Goal 1)
with the rationale that both are challenges that affect rural as well as urban areas; hunger is not only a
function of food availability; stunting and malnutrition are key dimensions of extreme poverty; and a
single poverty/hunger goal ensures full continuity with the current MDG 1125. Continuing on current
growth trends, about 5% of people will be in extreme poverty by 2030. Hence, with slightly faster
growth it should be possible to eradicate extreme poverty126. GDP growth from agriculture is at least
twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth generated in the non-agricultural sectors74. Considering
the huge importance of food prices (relative to income) for eradicating poverty, another indicator could
be defined that would relate food prices to incomes of different income segments15. It could provide
some improvement over the first two indicators as it would allow for the immediate short term effects
of food price spikes on real incomes and food security.
Food and nutritional security in target 1a has four dimensions:

Supply: availability of enough food from diverse sources to meet the consumption needs of a
healthy and nutritious diets, by either feeding oneself directly from productive land or other
natural resources, or well-functioning distribution, processing and market systems.

The World Health Assembly has endorsed a target aiming for a 40% reduction of the global number of children under five who
are stunted by 2025, which we extrapolate here to 70% by 2030 as an ambitious target. Actual targets will vary widely by
country, depending on current prevalence of stunting. Complete elimination of stunting is not possible, i.e., even in a healthy
population a small proportion of children will fall below the cut off.

30

Access: all members of society must have economic and physical access to sufficient food for a
healthy and nutritious diet, through their incomes or special programs.
Utilization: people must be able to absorb the food's nutrients. This involves sufficient intake,
diverse diets, good food preparation, intra-household distribution of food, access to clean water
and sanitation, and freedom from diseases and toxins that affect food utilization.
Stability: year round and year-to-year stability of the food supply, as well as access and
utilization of safe and nutritious food provides the foundation of food and nutritional security137.

A broader vision of modern agriculture recognizes that solutions for reducing poverty and increasing
incomes also need to be nutrition- and equity-sensitive. Beyond food staples we must ensure a stable
and affordable supply of diverse micronutrient dense foods, such as legumes, pulses, vegetables, fruits,
dairy and livestock and aquatic resources, thereby contributing to a more balanced healthy diet.
Through a variety of innovations such as agronomic biofortification by adding micronutrients to
fertilizers, biofortification breeding, or the promotion of vegetable gardens agriculture can improve food
quality and health. Agricultural productivity improvements also provide increased income and
employment opportunities that improve access to more nutritious food. Multi-sector interventions
including household food security and dietary diversity are most efficient in reducing child stunting138.
We propose four indicators that address the major hunger and malnutrition problems that need to be
overcome in our generation, recognizing that many of the commonly used indices and measurement
systems for food and nutritional security have shortcomings134,139. A calorie availability/deprivation
indicator of some kind is probably still needed to measure extreme forms of food insecurity
(undernourishment), but also because traditionally used ones such as the FAO index have a long history
and reference base at national level. However, the nutritional relevance of calorie availability indicators
is not always clear. The currently used methods, based on national food balance sheets (FAO) or
household consumption surveys, all face sizeable measurement errors and limitations in terms of cross-
country comparability, upscaling, disaggregation, and sensitivity to supply shocks. Measurement of
hunger could probably be best obtained by collecting anthropometric data on stunted children139 or
dietary diversity indicators that are powerful predictors of economic status and malnutrition (both
stunting and wasting). Both should be part of designing new monitoring systems at different scales134.
Nutritional interventions should focus on overcoming malnutrition in women of reproductive age
(particularly before and during pregnancy), and in children in the first 2 years of life57. For Goals 1 and 5,
we recommend adopting and extrapolating the six targets (and indicators) for maternal, infant and
under the age of 5 nutrition that have recently been endorsed by the World Health Assembly. They can
be translated into realistic national targets based on the country-specific context140:

40% reduction of the global number of children under five who are stunted by 2025
50% reduction of anemia in non-pregnant women of reproductive age by 2025
30% reduction of low birth weight by 2025
No increase in the prevalence of overweight in children under five by 2025
Increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding without supplementary feedings in the first six
months to reach at least 50% by 2025
Reduce childhood wasting to less than 5% by 2025 and maintain it below that level

Child stunting is a robust, non-specific indicator of nutritional status and overall health, including
quantity and quality of dietary intake (mother & child), pre- and post-natal exposure to infections,
environmental challenges, and care giving. It is linked to other adverse outcomes such as child mortality,
delayed development, and lower wages as an adult135,139. Anemia in women of reproductive age is
another important nutrition-related indicator. Anemia is closely linked to maternal mortality and other

31

health risks. It is a multi-factorial disorder caused mainly by iron deficiency and infections and, to a
lesser extent, by deficiencies of vitamin A, vitamin B12, folate and riboflavin135. Novel metrics that
measure nutritional diversity in cropping systems could also be considered for defining a nutrition
indicator that could be of particular relevance for smallholder farming areas141.
GOAL 5: ACHIEVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING AT ALL AGES
Achieve universal health coverage at every stage of life, with particular emphasis on primary health
services, including reproductive health, to ensure that all people receive quality health services without
suffering financial hardship. All countries promote policies to help individuals make healthy and
sustainable decisions regarding diet, physical activity, and other individual or social dimensions of health.
Target 5c. Promote healthy diets and physical activity, discourage unhealthy behaviors, such as
smoking and excessive alcohol intake, and track subjective wellbeing and social capital.*

Possible Indicators

Comments

Aspirational outcomes

Share of calories
from non-staple
foods (%)

Similar to the indicator proposed for Target 1a, this

simple dietary diversity indicator could be used to
track progress towards healthier diets in general,
including in developed countries. For that purpose, it
should be monitored at household level and
disaggregated by income, gender, age, etc.

The share of calories from non-

staple foods has increased by
[20]% by 2030 relative to a
2015 baseline.

Per capita meat

consumption (kg per
capita)

Diet indicator that could be applied to track progress

towards consuming less energy-intensive food in
countries where a reduction in meat consumption is a
major goal. Given the different nutritional and
environmental impacts of consuming white (chicken,
fish) or red (beef, pork, etc.) meat, this indicator could
also focus on red meat only. In a different context, it
could also be applied as a nutrition-related indicator in
countries with low animal protein consumption and
malnutrition.

[0]% increase or [x]% decrease

in per capita [red] meat
consumption by 2025 relative
to a 2015 baseline in countries
with currently high per capita
[red] meat consumption.

Fraction of calories
from added
saturated fats and
sugars (%)

Saturated fats and sugars are found naturally in some

foods, but are often added when foods are processed
by food companies or when they are prepared. This
diet indicator could be used to limit and even reduce
the health burdens from added saturated fats and
sugars in processed foods.

[0]% increase or [x]% decrease

in the fraction of calories from
added saturated fats and
sugars by 2025 relative to a
2015 baseline.

Prevalence of
overweight and
obese children under
the age of [5] years
(% or annual rate of
change)

Share of overweight (weight-for-height above two

standard deviations from the median of the WHO
135
Child Growth Standards) in children under age 5 .
Alternatively, this indicator could also be defined as
prevalence of overweight and obesity at all ages, or
using the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a metric.
Overweight is difficult to measure during early age,
with less reliable reference data available. Hence, this
indicator could also be measured for adolescent girls
and women of child-bearing age, since that affects not
only mothers but their children too.

[0]% increase in the prevalence

of overweight in children under
[five], girls and/or adolescent
girls and women of child-
bearing age by 2025.

32

Prevalence of food
contamination in the
food system [to be
defined]

An indicator could be defined to track food To be defined.

contamination caused by mycotoxins , microbes or
other food safety issues. This indicator would provide
an incentive to put surveillance systems in place to
monitor food safety and support farmers, traders and
processors in reducing contaminants.

Indicators for target 5c could address various aspects of the grand-scale behavioral changes required to
make a difference towards healthier, less energy-intensive food baskets, with particular emphasis on
reducing meat and sugar consumption among affluent consumers. Education is needed to ensure that
the growing population understands the components of a healthy, balanced diet. Recent examples focus
on obesity and Type-II diabetes, including national social sensitization programs such as the USDAs
dietary guidelines, the 5-a-day program in the UK (where consumption of at least five portions of fruit
and vegetables is promoted) and public service programs from both the health/medical and agriculture
sectors. The education sector must have a strong role in ensuring that children are involved, as evidence
shows that good eating and healthy habits start early. In resource-limited contexts, women often lack
the knowledge, time or capability to provide balanced and adequate nutrition to their children.
Agricultural and household drudgery can demand so much of womens time that they are unable to
devote adequate time to childcare. In these contexts, effective interventions must engage men as well
as women and children to reduce drudgery in agriculture or re-balance workloads and diets.
Reducing excess per capita meat consumption - that of "red" meat (from livestock as compared with
chicken and fish) in particular - should be a major goal in those countries where it is among the major
causes of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and overweight and obesity. In addition to health benefits,
this would also reduce the pressure on grain production and many environmental issues, and thus allow
meeting the targets of Goals 6, 8 and 9. Hence, a suitable indicator could be defined for this purpose, for
countries to set ambitious targets depending on their current consumption levels. The prevalence of
overweight in children under the age of five years has been steadily growing in the past 20 years, at an
annual rate of 3 to 5%57,135. Preventive interventions should combine healthy dietary practices (e.g.,
breastfeeding and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy products and whole grains and low in
sugar-sweetened beverages) and increased level of physical activity. Overweight and obesity affect all
age groups, but an immediate objective could be to measure it in young children or adolescent girls and
women of child-bearing age for early identification of children at risk of overweight, and undertaking
early corrective actions. If a country achieves no worsening of maternal obesity (Target 5c) and
improvement in maternal anemia (Target 1a), many other health and gender-related targets will be
achieved. In most countries data on diet, for example, is almost nonexistent. Hence, each country
should establish and maintain a national health and nutrition survey.

33

GOAL 6: IMPROVE AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS AND RAISE RURAL PROSPERITY

Improve farming practices, rural infrastructure, and access to resources for food production to increase
the productivity of agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, raise smallholder incomes, reduce environmental
impacts, create better jobs, promote rural prosperity, and ensure resilience to climate change.
Target 6a. Ensure sustainable food production systems with high yields and high efficiency of water,
nutrients, and energy, supporting nutritious diets with low food losses and waste.
Possible Indicators

Comments

Aspirational outcomes

Cereal yield growth

rate (% p.a.)

Annual yield growth rate of major cereals (maize, rice,

wheat, others), expressed in % or kg/ha harvested
land. These crops are fundamental for achieving food
and nutritional security. This indicator is critical for
assessing whether investments in productivity growth
of major food crops have the desired results. It could
be disaggregated by cereal crops and sub-national
scales, to verify progress against specific targets by
crops and regions.
Actual yield expressed as % of (water-limited) yield
potential is a benchmark for productivity that also
95
shows the exploitable yield gap . It can be
disaggregated by crops of highest priority for a
country and is suitable for spatial disaggregation, from
local to global scales. This indicator requires improved
data collection and monitoring systems.
A suitable indicator should be defined that expresses
progress being made towards more efficient and
sustainable production of animal products. The
broader Livestock Production Index used by the World
Bank is insufficiently nuanced for this, because it
includes meat and milk from all sources, but also
other dairy products, eggs, honey, raw silk, wool, and
hides/skins.

Annual yield growth rate of

major food crops approaches
or exceeds [1.5]% by 2020.

Defined as the ratio of nutrients in final products (e.g.,

human food consumed) to new nutrient inputs into
terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric cycles (e.g.,
nitrogen from chemical synthesis or biological N
fixation, minerals mined and applied as fertilizers,
41
etc.) . It takes into account livestock and other
stages of the food chain, as well as recycling. This
indicator could track improvements in nutrient
efficiencies along the full chain in countries with low
efficiency levels. Because of different contexts,
specific targets would have to be country-specific, i.e.,
defined so as to reduce the gap between current and
targeted full-chain nutrient use efficiency levels. This
indicator could also be disaggregated further, for
example for major food systems (chains). A
backcasting approach should be applied to identify
technology and policy options for achieving specific
full-chain efficiency targets.

Full-chain efficiency of nitrogen

and phosphorus has increased
by [x]% relative to current
levels in each country with sub-
optimal efficiency (e.g., high
nutrient consumption relative
to actual yield). For countries
with low full-chain efficiency an
aspirational target could be to
reach, by 2030, a 30% increase
relative to current levels.

Crop yield gap (actual

yield as % of yield
potential)

Livestock and fish

productivity growth
[to be defined]

Full-chain nitrogen
[phosphorus] use
efficiency (% or rate
of progress relative
to a defined gap to
close)

The majority of farms achieve

[80]% of the attainable water-
limited yield potential by 2030.

Livestock and aquaculture

productivity in developing
countries has doubled by 2030,
especially in Sub-Saharan
Africa.

34

Crop nitrogen use

efficiency (%)

Defined as the ratio of nitrogen in harvested crop

products to the amount of nitrogen applied (per
cropping season or year). It is directly related to the
efficiency of fertilizer use on agricultural land,
including new technologies and stewardship programs
41
targeting farmers and advisors . Interpretation and
specific targets for crop nitrogen use efficiency are
context-specific, primarily depending on yield, current
nitrogen use, soil quality and other factors.

Access to irrigation
(%)

Share of farmers or crop area with access to irrigation.

Irrigation is an essential component of achieving food
and nutritional security and reducing vulnerability in
crop production. Many countries, also in Sub-Saharan
Africa, have substantial potential for expanding
irrigated agriculture in a sustainable manner.
Concerns about unsustainable water consumption
and depletion of water resources need to be
addressed through additional indicators.
The proposed indicator is directly related to
freshwater use for irrigation. Another alternative is to
define water productivity as the efficiency with which
water is converted to harvested product, i.e., the ratio
between yield and seasonal water supply, including
95
rainfall and irrigation .
Methods developed by FAO could be the basis for this
indicator, but they need to be improved further and
83
first be applied to create a baseline . Staple crops
that are often consolidated after harvest for
processing will provide better data for assessment of
losses to provide a baseline. Crops grown on a small
scale and consumed at household level will be very
difficult to quantify in this sense, but are often those
most affected by crop losses.

Crop water
productivity (tons of
harvested product
per unit irrigation
water)
Share of agricultural
produce loss and
food waste (% of
food production)

Crop nitrogen efficiency

increased by [30]% relative to
current levels in countries with
low efficiency. Unsustainable
soil nutrient depletion halted
and reversed in countries with
insufficient nutrient use,
resulting in increased crop
production and economic
return.
The share of irrigated
agricultural land has increased
by [x]% in countries with
unexploited water resources.

Water productivity of crop

production has increased by
[30]% in countries with high
water use for irrigation.

Post-harvest losses and food

waste have been reduced by
[30]% in 2030 and by [50]% in
2050 relative to current levels.

Target 6b. Halt forest and wetland conversion to agriculture, protect soil and land resources, and
ensure that farming systems are resilient to climate change and disasters.
Possible Indicators

Comments

Aspirational outcomes

Annual change in
forest area (% p.a.)

Similar to the current MDG 7 indicator 7.1, but

proposed to focus on the rate of change at national,
sub-national and local levels to guide policy making
and monitor implementation, including the use of
high-resolution remote sensing. This indicator could
also be expressed in absolute terms (square
kilometers of forest area). Forest area is land under
natural or planted stands of trees, excluding tree
stands in agricultural production systems (e.g.,
plantations, agroforestry systems) and trees in urban
parks and gardens. The indicator could be expanded
to also include wetlands or other critical ecosystems.

[0]% annual forest conversion

to crop or livestock agriculture
by 2030. All countries have
policies and enforcement
systems in place to protect
their most critical natural
ecosystems.

35

Rate of change in
arable land area (%
p.a.)

Defined by FAO as land under temporary crops

(double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary
meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under
market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily
fallow. This indicator could track expansion of
agriculture into natural ecosystems as well as the loss
of productive agricultural land to housing, industry,
roads and other uses, which may threaten a country's
food security.
Land area without
Agricultural land not affected by [x] major soil fertility
major constraints to
constraints or land degradation, based on established
agriculture (% or ha,
soil and land assessment methods and utilizing new
142,143
or net rate of change) digital mapping and monitoring efforts
. Based on
a globally harmonized methodology, countries could
define their own minimum list of specific land
constraints that need to be tracked with regard to
achieving land degradation neutrality or even
improvement of land quality. The latter is important
for countries that need to overcome major soil or land
quality constraints, for example in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Proportion of farmers An indicator could be defined to quantify the
(or rural
proportion of farmers that have access to/have
communities)
adopted new stress tolerant varieties and other
covered by flood,
resilience-enhancing technologies and/or are covered
drought and heat
by policies, alert systems, crop insurance and other
protection systems
preparedness measures in areas that are most at risk
(%)
to suffer from extreme climatic events .

[0]% annual change in [fertile]

arable land area by 2030.

[0]% net land degradation by

2030, i.e., achieve a land
degradation neutral world.

At least [30]% of farmers have

adopted soil and water-
conserving production
practices and all farmers have
access to stress-tolerant,
adapted varieties. All countries
have policies, alert systems,
insurance solutions, social
safety nets, and other
preparedness measures in
place by 2030 to support
farmers in years when crops or
animals suffer.

Target 6c. Ensure universal access in rural areas to basic resources and infrastructure services (land,
water, sanitation, modern energy, transport, mobile and broadband communication, agricultural
inputs, and advisory services).

Possible Indicators

Comments

Aspirational outcomes

Proportion of
smallholder farmers
with secure rights to
land (%)

Secure land tenure is a key determinant for

implementing sustainable agricultural intensification
measures. This indicator could express land tenure
status as the percentage of farmers (households) who
have secure, permanent ownership or affordable long-
term lease of the land they farm, disaggregated by
region, income and gender. Women in particular need
to be given better access to land, which should also be
tracked with this indicator.

At least [80]% of all farmers

have secure ownership or
affordable long-term leases of
the land they farm.

36

Access to improved
water source in rural
areas (%)

Similar to current MDG7 indicator 7.8, but following

the World Bank definition. Percentage of the
population with reasonable access to an adequate
amount of water from an improved source, such as a
household connection, public standpipe, borehole,
protected well or spring, and rainwater collection.
Reasonable access is defined as the availability of at
least 20 liters a person a day from a source within one
kilometer of the dwelling.
Access to improved
Percentage of households with access to effective
sanitation (%)
sanitation. Sanitation is a critical part of public health
and impacts agriculture; poor sanitation reduces
household health due to infection and poor sanitation
can affect the water source for communities as well as
for agricultural production and postharvest value
addition, thus compromising the health of consumers.
Rural electrification
Percentage of rural households with access to
rate (%)
electricity, either through traditional grids, micro-grids
(village level), or household supply (ex. rooftop solar).
Data should be disaggregated as to whether the
source is renewable or not to track progress on
targets for renewable energy. Electricity is critical for
cost-efficient agriculture as well as effective
processing and storage of agricultural produce.
Access to paved
Access to paved roads is critical for many rural
roads (% access
development processes, including access to inputs,
within [x] km
markets, education, and health services. This indicator
distance to road)
could be defined as percentage of rural households
who are within [x] km of good quality paved roads
(and/or rail) that provide connectivity to markets.
Access to drying,
Good infrastructure for drying and storing agricultural
storage and
produce is critical for high quality and value as well as
processing facilities
for reducing losses and contamination by mycotoxins
[to be defined]
or other food contaminants. Rural processing capacity
would provide employment opportunities, enhance
access to markets, and facilitate value addition
(including the production of foods to enhance
infant/child nutrition and reduce maternal drudgery).
Broadband mobile
Combines MDG8 indicators 8.15 and 8.16; total
phone subscribers in number or percentage of rural households (or people)
rural areas (%)
who have pre- or post-paid cellular phone
subscriptions with broadband connectivity. The
indicator emphasizes broadband access as a key
means for internet connectivity and thus access to
more information and services.
Access to affordable credit at the right time is critical for
Proportion of rural
farmers to buy the inputs and services needed. It is also
households with
access to low-interest critical for many small and medium-size rural enterprises,
including many run by women. This indicator could be
credit (%)
defined as percentage of rural households who have
access to sufficient financing at interest rates below [x]%.
Alternatively, it could also be defined as the average
rural lending rate.

37

At least [80]% of all households

in rural areas have access to
good quality water sources.

At least [80]% of all households

in rural areas have access to
improved sanitation.

At least [80]% of all households

in rural areas have access to
affordable electricity.

At least [80]% of all households

in rural areas have access to
good quality roads connecting
them with local markets.

At least [80]% of all households

in rural areas have access to
affordable local drying, storage
and processing facilities.

At least [80]% of all households

in rural areas have broadband
internet connectivity.

At least [80]% of all households

in rural areas have access to
low-interest financing for
critical agricultural capital,
inputs and services.

Doing business in
agriculture index or
indicators

Further refining the "Doing Business" indicator used

by the World Bank, an index or indicators could track
different areas of the investment climate for
small and medium agribusinesses, i.e., areas where
policy reforms are most needed to stimulate business
growth (inputs, farm services , land, water, finance,
insurance, transport and markets, etc.).
Agricultural extension Without a functioning public/private extension system
professionals per
it is not possible to succeed with SAI. An indicator
1000 farmers
should be defined that tracks the total number of
qualified agricultural professionals across different
sectors that provide training, information and other
extension support and services to farmers and small
to medium enterprises in rural value chains. This
indicator should include professionals with a minimum
level of education/training/certification working in the
public, private and civil society sectors.
Employment rate of
Related to Target 3c. Percentage of young people (age
rural youth and
15-24) and women employed in rural areas,
women (%)
disaggregated by region and income. A youth and
women employment indicator would track progress
being made in creating new, better jobs in rural areas.

To be identified. Discussions on
developing new indicators are
currently underway in the
"Benchmarking the business of
agriculture" initiative, in
response to a G8 call.
All farmers have access to
quality agricultural advisory
services that provide locally
relevant knowledge,
information and other services.

[50]% increase in rural youth

and women employment
through the creation of new
and better jobs in agricultural
value chains and service sectors
in rural areas.

The indicators and aspirational outcomes proposed for Targets 6a-c reflect multiple dimensions involved
in implementing SAI, including genetic, agro-ecological and socioeconomic innovations and the
necessary enabling systems (Fig. 2-1). Growth in agricultural production can come from area expansion
or intensification (increasing yield or cropping intensity per unit of agricultural land). Reliance on area
expansion in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa must be limited, whereas in many parts of Asia,
North America and Europe critical resources such as water and mineral fertilizers need to be managed
more efficiently. Future growth in crop production will have to come from existing land whenever
possible, by increasing yields and reducing losses and waste. This will be a primary requisite for reducing
the expansion of agriculture into natural ecosystems and thus for achieving Target 6b. However,
increasing productivity through SAI by itself may often not be sufficient to spare natural ecosystems
from destruction144. Increasing profits may result in an incentive for conversion of natural ecosystems to
agriculture, e.g., forests. Hence, other instruments to use include comprehensive conservation policies,
land-use planning and adequate governance, including carefully crafted and enforced protection of
critical natural ecosystems.
Simultaneously we will have to address unsustainable extraction of freshwater resources, increase
nutrient efficiency and adapt to climate change9. Similarly, increases in production of animal source
foods need to come primarily from increased productivity per animal rather than increased animal
numbers. Any slowdown in productivity growth would mean that more land, water, energy, fertilizer,
pesticides, labor and other inputs would be needed to meet the rising food demand, thus also raising
the cost of food3,5. The plateauing of cereal yields in intensive production systems needs to be
overcome, yield gaps will have to be closed in both the crop and livestock components of smallholder
agricultural systems of the developing world, and incentives need to be provided for protecting soil
resources. All this requires sensitive, measurable indicators that can track progress in these areas.
Other interesting options for indicators for target 6a should be explored. Since many biofuel crops
directly compete with food production and also have other sustainability issues145, an indicator could be

38

defined that reflects the need to restrain the use of land for biofuels relative to food production.
Moreover, an indicator such as the annual growth in Total Factor Productivity (TFP) could capture
productivity growth as a whole, and has been used more widely in recent years5. Other indicators
could measure the productivity of agricultural labor or land relative to the agricultural value produced
and cereal prices15. They could also be disaggregated by sub-sector (crops and livestock). The use of
value addition (in cereal equivalents) rather than gross production in all these measures allows for
technical and economic efficiency, for the effects of large changes in real staple food prices, and for
value differences across different agricultural products. The availability of reliable data at sub-national
to district level will largely determine which indicators can be used.
In conjunction with the targets for Goal 9, target 6b focuses on critical natural resources for agriculture
or affected by agriculture, including soil and land resources that form the basis for food security. The
demand for fertile soil is increasing as the world population grows and is moving up the food chain. The
mostly policy driven bioenergy sector has further increased the demand for agricultural land. On-site
effects of soil degradation contribute to food insecurity and limit rural development. Off-site effects of
soil degradation such as sedimentation of reservoirs and streambeds, eutrophication of waterbodies
caused by erosion and CO2 emissions caused by soil organic matter loss do not stop at national borders.
Avoiding soil degradation and restoring degraded soils need to be addressed at a global as well as
national level. The Rio+20 outcome document proposed to aim for a land degradation neutral world in
which any land degradation has to be minimized and any unavoidable land degradations needs to be
offset by regeneration (a natural process without human effort) and restoration (an active process
induced by human effort). The third indicator proposed for target 6b tries to capture this, but others
could be defined, including a more specific one that focuses on soil fertility constraints, for example147.
The sustainable development path requires a re-thinking of rural development and smallholder
agriculture towards structural transformations that include and benefit the poor through new farming
systems, technologies and business models that allow overcoming land constraints and enable greater
market participation, thus creating new job opportunities75,148-150. We propose several indicators for
target 6c that could address this. A land tenure indicator would track ownership/secure lease of land,
which is one of the major constraints faced by farmers in developing countries. Insecurity about land
prevents many from investing in productivity-enhancing measures. It is a prerequisite for implementing
SAI and making use of modern technologies. Without secure tenure to land, hundreds of millions of
smallholders will not be able to access credit or make major investments in soil improvement,
machinery or other critical technologies. The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of
Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, which were developed
through widespread global consultations and adopted by the Committee on World Food Security in
2012, provide helpful guidance on securing land tenure151.
Sustainable agricultural intensification along whole value chains is an engine of socially inclusive growth
in rural areas, giving a boost to smallholder farmers and new rural businesses along the value chain. The
agriculture and food sector plays a key role in rural job creation, particularly for women and youth.
Interventions aimed at improving access to markets, improved technologies and productive assets are
key to enhancing smallholder participation in value chains and thus escaping poverty traps and
subsistence farming149. Equitable, sustainable development requires recognizing the potential of rural
areas by making villages and towns places that offer well-paid work and support proper education,

s

Soil degradation is not fully avoidable. Soil erosion rates on arable land for example are typically one or two orders of
146
magnitude higher that soil reproduction rates.

39

health and cultural infrastructure. To allow farmers and small rural enterprises to participate in the
market, governments have to direct greaterinvestments to rural transport, energy provision, irrigation,
water supply, sanitation services, communication, prompt dissemination of information and improved
crop storage infrastructure. Professional agricultural advisory services will play a major role in
implementing SAI. New models must be found to speed up the delivery of new technologies through
public and private sector channels. In addition to professional advisory services, farmers need their own
innovation and knowledge-sharing networks which can link strategically to such services.
GOAL 8: CURB HUMAN-INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENSURE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Curb greenhouse gas emissions from energy, industry, agriculture, the built environment, and land-use
change to ensure a peak of global CO2 emissions by 2020 and to head off the rapidly growing dangers of
climate change. Promote sustainable energy for all.
Target 8b. Reduce non-energy-related emissions of greenhouse gases through improved practices in
agriculture, forestry, waste management, and industry.
Possible Indicators

Comments

Aspirational outcomes

Greenhouse gas
emissions from
agriculture (tons
CO2-equivalent per
unit food-equivalent
produced)

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture,

including direct and indirect emissions from crop and
livestock production, forestry and associated land use
changes; based on a new FAO database providing a
complete and coherent time series of emission
statistics over a reference period 19612010 at country
level, using FAOSTAT (http://faostat.fao.org) activity
152
data and IPCC methodology . The IPCC Tier 1
approach has high uncertainty because it is heavily
based on global default emission factors. Hence, this
indicator should be improved by utilizing country-
specific emission factors that are increasingly becoming
available (Tier 2 approach).
In agriculture, a range of management practices can
make substantial contributions to reducing GHG
emissions, e.g., adoption of management practices to
increase soil carbon sequestration, nutrient
stewardship programs that reduce nitrous oxide
emissions, or management practices that reduce
methane emissions from rice or livestock. Depending
on data availability and reliability, an indicator could be
defined to track the adoption of such measures or their
total impact on GHG-savings at different scales.

GHG emissions from agriculture

reduced by [30]% relative to
current levels (per unit food-
equivalent).

Adoption of GHG-
saving management
practices in
agriculture (% area
under GHG-saving
management
practices or tons of
CO2-equivalent)

Adoption of GHG-saving
management practices has
increased to [x]% of the
agricultural area.

Food systems as a whole contribute about 2030% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, releasing 10-17 Gt CO2 equivalent in 200831. Agricultural production, including indirect
emissions associated with land-cover change, contributes 80% to 86% of total food system emissions,
with significant regional variation31. There are many opportunities for reducing GHG emissions on both
the demand and the supply sides of the global food system153,154, including some triple win solutions
that could contribute to mitigation, adaptation, and improved food security120. Investment in yield
improvements is among the most important mitigation strategies. It has been estimated that that each
dollar invested in agricultural yields has resulted in 249 fewer kg CO2-equivalent emissions relative to
1961 technology, avoiding 13.1 Gt CO2-equivalent per year155. Hence, an indicator for target 8b should
be a yield adjusted indicator, expressing GHG emissions per ton of product produced, which is more

40

consistent with SAI principles than an indicator tracking gross GHG emission from agriculture. This would
also allow taking differences among countries into account. A populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa in
which population will double by 2050 can probably not be expected to reduce gross greenhouse gas
emissions from agriculture compared to present. Data availability and reliability will by and large drive
what indicators to use.
Other indicators for Target 8b could be defined to more specifically track the adoption of climate-smart
agriculture technologies contributing to mitigation of GHG, for example carbon sequestration in
agricultural soils and trees156, nutrient management stewardship programs that contribute to reducing
nitrous oxide emissions, or water-saving irrigation to reduce methane emissions from rice157, provided
that reliable and affordable mechanisms for scientific verification, implementation and monitoring can
be established. Effective policy and business mechanisms need to be created to allow participation of
farmers in recognized global, regional and national GHG reduction schemes, thus providing additional
incentives for adopting resource-conserving production practices that can reduce GHG emissions, but
also increase productivity, input efficiency and/or lower production costs.
GOAL 9: SECURE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND BIODIVERSITY, AND ENSURE GOOD MANAGEMENT OF
WATER AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES
Biodiversity, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems of local, regional, and global significance are inventoried,
managed, and monitored to ensure the continuation of resilient and adaptive life support systems and to
support sustainable development. Water and other natural resources are managed sustainably and
transparently to support inclusive economic and human development.
Target 9a. Ensure resilient and productive ecosystems by adopting policies and legislation that
address drivers of ecosystem degradation, and requiring individuals, businesses and governments to
pay the social cost of pollution and use of environmental services.
Possible Indicators

Comments

Aspirational outcomes

Genetic diversity of
terrestrial
domesticated
animals

In the absence of direct measures at genetic level, the

status of domestic breed populations provides the
best available indication of trends in diversity. This
indicator is based on the Domestic Animal Diversity
Information System of FAO (DAD-IS,
dad.fao.org). DAD-IS covers more than 30 species
used for food and agriculture and includes data on the
size and structure of breed populations.
www.bipindicators.net/domesticatedanimals
A suitable indicator could be defined to track the
status of conservation of critical crop genetic
resources and its utilization in crop improvement
programs.

The adopting of cross breeds

with improved genetics has
increased by [x]% and the
genetic diversity of
domesticated animals farmed
has increased by [x]% relative
to current levels.

Genetic diversity of
cultivated plant
species [to be
defined]
Loss of reactive
nitrogen
[phosphorus] to the
environment (kg/ha)

41

This indicator could complement the nutrient

efficiency indictors proposed for Target 6a by focusing
more explicitly on direct losses of biologically and
chemically reactive nutrient forms that are caused by
various mechanisms from fertilizer, human and animal
waste, industry, or organic amendments. They often
result in transport of such compounds by air or water
to distant areas. In nutrient-limited ecosystems this
leads to eutrophication of freshwater streams, lakes

The genetic diversity of

cultivated crops farmed has
been effectively conserved and
is widely utilized in crop
improvement programs.
Deposition of non-indigenous
nutrients on natural
ecosystems (terrestrial and
aquatic) has been reduced by
at least [30]% relative to
current levels, with several
countries going further to
reach levels that are not
detrimental to ecosystem

and coastal ecosystems, acidification of forests and

soils, and loss of biodiversity. This indicator is more
difficult to measure and mainly of interest to selected
countries in which high nutrient loads cause damage
to ecosystem functions.
www.bipindicators.net/nitrogenloss

function and biodiversity.

Target 9c. All governments and businesses commit to the sustainable, integrated, and transparent
management of water, agricultural land, forests, fisheries, mining, and hydrocarbon resources to
support inclusive economic development and the achievement of all SDGs.
Possible Indicators
Extent of forest and
forest types (%)

Comments

MDG7 indicator 7.1 and similar to the forest indicator

under Target 6b, but focusing on less regular, larger
scale assessment. The extent of forests is one of the
key indicators developed to track progress towards
MDG 7. Global assessments of the worlds forests are
currently carried out at 5 year intervals by FAO.
www.bipindicators.net/forestextent
This indicator could be expanded or supplemented
with other indicators to also track the extent and
quality other ecosystems, particularly wetlands.
Coverage of
Calculated using all designated protected areas
protected areas (% or recorded in the World Database on Protected Areas
2
km )
(WDPA) with a known size, including marine and
terrestrial protected areas. Global, regional and
national time series from 1872 onwards.
www.bipindicators.net/pacoverage
Proportion of fish
A measure of the sustainability of fishery resources in
stock in safe
the context of aquatic ecosystem sustainability. It
biological limits (%)
reflects fishery production and its social-economic
benefits, and can be used for the formulation of
fishery policy and the development of fishery
management plans. The FAO assessment classifies fish
stocks into three categories: overexploited, fully
exploited and under-exploited.
www.bipindicators.net/fishstocksinsafebiologicallimits
Annual water
An indicator for the overall trends in water
withdrawal by
consumption, measured at different scales (e.g.,
agriculture (million
regional/basin, national, watershed, irrigation system).
cubic meters)
It could also be defined as agriculture's share of total
water consumption or in relation to the amount of
water that can be used sustainably in an area.
Share of land,
Based on voluntary guidelines for responsible
fisheries and forest
governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests,
area covered by
countries need to develop their own laws and
151
responsible
policies . An indicator should be defined that tracks
governance policies
progress in implementing such laws and guidelines.
(%)

Aspirational outcomes
By 2020, the rate of net loss of
all natural habitats, including
forests, is at least halved, and
where feasible brought close to
zero by 2030 (including land
reclaimed or reconverted from
agriculture to wetland or
forest). Degradation and
fragmentation is significantly
reduced.
At least [20]% of terrestrial and
inland water, and [15]% of
coastal and marine areas,
especially areas of importance
for biodiversity and ecosystem
services, are protected.
All fish stocks are managed and
legally harvested sustainably
within their biological limits,
applying ecosystem-based
approaches, so that overfishing
is avoided.

Water withdrawal for

agriculture is within agreed
limits to avoid unsustainable
withdrawal of water resources.

Laws and policies for

responsible governance of
tenure of land, fisheries and
forests are implemented on at
least [90]% of a country's land
area. Incentives harmful to
biodiversity are eliminated.

42

Share of extractive
industries income
spent on rural
development and
environmental
protection (%)

An indicator should be defined that tracks a country's

progress in utilizing income generated from extractive
industries to support rural (infrastructure)
development (Goal 6) and environmental protection
(Goal 9), i.e., measures that particularly benefit the
poor.

In low- or middle-income
countries, at least [20]% of a
country's income from
extractive industries and other
land development investments
is utilized to support socially
inclusive rural development
and environmental protection
measures.

In the medium to long term, farmers have no economic or other incentive to destroy the environment
they operate in. They care about the quality of their land, the quality and safety of food they produce,
and the environment. Notwithstanding this, agriculture can negatively impact the environment in many
ways132,158, and it plays a major role in ensuring that critical ecosystems on Earth are preserved, resilient
and fully functional. Concepts, tools, and mechanisms for valuing ecosystem services need to be fully
developed and they need to lead to action, including participation by millions of smallholder farmers
and including benefits for them. Agricultural ecosystems must be managed as part of the wider
landscape, reinforcing natural resilience. Successful strategies for biodiversity management and
ecosystem preservation are complex to design and require coordinated policies over a long time frame.
They need to be based on science, but generally include a combination of voluntary guidelines, enforced
legal protection of critical natural ecosystems, social mobilization and changing business behavior.
The proposed SDG Targets 9a and 9c in conjunction with the other SDGs cover many of the 20 Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (www.cbd.int/sp/targets), which were developed under the Convention for
Biological Diversity as operational milestones to be achieved by 2020. We generally support these
targets and extrapolate some of them to 2030. However, the diversity and specificity of ecosystems
around the world makes it difficult to select just a few outcome targets and indicators that are
applicable in every country. Countries need to achieve locally-defined targets to record and manage
their key ecosystems by adopting policies and legislation that address drivers of degradation and
biodiversity loss, and require individuals, businesses, and governments to pay the social cost of pollution
and for the use of environmental services125. We only provide a few examples of possible indicators that
could be used to track the impacts of agriculture on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Many more
have been proposed by numerous organizations to monitor multiple dimensions of ecosystem health in
agricultural landscapes, for example those proposed by the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership
(www.bipindicators.net). Actual usage will primarily depend on data availability and reliability, which
would require substantial investments in improving current monitoring systems, particularly in low-
income and fragile countries.
Water use cuts across Goals 6 (Agriculture), 7 (Cities and Industry), and 9 (Ecosystems). Here we include
a proposed indicator that focuses on tracking freshwater use by agriculture, as the largest water-
consuming sector. By 2050 over 40% of the world's population may be living in river basins experiencing
severe water stress159. Many countries face growing water stress and virtually all must improve the
integrated and sustainable management of their water resources. This will require long-term strategies
involving governments, communities, and businesses to balance sustainable supply and use, reduce
water loss, improve water retention, and lower pollution. Regions, countries and local communities
need to have a clear understanding of the peak limits to freshwater use, in order to develop sound
policies and implementation guidelines for sustainable management and governance of water resources
at different scales160. Following recently agreed voluntary guidelines for responsible governance of
tenure of land, fisheries and forests151, countries should craft their own policies to ensure equitable,
inclusive access by the rural poor to these critical resources.

43

Growth corridors driven by extractive industries (mining, hydrocarbons) as well as other agribusiness-
driven large-scale land development schemes are penetrating rapidly into areas where agriculture has
been constrained by lack of resources and access to markets, particularly in Africa161,162. Although this
could unleash major improvements in rural infrastructure and expansion of arable crops, governance
weaknesses may also lead to environmental damage and further marginalization of poor smallholders.
Transparent governance and management of these developments is urgently needed, including laws
and policies that ensure sustainable practices and equitable revenue sharing to support environmental
protection and rural development. Rural and agricultural development are also much influenced by
industries drawing rural labor into factories and industrial zones, the export of human capital to other
countries, and extractive industries (oil, gas, coal, minerals) as a mega sector of many economies. All of
these can be a significant source of investment for speeding up structural transformation in rural areas.
The post-2015 agenda will need to find creative institutional and policy instruments to harness this
potential to advance food security and inclusive rural development, including suitable indicators that
capture these processes and their environmental impact.
GOAL 10: TRANSFORM GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The public sector, business, and other stakeholders commit to good governance, including transparency,
accountability, access to information, participation, an end to tax and secrecy havens, and efforts to
stamp out corruption. The international rules governing international finance, trade, corporate
reporting, technology, and intellectual property are made consistent with achieving the SDGs. The
financing of poverty reduction and global public goods including efforts to head off climate change are
strengthened and based on a graduated set of global rights and responsibilities.
Target 10b. Adequate domestic and international public finance for ending extreme poverty,
providing global public goods, capacity building, and transferring technologies, including 0.7 percent
of GNI in ODA for all high-income countries, and an additional $100 billion per year in official climate
financing by 2020.
Possible Indicators

Comments

Aspirational outcomes

Share of
government
spending on
agriculture (%)

This indicator measures the proportion of the national

government budget spent on agriculture. It should also
measure the actual release or utilization of funds.
Because the share of agriculture in the overall economy
declines as countries move up the ladder, the targets for
this indicator may vary accordingly. African governments
in CAADP have agreed to increase public investment in
agriculture to a minimum of 10% of their national
budgets. The indicator could be further disaggregated to
track spending by sectors or specific target groups.
A suitable indicator needs to be defined to express a
country's agricultural R&D commitment, with specific
targets to be set by each country. One possibility is to
define it as growth rate in agricultural R&D spending.
Another indicator is the agricultural research intensity
ratio, which expresses agricultural research spending
relative to agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) but
requires
context-specific
target
setting
and
163
interpretation . Country data are available in the
Agricultural Science and Technology (ASTI) database.
www.asti.cgiar.org

During the entire 2015-2030

period, all countries with an
agriculture-based economy
spend at least [10]% of their
national budgets on
supporting the agricultural
sector in their country.

Agricultural R&D
spending (% change
p.a. or % of
agricultural GDP)

During the entire 2015-2030

period, annual government
spending on agricultural
research and extension
increases by at least [5]% per
year in low- and medium-
income countries;
agricultural research
intensity reaches at least
[1]% of agricultural GDP.

44

Share of ODA
spending on
agriculture (%)

Proportion of bilateral ODA funds allocated to agriculture

(including forestry and fisheries), including support for
R&D, human resources development, and institutional
capacity building. www.oecd.org/dac/stats

During the entire 2015-2030

period, all high-income
countries meet the 0.7% of
Gross National Income (GNI)
target for ODA, spend at
least [10]% of their ODA
funding on agriculture, and
spend an additional [x]% on
rural development.

Increasing and sustaining investment in agriculture and food systems in a responsible manner is
essential for sustainable development. Both domestic government spending and Official Development
Assistance (ODA) play a key role in implementing the SAI agenda. Both require sustained commitments
to meet the minimum investment levels required, and those making critical decisions need to be well
informed and able to prioritize and target investments based on the best available evidence. Countries
need to set their own ambitious targets for agricultural and rural development. A combination of public
and private financing will be required to ensure full coverage of all investment needs in an equitable
manner. Governments must lead by committing to strong and sustained support of the agricultural
sector. Most low-income countries and agriculture-based or transition economies, particularly those in
Sub-Saharan Africa, should aim to spend at least 10% of their national or state budgets on accelerating
agricultural growtht. Transparent principles and mechanisms are needed to ensure that farmers, small
producers and businesses and women in particular - are at the center of the investment strategy and
also benefit from investments in public goods such as infrastructure, price support for inputs and
outputs, research and extension.
Investments in public agricultural research should receive high priority and be of a more long-term,
strategic nature. To be effective, national research and extension systems need to establish minimum
capacities across all relevant disciplines and major commodities. As private sector R&D is concentrated
on fewer commodities, technologies and markets than public R&D and the intellectual property created
is not equally accessible, this can be a transformational change. Globally, annual growth in agricultural
R&D spending averaged 2.4% for the period 2000-2008, but many low- to middle-income countries have
already accelerated their agricultural R&D spending to annual rates of 5% or more in recent years163. We
propose that this should be a minimum, sustained target for all developing countries, although some,
starting from a lower base, may have to do even more. Most low- to middle-income countries should
aim to spend at least 1% of their agricultural GDP on public agricultural R&D. New models for research
and extension systems are need in many countries to also ensure better focus and more sustainable
funding. Farmer-driven research and extension models would ensure greater focus on issues important
to them.
Aid to agriculture from ODA programs by developed countries and multilateral agencies fell from about
US$ 11-12 billon in the mid-1980s to a little over US$ 5 billion in the mid-2000su. As a proportion of total
ODA financing, the share of aid to agriculture declined from 17% to 6% during the same period,
revealing a clear relative neglect of the sector164. Agricultural ODA funding has increased to over US$
10.5 billion (current value) in recent years, but its share was still only 6.2% of total ODA in 2011
(www.oecd.org/dac/stats). ODA investments in agriculture need to accelerate to make up for nearly 20
years of neglect, and these higher investments need to continue over the long term. All donors need to
commit to meeting minimum targets. In 2007-08, just three countries (the United States, Japan and

t

We cite this as an aspirational target based on what has been proposed in CAADP, www.nepad-caadp.net.
The OECD analysis includes 22 DAC countries and 8 multilateral agencies.

45

France) accounted for more than half of all bilateral aid commitments to agriculture, and only three
countries (Finland, France and Switzerland) allocated 10% or more of their ODA funds to agriculture. We
propose that all donor countries should meet the 10% agriculture ODA target, and that donors also
should ensure that no country in need is neglected. Utilization of ODA on agriculture should be
monitored in a transparent, more effective manner to ensure that it achieves the expected results.
Target 10b should also be concerned with effective and efficient use of available domestic and
international finance for agricultural development, for which an indicator could be defined.
Other indices can be used for scoring the broader performance of the agricultural sector and its changes
over time. Discussions are currently ongoing to develop a new Agricultural Transformation Index (ATI),
made up of sub-indices or component indicators which would provide actionable measures of country
performance and also help measure aid effectiveness (www.agriculturaltransformationindex.org).
Agribusiness and investment climate, inclusiveness of policies, productivity, sustainability, and markets
could be among the performance areas to be included in such an index.

3.3. Improving metrics, data and access to information

Without clear metrics and a well-designed research and institutional approach to make the metrics
operational, reaching the targets for sustainable development will remain an amorphous goal. Countries
must have the capacities to measure robust indicators of progress. Metrics for agriculture and nutrition
are needed that steer policy, production, and consumption decisions along a course that will lead to
continuous improvements. Metrics are important for setting a baseline by which to measure progress;
tracking and anticipating socioeconomic, nutritional, and ecological change; diagnosing constraints;
constructively engaging public, private, and NGO participants; and identifying appropriate policy
responses143. Indicators inform action, but many of the currently used metrics are inadequate or in
conflict with each other, obscuring clear guidelines for policymakers and practitioners. Unfortunately,
estimating even basic metrics on crop yields, prevalence rates and patterns of different aspects of food
security, or environmental impact remains difficult91,134,165. The statistical capacities of Sub-Saharan
African countries, for example, have fallen into disarray, resulting in numbers that substantially misstate
the actual state of affairs166. Efforts to evaluate the cross-sectoral performance of agriculture are
currently hugely hampered by insufficient data, inconsistent measurement protocols, uncertainties
about the right scale of measurement, weaknesses in models, and lack of investment in monitoring
systems that take full advantage of new technologies such as remote sensing.
Aggregate national data provided by international organizations such as FAO and The World Bank are
often used to capture agricultural production and input use, changes in land use, food supplies available
for consumption per capita, and average poverty rates that infer food access. These data typically fail to
account for income distribution, agricultural waste, seasonal swings in food production and
consumption, shocks associated with weather and war, and uncertainties related to market and climate
dynamics. Local social characteristics, such as net producer vs. consumer status, education, and health,
are absent in these aggregate metrics. Ecological change related to soils, water, and crop genetic
diversity is not measured consistently across countries at scales that matter for private sector
investment and policy response. Local measures of economic, social, and ecological change, when
implemented, are often costly, discontinuous over time, and inconsistent from one location to another.
Such measures can be useful for addressing specific problems at certain times and locations, but they
require significant scaling to be beneficial for monitoring regional and global food systems.
Developing a core set of agreed-upon indicators and collecting the necessary data in a systematic and
reliable manner is a matter of high priority and will require substantial investment in people and
infrastructure, including new information technology. From a policy and decision-making standpoint,

46

what sorts of information would be most useful for implementing a sustainable agricultural
intensification in the future? In Chapter 3.2. we discussed - as examples - a set of indicators that could
be used to monitor the major outcomes of sustainable agricultural intensification (food and nutritional
security, economic and social development, and environmental sustainability) and some of the enabling
components required. Many of them fulfill the main requirements (Box 3-1), but some will also require
further analysis and improvement. Subsequently, we discuss some of the major data gaps and make
suggestions for how to gradually overcome them.
Box 3-1: Key consideration for metrics used in monitoring agriculture

Metrics must be well defined and meaningful (have a clear mechanistic meaning and relation to specific
development goals/targets), measurable, motivational for positive change, and easy to understand and to
communicate to those who need to be the agents of change in the future: farmers, policy makers,
executives, consumers, youth, etc.
Metrics should provide cross-sectional representation and thus include measurement of biophysical,
economic, social, and nutritional change.
Metrics must allow measuring trends over time against a well-established baseline and they should allow
134,143,165,167
integrated assessment across different scales
.
A central objective of sustainable development is to ensure social inclusion. Metrics should go beyond
reporting average national indicators. Where appropriate and feasible, metrics should be disaggregated
according to gender, geography, socioeconomic status, disability, ethnicity, age, and other dimensions in
order to track and address marginalization and inequalities across sub-populations.
165
In practice, the choice among m etrics involves trade-offs in terms of precision, scale, and cost . It is thus
important to clarify the goals of measurement from the outset.
Irrespective of current constraints, an overall minimum set of "universal" indicators is needed. These
should be consistent metrics that provide broad, general information that can be supplemented with
167
others that are more tailored to regional or local applications or to specific questions .
In order to avoid an oppressive list of indicators that might be inconsistent across time or space, it is also
important to identify proxies that can cover several of these information criteria.
Engaging the intended users in developing the right m etrics and involving them in the data collection and
interpretation of results is likely to increase the chance for success.
An adaptive measurement strategy is needed to ensure that metrics and monitoring procedures evolve as
the relevant questions for sustainable agricultural intensification change over time, particularly with
167,168
regard to ecological and environmental questions
. Enabling conditions should be created for
stakeholders to advance the metrics.
Monitoring and modeling can play complementary roles.
Indicators should be few, with well tested methodology, guidelines and tools to be shared with countries
to allow them to develop their own metrics and collect data on their own. Efforts should be made to
support countries in taking ownership of those few SDG indicators at the m inisterial and institutional level,
and assist them with adopting the best available data collection methods.
Metrics should make use of already available international and national data. Significant investments
should focus on improving local, national, and global data collection and processing, including using new
tools (GIS, remote sensing, social networking, mobile phones, crowd sourcing, etc.) as well as existing
ones. Where applicable, on-farm and within-village measurement capability should be created using
information technology. As a result of the information revolution, the SDGs should be supported by online,
real-time, place-based, and highly disaggregated data, resulting in public databases for monitoring and
public participation.

At present, aggregate data and models are widely used to assess the current status and make
projections on food demand and supply, agricultural inputs, poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
Numerous uncertainties are inherent to this approach, both in terms of the quality of the available data
and the assumptions used in projection models. Exaggerations or distortions are not uncommon.

47

Detailed studies with complex conclusions are often turned into simplistic media messages rather than
more nuanced conclusions169. Moreover, many of the actual solutions will need to be implemented at
sub-national scales, all the way down to the household, farm, field and even within-field scales where
changes in behavior as well as precision farming technologies will be a critical condition for success.
There is a need to create in each country a central register using baseline census data (population and
agriculture) and update these records regularly with data from many other sources, including surveys,
rapid monitoring, satellite images on crop/area cultivated, yield, etc. The national household survey
mechanism should still be supported, but simplified and made easy for respondents so as to get more
reliable information on issues not captured by census and administrative records. International
organizations, such as the agencies, funds, and programs of the United Nations should support countries
in improving the quality and timeliness of data collection. Where official development assistance is
required to finance improved data systems, these investments should be supported so that progress in
achieving the SDGs can be monitored in real time. We need to simplify the data collection methods
using simple questionnaires at different time periods. With the right technology, age census data can be
linked to a countrys administrative records so that each individual record is automatically updated, thus
avoiding time-consuming and expensive surveys.
Large uncertainties persist in terms of future population growth and structural transformations that are
likely to shift food consumption patterns by urban and rural consumers. Uncertainties also concern the
relative roles of net producers and net consumers, such as where they are or how they respond to
agricultural market fluctuations. Africa, India and China are of particular importance because they
together account for more than half of the worlds population and the majority of the worlds food
insecure. We cannot tell for sure whether the worlds population will be 9 or 10 billion people by 2050,
but it is critical to know where additional people will be and what they will eat. An additional 1 billion
people has huge implications for additional food need, but it can also result in the loss of over 100
million hectares of agricultural land to urbanization. Data on consumption are often unreliable, and so
are data on postharvest losses and food waste. Existing estimates of key aspects of market behavior that
underpin existing economic models are often sparse and inconsistent. It is difficult to assess, understand
and project changes in consumer behavior because of large cultural and economic differences among
and within countries. Such information needs to be collected more regularly, primarily at the household
level and food chain scales.
On the food consumption side, what policymakers need are:

Cross-sectional information that includes comparisons between different social groups, regions
and net producers vs. net consumers
Information on long-term trends, patterns of seasonality and impact of production shocks on
food intake and incomes
Data on nutritional intake that include macro- and micro nutrients over time (both seasonal and
year-to-year) and space (within and between countries)

Available measures of FAO, the World Bank and other organizations on the number of people classified
as living in extreme poverty, chronically hungry or suffering from specific nutritional deficiencies are
imperfect. There are poverty headcount maps for many countries. However, we generally do not have
spatial data on poverty gaps or hunger, and hunger data are not very reliable because they are often
food balance sheet based134. They need to be disaggregated further, to sub-national and even local
scales in rural and urban areas and they need to be updated regularly. Average or aggregate national
data that are 10 years old will not help with better targeting of policy decisions and investments to the
areas where they are most needed. The various agencies involved in the agriculture and health sectors
should develop common and internationally comparable dietary quality indicators from household

48

survey data (ideally with separate indicators for children, women and men). Just as important as
collecting better data is the development of a new generation of food system models for policymakers
that fully incorporate nutrition, environmental, and climate elements and their interactions.
On the supply side numerous uncertainties exist about the general quality of agricultural and other
statistics in many countries, including data on crop and livestock production, fertilizer use, irrigation
water, labor, agrochemicals and many others. The available information on fertilizer and pesticide use
by crops, for example, is sparse in product detail and spatial resolution, not up to date, and generally not
verified at farm-scale. Accurate information on cropping area, crop yields, crop/livestock damage by
stresses and disasters, climate projections, food consumption, trade, ending stocks, non-food uses of
crops, food prices, and postharvest losses is critical for improving market forecasts, early warning
systems and policy decisions. It is currently not available for many countries, delayed or only collected at
coarse resolution by national statistical agencies that in many countries lack human resources,
technology and operational funds. Instead, it must be spatially dense, transparent and timely, which will
also require using new remote sensing technology and forecasting models. Full participation by all
information providers and analysts is essential, including those from the private sector. A collaborative
effort has recently been initiated to establish a new Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), but
it is currently limited to the G20 countries and few non-G20 countries. It needs to be substantially
improved in terms of spatial resolution and coverage as well as quality of data. Real-time, high
resolution satellite imagery, particularly radar that penetrates clouds, can be of tremendous value for
improving basic crop statistics, for making crop forecasts, and for assessing crop damage. The
technology has already been demonstrated for contrasting regions, including commercial-scale corn
farming in the USA170, assessing temporal changes in rice cropping in Nepal171, and real-time monitoring
of smallholder agriculture in Malawi172. It needs to become available to everyone, adapted for all of the
worlds major agricultural systems, and effectively utilized by national statistical agencies. Similar efforts
are needed to improve many others agricultural statistics, including for the livestock and fisheries
sectors.
Uncertainties also exist about the potential and actual trajectories for agricultural land development and
the exploitable productivity gaps. Some progress has recently been made in disaggregating crop yields
and yield gaps at national and sub-national levels92,173, but these studies have still relied on globally
available census data and other relatively coarse information. Promising new methodologies for more
standardized yield gap analysis have recently been developed93,94, which will allow developing a new
Global Yield Gap Atlas (www.yieldgap.org).
Long-term weather and soil data at high spatial resolution are among the most important data for
supporting SAI approaches, but they represent major data gaps in many countries. Given the concerns
about climate change and adaptation to it, and about precision management in relation to real-time
environmental conditions, this should be among the highest priorities for the global community
concerned with food security. All farmers and their advisors (and researchers) must have access to both
long-term weather data and real-time weather data at a high degree of spatial resolution.
More accurate, digital information on soils and nutrients is of particular importance, because it affects
decisions on fertilizer policies and management, crops that can be grown, land development strategies
and investments, land rehabilitation efforts, and many other things. Progress is being made in
developing digital soil information systems that combine legacy data with new remote sensing
technology and fast soil analysis methods, and thus increase the spatial resolution and quality of the
available information. New systems such as the Africa Soil Information Service (www.africasoils.net) will
fill major gaps and will allow customized products and services for diverse stakeholders to be developed.
However, they will require continuous, large R&D support and suitable business models for more self-

49

sustained operation, and they also need to spread to all major agricultural areas in the world. On the
other hand, no global nutrient monitoring system exists yet and the currently available data are highly
unreliable for many countries or key components of the whole nutrient chain. Such information is
critical for guiding policies as well as for tailoring nutrient management and stewardship programs so
that they can achieve productivity, efficiency, social and environmental targets.
With current data and modeling, climate data cannot easily be extrapolated to provide conclusive local
recommendations174. Therefore, a more precise agriculture will also require long-term and real-time
weather information for all major crop-producing regions, with fine spatial resolution. We also need to
know more about the adoption of new technologies, and about which areas currently used for
production of staple food crops are in a spiral of land degradation. We need to build a whole new global
system for monitoring the performance of agriculture at a fine scale143 (see Chapter 4.2.) and reward
farmers who make steady progress towards improving their metrics. Our ultimate ambition should be to
monitor through various means nearly every hectare of existing farmland within the next 10 years.
Complete coverage of all farmland will only be possible through use of new digital technologies,
including mobile phone platforms for bottom-up collection of farm and farmer information. A global
effort is needed to design, test, and scale the necessary data platforms, analytical and implementation
tools, and train human resources in both the public and private sector on how to use digital technologies
in agriculture.
Strengthening data collection capacity at the national level is of high priority, but it also needs to be
extended to the local government level. The situation has become even more complex in recent years as
a result of the resurging interest in statistics on agriculture and food systems, with many more
organizations collecting their own data in an uncoordinated, non-integrated manner. Governments and
international organizations such as UN organizations, the World Bank, regional development banks, and
International Agricultural Research Centers have a long history of collecting data, but without proper
integration of their data systems. In addition, more and more private companies and foundations as well
as many NGOs are collecting data through in-house units, projects or outsourcing to third parties. By
and large, it is reasonable to assume that many of the real or perceived data gaps could already be filled
if ways could be found to better align these efforts, harmonize methodologies and share data. New
strategies will be needed for sourcing, analyzing and sharing vast quantities of data.
Immediate steps that need to be taken to support this process start with the commitment of all partners
to support the open sharing of data and learning in real-time to support rapid-cycle agricultural
innovation. The G8 leaders have recently signed an Open Data Charterv, which should be embraced by
all countries and thus also become a key measure for supporting agricultural development.
Governments and institutions will need to translate this into policies and incentives that ensure the
timely release of important data so that new insights can be extracted to further accelerate agricultural
development and also support cross-sector exchange with health, environment and finance, all of which
affect the lives of the rural poor. A new paradigm is needed to reward public as well as private
organizations who share research data with the broader community while acknowledging and
appreciating their intellectual contribution. This is a complex challenge to face over the next 3-5 years
but it is one we must collectively own and implement if we are to realize the vision of sustainable
agriculture. We hope that soon there will be a coordinated global network of measurement activities
that includes critical biophysical, socioeconomic, and nutritional metrics.

v

The G8 Open Data Charter, signed June 2013, is available at

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207772/Open_Data_Charter.pdf.

50

Other useful tools can be deployed to analyze trends and inform the public, policy makers, and other
actors for making the right decisions. Many useful composite indices or decision and communication
tools have been proposed in recent years to score multiple functions of agriculture and food systems
(Annex 3). Composite indices and user-friendly decision tools cannot replace the specific indicators
needed to measure progress towards achieving targets and SDGs, but they can be valuable additional
tools for policy guidance and decision-making, communication, education and concrete action. They are
particularly valuable for engaging stakeholders at different levels and scales, including at local level,
along the whole value chain and support system.

51

4. Solutions available for action

4.1. Context-specific solutions that transcend small- to large-scale farming and food systems
Farming systems are complex and highly heterogeneous at all scales, from regional and national to
village or farm. So too are farming objectives, solutions and tradeoffs175,176. Strategies for SAI must
provide viable options for farms that can produce substantial surpluses as wells as for those small farms
that support the livelihood of millions of rural people. The specific policies and technology solutions for
implementing SAI largely depend on the socioeconomic and biophysical contexts under which farmers
currently operate, with resource endowment and market access being two main drivers across different
scales (Fig. 4-1). Many other factors diversify households (size, social status, religion/tribe/caste,
education, etc.), but many of these are also linked to resource endowment and market access. Different
solutions are required for large farms with good market access and high input use (4), small farms with
good market access and high input use (3), small farms with weak market access and low input use (2) or
larger farms with poor market access (1).

Figure 4-1. Resource endowment and access to markets are key determinants for tailoring different
solutions to the local context to overcome current constraints and establish better business models
for agriculture.
The real new challenge is to move to better business models by choice, beyond thousands of poor
smallholders by default. At the core of devising solutions lies a thorough understanding of the
socioeconomic and biophysical factors that drive the needs of farmers, agri-businesses, small
entrepreneurs, consumers, and many other actors. We need to characterize and segment the "market"
in order to target technologies and policies, and then "market" better technologies efficiently through
modern delivery systems. Countries need to move away from subjective mapping of factors of theorized
importance to a rigorous definition of development and business domains based on quantitative data
for resource endowment and market access177. Solutions need to be flexible in terms of offering a suite
of technologies and support systems provided by different sectors in a complementary mode, with a
particular emphasis on business-driven models.
Different paradigms are required for different regions (Box 4-1). Farmers who are blessed with large
landholdings and other capital, good market access and support systems, and the capacity to use farm
inputs like irrigation, purchased fertilizer and other agricultural inputs can produce the large surplus

52

yields that keep food prices low. Such farmers, like their counterparts with smaller farms, may be
vulnerable to rising energy costs insofar as irrigation, fertilizer and transport to market are dependent
on fossil fuels. Technologies that allow them to increase yields and the efficiency of cost-intensive inputs
(or substitute them partially) will increase their profitability and reduce the potential damage done to
the environment.
96

Box 4-1. The paradigm of SAI in African smallholder agriculture

Food production in Sub-Saharan Africa is not keeping pace with food demand. Yield gaps are large and
pervasive in African smallholder agriculture for almost all crops in all regions. At present, most smallholder
farmers are unable to benefit from potential yield gains offered by plant genetic improvement. Challenges
faced include lack of access to water, nutrients, quality seeds and other inputs, small landholdings, poor soil
quality and lack of capital to invest in improving soils. Coupled with intense labor demands caused by lack of
mechanization, timely and better-quality field management is impeded. Irrigation, mechanization and local
seed production of crops that have economical value for farmers are among the key improvements needed for
increasing agricultural production in Sub-Saharan Africa, but they need to go hand in hand with better
agronomy. Continued cropping without sufficient addition of nutrients and organic matter leads to soil
degradation, rendering many soils non-responsive to seeds, fertilizers and other inputs. This lack of response
constitutes a chronic poverty trap for many small farmers in Africa. Given the poor agricultural productivity of
only 1 t/ha of cereal grain across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, the primary goal is to increase crop productivity
per unit of resource invested, through carefully targeted interventions across scales. Little can be gained by
trying to raise the genetic yield potential when current yields are 20% or less of what is achievable. But m uch
can be gained by improving the genetic adaptation to local stress complexes and combining these traits with
those preferred by farmers and consumers. An important fraction of the yield gap can be reduced through
better agronomy (irrigation, planting dates, spacing, cultivars, early weeding, etc.) even when only m icrodoses
of fertilizers can be applied. Sound agronomic management is a prerequisite for efficient use of quality seeds,
irrigation, and nutrients. Many African smallholder farmers already practice their own forms of precision
farming by recognizing soil fertility gradients in their farms and fields and allocating crops and resources
differently. This knowledge, combined with scientific knowledge, simple diagnostic tools such as soil test kits or
leaf color charts, and solid policy support can form the basis for a broader SAI framework and its local
adaptation and implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa. It needs to focus on targeted best fit approaches from
a portfolio of options rather than pushing best-bet or silver-bullet approaches.

On the other hand, globally, there are over 500 million small family farmsw, most of which are mixed
farms producing crops and livestock178. Half of the worlds cereals are produced in these small-scale
mixed farms. Smallholder farmers are often at a disadvantage in terms of available resources and
accessing markets. They rely substantially on self-provisioning. It is difficult for a farming family to make
a better living from growing crops or raising a few animals on a half-hectare plot with few inputs and
unsophisticated technologies, unable to reach the market. Not all small-scale farmers can become large-
scale farmers, but some form of aggregation of primary production and support services will be required
in order to take advantage of new markets and technologies, and to transform farming into an attractive
local business and job opportunity. In many developing and emerging economies where youth make up
20% of the population and youth and womens unemployment is a serious issue, new visions of
smallholder farming with enhanced societal value and respect would provide a deliberate platform for
generating employment opportunities and reducing migration from rural areas to urban centers.
All farmers need to be moved towards good access to inputs, markets, information and other supporting
services (Fig. 4-1). Strategies that provide the needed support base as well as timely market information

w

Farms two hectares or less in size. This includes some 280 million small farms in India and China alone.

53

would lower the barriers for participating in domestic and export markets. Such mechanisms include: (i)
formation of cooperatives or growers associations to increase their collective ability for effective
negotiation, sharing of the cost of inputs, more efficient dissemination of new ideas and market
information to farmers, and reduction of cost of certification; (ii) participation in outgrower schemes
organized by centralized agribusinesses where the smallholder provides land and labor in exchange for
technical assistance, credit, inputs, infrastructural support and market knowledge; (iii) access to high-
value crop options, niche markets and the necessary information and technologies for successful
production; and (iv) regional initiatives which help to disseminate technologies, increase smallholders
market leverage and coordinate reliable supplies.
Governments, civil society, the private sector and international agencies must work together with local
extension services and farmers to support the tailoring of SAI solutions to farmers needs by improving:

Diagnosis: Understand the context in which an effort or an intervention will be implemented

and its links to the best available scientific and local knowledge.
Contextualized principles: Identify the right economic, social and ecological principles of
relevance to farmers needs.
Getting it right locally: Empower local communities to improve the performance of the farming
system or value chain based on scientific principles and local preferences.
Scaling and support: Expand the scope of the effort or intervention (in terms of numbers of
people involved and the size of the territory) and create the necessary value chains, services,
support systems and self-sustained business models.
Evidence: Monitor and document the performance, and learn to enrich the local, national and
global knowledge base to influence policies that will support further implementation.

4.2. Solutions for early action

Practical solutions for transforming world agriculture need to address innovation, markets, people, and
political leadership68. Solutions need to enable concrete action for change, towards meeting one or
more of the targets defined in Chapter 3. Sharp focus must remain on solutions for poverty reduction
and improving the livelihoods of rural households and communities, including more resilient crop and
livestock systems that can stand extreme heat, drought, floods and other climatic extremes. Small-scale
food production offers a direct route to ending hunger and malnutrition and reducing poverty, but small
producers especially if incentivized by having land tenure are also an army of potential
environmental stewards that can help protect natural resources and ecosystem services better than
governments or large companies127. Small farmers, service providers, processors, marketers and other
local entrepreneurs must be central to any investment and policy strategy that enables the
development and widespread adoption of new solutions67,73.
Equal weight needs to be given to interventions at the farm level and solutions for improving post-
harvest food chains, all the way to the consumer. New opportunities exist for solutions that combine
food industry and agribusiness development with the food security, poverty alleviation, and
environmental agenda. The domestic private sector composed of millions of farmers and other local
businesses is by far the biggest investor in agriculture179. Goals for sustainable agriculture and food
production can only be achieved if domestic governments and the international community create an
enabling environment that enhances sustainable and inclusive private investment in agriculture. This
also requires full participation by the business community in international, national and local platforms
that aim to implement the new sustainable development agenda. For small farmers to be able to step
up to a higher level, key challenges to overcome include securing control over land, water and other
critical resources, and gaining access to better infrastructure, inputs, knowledge and markets.

54

Early solutions need to focus on critical areas where improvements in crop, livestock and fish
productivity and environmental performance can be made relatively quickly. Although crop92 and
livestock45 productivity gaps vary greatly worldwide, they are particularly large in Sub-Saharan Africa180,
South Asia and some other developing regions. In many of these countries or regions within countries
significant gains in productivity and resource efficiency are possible through better seeds, irrigation,
nutrient management, and other agronomic measures. Policy measures have a huge impact on the
success of such early actions. For example, instead of flat subsidies that encourage inefficient water use
or groundwater depletion, variable policy tools could include better measurement of water
consumption, variable pricing of electricity for irrigation, cross-subsidizing small holders with revenue
from large holders, or targeted support for new technologies that result in higher water use efficiency
without a reduction in crop yields181.
On the other hand, opportunities for improving the environmental performance of agriculture are
largest in countries such as China, where input use is already high and often inefficient, particularly with
regard to water, fertilizers, pesticides, and energy182. People are the primary agents of change. They
must be at the center of solutions for concrete action at national to local scales. On one hand we need
to strive to change the behavior of everyone, from the food producer to the consumer, including
politicians and business executives. On the other hand, we need to provide new opportunities for
people - women and youth in particular - to become part of a new sustainable development movement
through attractive job opportunities. That requires equipping people with the knowledge, skills, new
tools and information needed to enact change.
An important way to solve problems is through practical initiatives involving new technologies, business
models, institutional mechanisms, and/or policies that are promising for early action, can take place in
any country, and can also generate learning elsewhere. They need to address various components of SAI
and its enabling systems (Fig. 2-1), but many are connected and must be integral parts of a systematic
approach to SAI, from food production to consumption (Box 4-2). Many solutions will have to be
integrated initiatives designed and implemented in a specific development or landscape context, in
response to the most relevant national and local challenge domains for agriculture. Nevertheless, we
should also recognize those few interventions or innovations that could indeed trigger transformative
changes in farming or a whole food chain over a relatively short period.
Below we provide examples of solutions for early-action, i.e., interventions that could be of high
priority for many countries in the coming 5 to 15 years. We do not aim to provide simple recipes or
policy strategies with specific priorities for countries or regions. Instead, our examples are a basket of
options for countries to consider and adapt to their specific needs. They can be further prioritized and
customized based on cross-sectoral benefits, scalability and wide applicability, novelty, feasibility,
learning by doing, comprehensive vetting and sponsorship. Countries need to be committed to
implement these solutions themselves, but with support as required from other countries and
international agencies. Technology spillover and many forms of between, cross-country and cross-
regional learning should play a major role in guiding countries and helping them to move faster.
International action networks such as the SDSN will promote selected solutions initiatives for early-
stage demonstration, development and scaling up.

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Box 4-2. Ten key actions for improving nutrient use efficiency in food systems
Improving the full-chain Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) of nitrogen and phosphorus, defined as the ratio of
nutrients in final products to new nutrient inputs, is a central element in meeting the challenge to produce
more food and energy with less pollution and better use of available nutrient resources. Nutrient flow is a
cycle from resources through stages of use (blue arrows) and recycling (green arrows). The system is driven by
the motors of human consumption (red), which are thus also a key part of the solutions needed for achieving
future nutrient targets. The poorest need to be allowed to increase their food and other nutrient consumption,
while the richest must realize that it is not in their own interest to over consume. There are significant
differences in the cycles of nitrogen, phosphorus or other nutrients among and within countries that need to
be taken into account in determining specific targets and interventions. Hence, the targets for nutrient use and
NUE will vary among countries and so will the pathways for achieving them by addressing any of the specific
components of the full-chain NUE relative to their current state. Possible actions include (numbers in the
graph): 1 Improve NUE in crop production; 2 Improve NUE in animal production; 3 Increase the fertilizer
equivalence value of animal manure; 4 Low-emission combustion and energy-efficient systems; 5 Develop NOX
capture and utilization technology; 6 Improve efficiency in the fertilizer and food supply and reduce food
waste; 7 Recycle N and P from waste water systems; 8 Energy and transport saving; 9 Lower personal
consumption of animal protein; and 10 Spatial and temporal optimization of nutrient flows. Of the 10 solutions
proposed, the first three are directly related to agricultural systems management. Specific targets and
indicators can be defined for each of these steps.

Source: Fig. 6.1., Sutton, M.A. et al. Our nutrient world: the challenge to produce more food and energy with less pollution.
(Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Global Partnership on Nutrient Management, INI, Edinburgh, 2012).

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New, productive crop varieties for the poor

Main contributions: Targets 1a, 6a, 6b, 9a
Crop yield growth rates in many smallholder farms remain too low and farmers often experience periods
of food or income insecurity due to yield losses caused by abiotic and biotic stresses. Every farmer
should have access to affordable, quality seed from a wide range of well-adapted crop varieties or
hybrids through government, private sector and community seed systems. Enhanced breeding methods
such as marker-assisted precision breeding or genetic engineeringx can be deployed to speed up the rate
of genetic gain, shorten the time it takes to develop new varieties, and breed new varieties more
precisely for specific environments and market segments, thus better meeting farmers' needs99,100,109.
This requires investments to transform public and private sector breeding pipelines of major food crops
into faster, more efficient, product-oriented breeding pipelines. Full advantage can now be taken of
wider genetic diversity, genome sequence information, genome-wide molecular markers, low-cost
genotyping platforms, rapid generation advancement, breeding population development technologies,
better phenotyping and variety testing methods, and breeding information management tools.
Box 4-3. Stress-tolerant rice varieties as a climate-smart solution for the poor
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and its national partners in Asia are developing a new
generation of rice varieties that are tolerant to submergence, drought, heat, salinity and combinations of
those. In the early 1990s, using a flood-tolerant landrace from Eastern India, scientists at IRRI and the
University of California-Davis discovered a m ajor locus on chromosome 9 of the rice genome later called the
SUB1 gene that allows rice to endure complete submergence for up to 2 weeks, thus greatly reducing the risk
of flood damage, which threatens 20 million hectares of lowland areas in Asia. Subsequent fine mapping of the
gene and progress in DNA marker technology enabled marker-assisted breeding of high-yielding rice varieties
with flood tolerance and yield advantages of 13 t/ha demonstrated in farmers fields. The first new variety,
Swarna-Sub1, was developed in 2006, followed by official release in 2009. Quality seed was rapidly multiplied
and disseminated through a large network of over 400 hundred public, civil society and private sector partners
in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, supported by national policy makers and international donors. By 2013, about
183
4 million rice farmers in these three countries grew the new flood-tolerant rice . Similar approaches are being
99
applied to breeding drought-tolerant rice, showing consistently large yield advantages of 0.5-1.5 t/ha . New
breeding products combine drought with submergence tolerance, heat with drought tolerance, or
submergence with salt tolerance through marker-assisted selection, which will provide "free" crop insurance
184
for farmers .

Intellectual property regimes and national variety release guidelines need to be modernized,
harmonized and incentivized to rapidly release new varieties and encourage investment in breeding and
seed businesses. Seed laws and policies need to enable and support a vibrant public and private seed
system, including many small- and medium-size companies and seed producer groups. Well-coordinated
global crop improvement networks can further accelerate progress in genetic gain by increasing the
resolution and precision of environmental information, working across key domains and hotspots for a
range of biotic, abiotic, and socio-economic constraints, and sharing knowledge, genetic and other
resources in 'open source' breeding platforms185. Countries with insufficient breeding capacity would
gain from progress being made in other countries, thus enabling farmers worldwide to increase yields
and reduce the risk of yield losses due to drought, high temperatures, flooding, salinity, diseases and

x

Marker-assisted selection is a conventional breeding method in which the selection process is accelerated by detecting the
presence of desired traits (DNA sequences) through molecular markers or whole-genome analysis. In contrast, genetic
modification (GM) involves the direct transfer of genes from one organism to another, including genes from other species.

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insect pests. Among the most successful examples so far has been the development and deployment of
a new generation of stress-tolerant varieties for rainfed lowland rice areas in Asia and Africa (Box 4-3).
More nutritious staple food crops
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 5c
A few staple food crops dominate the food intake of 2 billion people suffering from undernourishment
caused by iron, zinc, vitamin A and other deficiencies. Achieving better nutritional balance involves a
wide range of measures, diversification of agricultural systems (crops, livestock and fish products),
external mineral and vitamin supply, optimal feeding and caring practices, breeding of more nutritious
crops, agronomic biofortification, and other measures186. Supplementation programs or the promotion
of home gardens or livestock and fish have limits in terms of reaching all of the poor; many do not even
have the land or other resources to grow their own more nutritious food. While the health benefits of a
balanced diet are clear, biofortification the enrichment of staple food crops with micronutrients,
vitamin A or other enhanced nutritional traits through breeding or fertilizers is another effective
strategy for overcoming specific nutritional deficiencies in rural populations in developing countries. It
reaches down to the lowest income levels and elevates the base level of nutrient intake, thus also
making many other interventions more successful, and helping to eradicate hidden hunger by 2030.
Even small increases in the protein, mineral, or vitamin content of staple crops can make a significant
difference in nutrition and health. Significant progress has been made in recent years to breed more
nutritious food crops, through both conventional breeding and genetic modification (GM). Promising
examples include vitamin A-enriched sweet potatoes (orange sweet potato), rice (Golden Rice), maize
and cassava; high-zinc rice and wheat; and high-iron beans, pearl millet and rice. Several conventional
varieties have already been released and the results of efficacy and effectiveness studies have
confirmed substantial nutrition benefits187. Countries, civil society and international agencies should
take measures to accelerate progress in breeding, release and distribution of biofortified crop varieties.
Breeding programs need to include nutrition traits in their standard product profiles and variety
evaluation schemes so that nutrition traits become part of mainstream breeding. This is a departure
from the past focus on long shelf life, standard color and shape which is often achieved at the expense
of nutritional content as there is often a trade-off between the various traits. Breeders need to take full
advantage of new genomics, biotechnology and breeding technologies to achieve quantum leaps in
micronutrient and vitamin enrichment of food crops targeting the poor. Deployment of these varieties
through local seed systems needs to be accelerated to ensure that quality seed is available and
affordable. In addition to breeding, micronutrient fertilization is another highly successful strategy to
fortify crops agronomically. By adding, zinc, selenium or iodine to conventional fertilizer blends, it is
possible to not only boost productivity through yield gains but also to eradicate deficiencies in
humans188.
New models for agricultural extension
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 6a, 6b, 8b, 9a
Many unexploited income, productivity and resource efficiency gaps can be closed through accelerating
the transfer of new knowledge and technologies, enhancing access by farmers to markets and
information, facilitating better interaction among farmers and knowledge providers, and assisting
farmers and small businesses to develop their own technical, organizational and management skills and
practices. This is the essence of good agricultural extension and it has been the driving force for
productivity enhancements in many developed countries53. In crop production, for example, it requires
systematically implementing programs aimed at improving farmers skills in practices such as cropping
systems choice, land preparation, choosing the right seed, planting, water and nutrient management,

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control of pests, diseases, and weeds, machine operation, harvest and postharvest operations, record
keeping, farm business management, and information technology. Throughout the world, every farmer
should have access to good-quality extension and advisory services provided by the public sector,
private companies or consultants, NGOs, or farmer organizations. All of them can play complementary
roles. Unfortunately, agricultural extension systems in most low- and medium-income countries are
weak, both in term of outreach capacity and the quality of service provided. They often lack incentive
schemes and mechanisms for professional training for agricultural advisory workers. Different sectors
rarely work together.
Demand-driven, pluralistic advisory and extension systems with motivated, skilled professionals and
effective use of modern information-communication technologies (ICT) will be required for making SAI a
reality, in every farm189. Depending on the most appropriate local extension model, professional crop
advisers, government extension agents, farmer facilitators, community knowledge workers, as well as
sellers of agricultural inputs need to become trusted expert contacts for farmers. A new generation of
agricultural knowledge workers must have the necessary technical, interpersonal and communication
skills, professional certification and continued education, means of transport, technical backstopping,
and more. They also need to have clear incentives to help farmers succeed53. To both generate new
knowledge and provide local agriculture solutions for farmers they need to have strong links to and
understanding of adaptive research within relevant agro-ecologies. They also need to be in full
command of soft facilitation skills, modern decision tools, and information technologies (mobile/smart
phones, internet, social media, participatory video, remote sensing, soil and weather data, etc.)
Realizing this vision will require transformative institutional changes of current agricultural extension
systems in most countries, including a greater role for the private sector, as well as complementary
changes in agricultural research, especially greater capacity in adaptive research linked to extension
capacity189. Many new models are currently being piloted. First lessons are being compiled by global and
regional platforms for rural advisory systems such as MEAS (www.meas-extension.org/meas-
offers/case-studies)190 or GFRAS (www.g-fras.org/en). Innovations include demand-driven and market-
oriented mechanisms to link farmers more directly to improved technology, new business models and
product markets, such as the China Agriculture Extension Special Task Force or FIPS-Africa
(http://fipsafrica.org), in which self-employed village-based advisors also participate in profit-sharing
schemes with farmers. Following a multi-technology approach, such practitioners must have good
command of both technical and entrepreneurial skills. There is also significant potential for linking
agricultural extension with other sectors, for example nutrition and health, education, finance, and
government services. The key to success will be to create scalable, self-sustained business models in
which a new generation of proud and skilled agriculture professionals can earn a good living by serving
farmers, entrepreneurs and others involved in agricultural value chains.
Nutrient management and stewardship from science to local solutions
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 6a, 6b, 8b, 9a
Improving nutrient management is a central element in meeting the challenge to increase food
production, increase farm incomes, improve soil quality, reduce nutrient losses to the environment and
protect natural ecosystems. Both governments and businesses play an important role in this process.
Science-based principles for integrated, site-specific use of fertilizers, organic materials and other
nutrient sources have been developed through research. Site-specific nutrient management in crops
such as rice, wheat and maize has shown large benefits in terms of yield, farm profit, increased nitrogen
use efficiency and better nutrient balances191-193. Mobile phone and web applications have been
developed for use by extension workers and farmers in many countries, e.g. NM Rice
(www.irri.org/nmrice). Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) strategies that make use of mineral
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fertilizers and locally available organic amendments but also promote other good management practices
are a key to increasing agricultural productivity and improving poor soils in Sub-Saharan Africa176,194.
Countries, businesses and international donors should invest in solutions initiatives that seek to
systematically improve nutrient management for increased crop production, sustainability and
associated benefits, such as the 4R Nutrient Stewardship programs (Box 4-4).
Box 4-4. 4R Nutrient Stewardship
Enhanced nutrient stewardship plays a critical role in increasing crop production and sustainability. It is the
foundation for improving farm incomes, and in turn, improving food and nutritional security, education,
healthcare, local employment and environmental investments. In cases of low nutrient use efficiency and
higher crop production it supports grower efforts to increase crop uptake of nutrients while continuing to
increase crop yield, profitability and environmental performance. 4R Nutrient Stewardship
(www.nutrientstewardship.com) provides an action framework for improving the economic, social and
environmental performance of nutrient use. Applying the right source of plant nutrients at the right rate, time,
and place within a cropping system is the basis for nutrient stewardship. These four rights are necessary for
sustainable management of plant nutrients using both organic and inorganic amendments, and when used
with other agronomic best management practices (e.g., improved seed, planting density, etc.), allow growers
195
to achieve economic, social and environmental goals . Performance improvement goals are specific to the
region (increased yield, improved nutrient use efficiency, reduced runoff and leaching, etc.) and are achieved
through implementation of regionally specific best management practices. Implementation involves
participatory learning through continuous assessment of impacts, and feedback from researchers, extension
workers and growers in a process of iterative enhancements. Improving nutrient use among farmers supports
local and regional activities on improving environmental goods and services such as water quality, but also
strengthens local agri-businesses that provide inputs, dispense agronomic advice and support the local
economy. Model sites are being established in North America within key watersheds to advance nutrient
stewardship programming and a research fund has been established to advance the system. In Kenya, a model
site has been established to create a 4R nutrient stewardship system and enabling extension for small maize
producers. The system will be implemented in pilot areas with the goal of increasing yields, improving soil
quality and supporting the development of agribusiness. An iterative implementation and scaling model will be
used to customize the solution to regional and local needs using model sites. All information will be open
source, allowing interested stakeholders to adopt and adapt the solution to their local situation. Additional
private and public partners are being sought to expand pilot sites, extension staffing and expert farmer
programming, but also scale up to include new crops, other best management practices, and the use of digital
technologies to support local adoption and the sharing of information globally.

Micro-irrigation for smallholder farmers

Main contributions: Targets 1a, 6a, 6c
Many smallholder farms in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and other regions are trapped in poverty and
experience periods of food insecurity due to low cropping intensity and productivity caused by water
stress. Irrigation is a key entry point for doubling or tripling crop yields and enabling diversification of
cropping systems. Large-scale irrigation systems are capital intensive and restricted to lowland areas
with suitable conditions. Solar-powered drip or other micro-irrigation technologies, on the other hand,
can be customized to meet the needs of small farmers operating in diverse environments with limited
capital. Micro-irrigation systems precisely deliver water, nutrients and other inputs directly to the root
zone, resulting in high yields and high efficiency of these inputs. Equipped with additional filters, these
systems can also supply clean drinking water. Smart-metered, local solar and wind power utility models
can provide the electricity needed for irrigation pumps, as well as local households, schools, and small
village enterprises, including processing or storing of food. Demonstrated impacts include improved

60

food security and nutrition, increased incomes, reduced poverty, and new local business opportunities
and jobs196,197.
Modern low-pressure drip or other micro-irrigation systems are modular and can be designed to meet
varying local needs, ranging from a small family plot to village or community-scale production. A stage-
wise introduction and scaling up strategy includes a thorough analysis of the biophysical and
socioeconomic environment for technology design and business model development, financing,
business development, training of farmers and professionals, and linkages to input suppliers and
markets. Solutions for harvesting rainwater or accessing and storing available surface and groundwater
water need to be adapted to the local situation. Young agricultural professionals and technicians need
to be trained and have the right incentives to provide professional services to farmers as a business. To
minimize risk and enhance food security, drip-irrigated, intensified cropping systems should include
staple food crops and crops with high nutritional and market value (e.g., vegetables, fruits). Intensive,
diverse, all-year-round cropping is scheduled by the local community according to water and electricity
needs by different crops and users. Farmers may also form new cooperatives or other small enterprises
through which drip irrigation agriculture is done. Contract farming can become an integral part of such
new value chains. Services, maintenance and inputs are provided by local utility and service company
professionals, supported by public sector research and extension workers. Local workshops for small
machinery, pumps, repair and maintenance can create additional jobs. Implementation requires low-
interest capital from various sources as well as financing through pay-per use models for both electricity
and water. Smartphones linked to the internet provide access to real-time weather and market
information and are also used for real-time water and electricity monitoring, and customer
management (contract tracking, billing, and payments).
Investing in livestock markets
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 5c, 6a
Livestock account for 40% of agricultural GDP in developing countries and four of the five highest traded
agricultural commodities are livestock products, but the sector underperforms in terms of its
contribution to food security, poverty reduction and livelihoods of smallholder producers. By investing
now in the promotion of livestock enterprises and value chain development, national governments and
the donor community could pave the way for the emergence of a livestock industry that will sustainably
respond to national food security needs while staying inclusive of small livestock keepers. National
livestock strategies promoting enterprise and value chain development should address four main
constraints198,199:
1) Strengthening the institutions governing livestock product value chains: Foster the emergence of
livestock commodity associations where representatives from all the stakeholders in particular
commodity chains sit together to resolve common problems for the whole chain. The South African Red
Meat Industry Forum is a successful example of this.
2) Consolidating the enabling environment for livestock businesses: This includes a) developing and
enforcing a legal framework for livestock sector businesses, b) development of appropriate road,
electricity, water, information and communication technologies and slaughtering and market
infrastructures, c) facilitation of international trade by, for example promoting itinerant customs
controls across the country rather than only at ports of entry and aligning trade regulations across
countries, d) strengthening animal health systems and e) setting up livestock product quality and safety
standards which are adapted to the countrys situation and its smallholder farmers and which are also
trustworthy for regional foreign buyers.

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3) Implementing targeted public incentives to encourage investment in livestock enterprises: Establish a

government investment fund targeting the livestock sector and which can contribute to funding
investment activities by farmers, SMEs and larger agro-industries and to help secure loans from private
banks or microfinance institutions.
4) Developing the business management capacities of livestock value chain stakeholders: Livestock
sector development will not happen without capacity building of smallholder farmers and SMEs in
business and enterprise management. Sharing of innovations across the livestock product (and other
agricultural) value chains is also essential for market-led agricultural extension and supply chain
management. Public extension services are often not well equipped to implement such capacity
development activities effectively, but public funds can help increase the budget of NGOs, industry
bodies and farmers organizations to implement capacity development activities that are in line with
wider livestock sector development objectives, agreed upon by the whole industry in a consultative
process.
Livestock vaccines
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 5c, 6a
Medical and veterinary vaccine inventions are among the most cost-effective disease control
interventions ever deployed. They have enabled the global eradication of two lethal diseases, e.g.,
smallpox in humans (1979) and rinderpest in cattle and wild ungulates (2011). Vaccines against livestock
diseases have the power to reduce livestock mortality, sustainably increase productivity, increase food
and nutritional security, enhance the livelihoods of the poor and help developing economies grow.
Extensive quarantine, diagnosis and slaughter of livestock are not sustainable disease control options in
developing countries. Vaccines are essential in preventing the spread of disease. Diseases of tropical
origin are now threatening developed countries. For example African Swine Fever has reached Europe
and is threatening the pig industry there.
Despite the importance of vaccines, many of the diseases that affect livestock in developing countries
are neglected. There is an under-investment in this critical area of livestock agriculture. The situation is
exacerbated by a general lack of capacity to undertake early phase research in developing countries and
a lack of biotechnology related enterprises. Priority livestock diseases include African Swine fever (ASF),
contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), East Coast fever (ECF), peste de petits ruminants (PPR) and
Rift Valley fever (RVF). The latter is a zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from livestock to people.
Live pathogen based vaccines exist against CBPP, ECF, PPR and RVF. For ASF there is no vaccine and
preventing the spread of virus is the only realistic method of disease control.
Although the existing vaccines are often sub-optimal in nature and require cold chain facilities for
delivery, they can be used until more effective vaccines are developed. With advances in molecular
techniques, investment in the development of a new generation of subunit vaccines and vaccines that
are thermostable could have huge rewards in the next 10 years. This would also help spawn a new
generation of scientists to continue battling on the front lines of the ever-evolving arms race between
health and disease.
Doubling animal productivity with better use of crop residues
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 5c, 6a
Crop residues such as straws, stover and haulms form the basal diet of hundreds of millions of livestock
in smallholder systems throughout developing countries. These feeds have low to moderate nutritional
value but even moderate improvements in their quality have substantial effects on livestock productivity
- a one percent increase in digestibility results in 6 to 8% increase in livestock outputs. In most crops

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different cultivars have different nutritive values. For example, digestibility varies in cowpea, sorghum,
pearl millet and groundnut by 3 to 5 percentage units and in rice straw by 10 percentage units. These
differences can be exploited when farmers choose cultivars with better nutritive value, without
detriment to grain or pod yields. Fodder traders are well aware of these important differences in
nutritive value. For example in sorghum stover traded in India, a one percent difference in digestibility
was associated with a price difference of 5%. Feeding trials showed that feeding sorghum stover with a
digestibility of 52% compared to 47% as part of a mixed diet increased daily milk yield in buffaloes from
10 to 15 kg. Studies of the Indian dairy industry show that improving the basal diets of crop residues,
coupled with feed processing and fortification could double the milk yield per animal without requiring
more grain that can be directly used for human consumption.
With the rising availability of fast, cheap laboratory methods all new varieties of crops should be
screened for nutritive value of crop residues and this information made available to farmers along with
data on yield, disease resistance, etc. so that they can make informed choices about the varieties that
they select for growing. Indian sorghum breeders have pioneered this approach with nutritive value of
crop residues being one of the criteria used for release of new varieties. Extension of this to the release
criteria of crops in other national programs should be a priority. Fodder quality traits, such as
digestibility and nitrogen content should be incorporated into crop improvement programs this can be
done without impacting grain yield. Targeted genetic enhancement for food and feed/fodder traits using
recurrent selection, hybridization, marker assisted selection and QTL identification and backcrossing
should be mainstreamed into crop breeding.
Climate-smart agriculture
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 6a, 8b, 8c
Climate-Smart Agriculture is not a single, specific agricultural technology or practice that can be
universally applied. It is an approach that requires site-specific assessments to identify suitable
agricultural technologies and practices that aim to increase productivity in an environmentally and
socially sustainable way, strengthen farmers' resilience to climate change, and reduce agriculture's
contribution to climate change by reducing GHG emissions and sequestering more carbon200. Typical CSA
investment areas include a) implementation of sustainable land management practices (e.g.
conservation agriculture y, agroforestry, integrated livestock management, and water harvesting), b)
climate risk management (e.g., drought-tolerant varieties, early warning systems, climate forecasts, and
use of ICT tools for disseminating weather information), and c) transformation of whole production
systems. Innovative policy instruments and financing mechanisms that link investments from the public
and private sectors are key components for implementation. CSA includes activities that communities,
villages, districts and higher government levels can take, for example to provide a back-up in case of
crop or animal production failures.
Implementing CSA approaches is often challenging, partly due to a lack of tools, technology and data
(especially down-scaled weather data) to support the integration of multiple interventions at the farm
level. Climate-smart interventions are highly location-specific and knowledge-intensive. Considerable
efforts are required to develop the knowledge and capacities of a wide range of stakeholders. Rainfall is

y

Most efforts to date in developing countries have promoted conservation agriculture as a package of three practices:
minimum disturbance of soil (zero, minimum, or reduced tillage); retention of sufficient crop residue to provide surface
coverage; and diversified cropping patterns that usually also include a legume. Except for North and South America,
widespread adoption of this package has not yet occurred, but there is evidence for adoption of one or two of these
201
components in some areas in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia .

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often the greatest production risk farmers face. Instruments to manage this risk include weather index
insurance, drought tolerant and water-efficient varieties, conservation agriculture practices, water
harvesting and supplemental irrigation technologies. New commercial micro-insurance models are
emerging that hold promise when integrated with input credit programs and local weather stations to
validate low rainfall events and trigger payments. One such example is the Kilimo Salama
(http://kilimosalama.wordpress.com) program in Western Kenya that uses an existing mobile money
platform to make payments to eligible customers. The integration of satellite radar and local automated
reporting rain gages will be critical to support weather indexed credit and insurance. In the MasAgro
(http://masagro.mx/index.php/en) program in Mexico, federal and state agencies are aligning policies
and incentives to enhance the adoption of conservation agriculture practices for wheat and maize
production, for increased productivity and resilience to weather variability, especially rainfall. Another
example are policies that provide incentives to reduce GHG emissions associated with rice in Vietnam.

Increasing resilience to pests and diseases
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 6a, 9a
As cropping systems intensify, the potential for losses due to insects, diseases and weeds (together
termed pests hereafter) will increase if it is not actively managed. This may be exacerbated by the
increased climate variability that is predicted over the next four decades, which could favor the rapid
buildup of pests and disease populations. Pest risk will be compounded by increased movement of
humans, food and natural products among countries. Over the past four decades, integrated pest
management (IPM, http://pesticidestewardship.org/ipm) has emerged as a widely accepted approach to
manage pests using host plant resistance combined with cultural, biological and chemical control
methods202.
Genetic resistance can be effective at the variety, population and landscape levels in reducing risk
related to pests and other stressors. When resistance is built into the genetics of the crop or livestock
variety, it is easily replicated and distributed to and among farmers. Breeding resistance traits into
commercial crops and livestock has become more effective with the advent of modern molecular tools
that enable scientists to identify the different versions of a gene (called alleles) responsible for
resistance and track their integration with other resistance traits into a single variety. For some pests,
natural diversity does not provide adequate control, which may require genetic engineering solutions.
For most pests, however, natural diversity for resistance exists and can be utilized through breeding and
population management. Cultural controls include crop rotation management, intercropping, agronomic
practices that improve the health of the plant or animal to naturally resist or tolerate attack, or the
management of habitat reservoirs. New "ecological engineering" approaches aim to support populations
of biological control agents that can regulate pest populations below economic damage levels. One
example of this is the Push-Pull mechanism used in Kenya to control stemborers and Striga in maize.
Desmodium (a perennial legume) is intercropped with maize to push or repel stemborers and to
suppress Striga, and Napier grass is planted outside the field to pull or attract stemborers away from
the maize crop203. Both Desmodium and Napier are valuable fodder crops for the Kenyan smallholder
dairy industry.
Given the knowledge intensive nature of many IPM practices, few examples of wide-scale, sustained
adoption exist. However, ICTs are now improving access by researchers and extension agents to pest
and disease diagnostic tools. Along with improved population modeling and weather data, IPM is now
well positioned to leverage digital platforms to support frontline extension agents and farmers in
implementing preemptive management practices. Improved weather data will be required especially
for regions with the most dramatic weather variability. ICT tools and community-based crop clinics such

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as the Plantwise initiative of CABI (www.plantwise.org) and its partners are already offering improved
access to a growing knowledge base for pest and disease management solutions. Policies that support
integrated approaches to pest and disease control will be important to avoid the unintended
consequences experienced 50 years ago with the introduction and over-reliance on synthetic pesticides
as a silver-bullet for control. Most importantly, input suppliers, extension professionals and farmers
need to be trained well in all aspects of modern pest management, including pesticide stewardship
(www.croplife.org/crop_protection_stewardship) to minimize environmental or health risks.
Innovative smallholder technologies to increase crop value, reduce postharvest losses, and improve
food safety
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 6a
Because farmers are often unable to dry, store and process their produce, losses are high and there is
widespread contamination of foodstuffs with microbes and mycotoxins. For example, most vegetables
and high-value food crops are at peak quality at harvest but start to deteriorate soon afterwards.
Moisture loss and physical damage during harvest, packing, storage and transportation causes losses of
20 - 80%204. The loss of produce volume, nutritional content and quality mean that consumers pay more
for products which are less beneficial to their nutritional security. Reducing postharvest losses of these
products will increase the incomes of the producers and the availability of micronutrients for all. For
starchy staples such as root, tuber and cereal crops, as well as for many legumes, proper drying and
storage is also critical to avoid the buildup of toxic compounds such as aflatoxin and fumonisin, which
are produced by molds.
Various postharvest handling methods are already available to help deliver more produce of better
quality to the point of sale. The methods reduce moisture loss and physical damage at every step along
the chain from field and harvest to consumers. Growers should use the most appropriate crops to
withstand the local environment, transportation and market challenges205. These varieties must be well
adapted to biotic and abiotic constraints, and have morphological and physiological traits to assure the
produce reaches the consumer in optimum condition and is acceptable. Best practices must be used:
harvest at optimum maturity and at cooler times of the day and keep produce in the shade to reduce
temperature and moisture loss; use harvesting tools and storage containers that do not inflict
unnecessary damage to the produce; grade the produce to remove damage or diseased materials to
minimize microbial spoilage; and clean and pack into uniform lots to attract higher prices. In many
developing countries, keeping produce cool is a big challenge: simple evaporative coolers are already
available, and mechanisms to adapt air-conditioners to reduce temperatures further have been
developed206. Other postharvest techniques which can suit smallholder producers are various drying
techniques to retain quality and improve shelf-life, modified atmosphere packaging, and food processing
to increase shelf-life, retain nutrients and add value.
To reduce postharvest losses, growers and processors must be able to know what economic losses occur
and are avoidable. The information must help guide stakeholders, in both the public and private sectors,
to identify constraints and opportunities. Active participation of all stakeholders is needed to identify
the best postharvest management packages. Policy constraints also need to be addressed all in the
context of delivering safe, health-promoting foods to consumers with minimal wastage. Preferred
postharvest practices must be validated; profitable technologies will encourage confidence among the
growers and value-chain actors to adopt the technologies. Further mechanisms for adding value may
include certification, further cleaning and produce sanitation, and preparation of vegetables ready for
cooking to meet the needs of busy urban consumers who need to save time in food preparation. Centers
of excellence for postharvest management may be an ideal mechanism to provide necessary advice,

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services, tools and materials to empower growers and other actors along the value chain to make
greater positive impact on their health and livelihoods by delivering more and better quality produce.
New business models for smallholder farming and marketing
Main contributions: Targets 1a, 6a, 6c, 8c
Where structural transformation processes in urban and rural areas proceed rapidly, traditional
smallholder farming will more and more be supplemented or replaced with outsourcing of farming
operations, the formation of small and medium-size farmer cooperatives or agribusiness enterprises,
and contract farming207. Value chains for major agricultural commodities will become more tightly
integrated because processors and consumers demand more information and control over how food is
being produced, with supermarket chains playing a particularly important role. For farmers this is a
chance to connect with rapidly growing domestic and export markets and thus become more direct
beneficiaries of competitive food systems. The food industry in particular has increased investments in
direct-sourcing of agricultural produce from small farmers worldwide, a trend that is expected to
continue due to increasing industry and consumer demands for tracing food and meeting certified as
well as non-certified production standards (e.g., Good Agricultural Practice www.globalgap.org or the
SAI Platform www.saiplatform.org).
Many countries and businesses are now experimenting with such new forms of market-oriented
smallholder farming. They are often linked to supermarkets and food processing chains and can lead to
substantial income gains for the participating farmers as well as better access to inputs, services and
new technologies207,208. A quiet revolution towards more vertical integration of value chains is already
occurring in many countries of Asia, where urban areas typically account for half the population and
two-thirds to three-quarters of its food demand (Box 4-5)79.
Structural and value chain transformations of this nature could become key vehicles for improving the
income of small farmers, creating attractive jobs in rural areas, and providing affordable, safe, nutritious
food to urban consumers. They also provide entry points for reducing food waste, particularly food
which perishes between farm and market in the developing world. They are opportunities for solutions
that combine food industry and agribusiness development and market competitiveness with the food
security and poverty alleviation agenda. More and larger-scale pilots are needed to develop inclusive
and sustainable business models for such a transformation of smallholder farming, including good
compliance mechanisms80,209.
79

Box 4-5. The quiet revolution in staple food value chains in Asia
Transformational changes in rice and potato value chains are occurring in Bangladesh, India and China. This
includes a rapid rise of supermarkets, modern cold storages, large rice mills, and commercialized small farmers
using input-intensive, mechanized technologies. Although there is great heterogeneity in farm sizes and
distribution of non-land assets, all farmers, regardless of how small their plots are, are commercializing and
benefitting. Markets for farm machinery, water and land are active. Through mobile phones farmers are much
better informed on what, how, and for whom to produce. In the midstream segments of the value chain,
driven by the private sector, rice mills are modernizing and cold storage facilities for potatoes have expanded
rapidly to meet the demands of new off-season urban markets. The rise of cold storage has brought higher
incomes for potato farmers and all-season access for potato consumers. Processors now buy directly from
farmers so they can do their own branding and packaging, as supermarkets have penetrated urban food retail,
shifting from loose, unbranded staples to packaged, branded staples with traceability in the supply chain. Off-
farm components of the value chains account for 36-40% of the total margins in these new rice and potato
chains, illustrating the importance of increasing the productivity of processing, storage and distribution of
food.

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Digital agriculture
Main contributions: All targets
Digital technologies will be a key enabler to grapple with the complexity of SAI and taking it to scale.
Mobile phones, interactive radio, video and internet can enable farmers to access location-specific and
timely recommendations that are actionable, but also to contribute to gathering large-scale datasets on
the performance of agricultural options (varieties, planting dates, etc.) Crowd-sourcing can help fill data
gaps and thus improve the tailoring of recommendations. Mobile technologies in particular are a vehicle
to not only integrate improved varieties, agronomy and policies to support food systems, but also as the
mechanism to integrate other key services such as credit, insurance, education and health. Digitally-
enabled technologies can drive transparency that in turn supports accountability and ultimately leads to
good governance an essential ingredient for development. Governments need to embrace the era of
digitally-enabled exchange of information and learning to accelerate the pace of development,
democratize information, and empower farmers, consumers and investors to make informed choices.
Strong public-private partnerships will be required to realize the full potential of digital technology along
value chains. Examples of digital agriculture applications include:

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National and sub-national scorecards that track key indicators related to food security, nutrition
and environmental sustainability of national food systems.
High-resolution satellite imagery to support land tenure processes so farmers can invest with
confidence in improving their land.
Digital data, maps and spatial application services for deriving customized products according to
user specifications. Examples include the Global Yield Gap Atlas (www.yieldgap.org) or the Africa
Soil Information Service (www.africasoils.net).
Data platforms to support farmer research networks conducting simple experiments on large
scales to support improved deployment of germplasm and other agricultural options.
Smartphone platforms for location-specific delivery of crop status information and forecasts,
based on high-resolution, real-time crop monitoring by satellites, cloud-based processing,
weather data and crop simulation models.
Smartphones used for plant disease diagnosis or nutrient management decision-making (e.g.,
NM Rice www.irri.org/nmrice).
Video technology and monitoring platforms for farmer-to-farmer extension, e.g., Digital Green
(www.digitalgreen.org).
Commodity exchanges accessible by mobile phones that give farmers access to markets and
secure higher prices while processors benefit from high quality raw materials based on
transparent grades and standards and easier aggregation of primary products.
Mobile phone enabled portals and services for extension professionals, farmers, and
agribusinesses, including credit, inputs, weather-indexed insurance, location-specific extension
alerts and technical support, market prices and short-term weather forecasts.
Tracking of government performance in providing an enabling environment for SAI, including
seed delivery, extension services, local businesses and service providers for operations such as
land preparation, planting, and application of pesticides.
Digital applications for local value chain tracking and diagnostics to inform businesses,
governments, and consumers, increase value chain efficiencies, and track food safety and losses.
New bioinformatics platforms for speeding up gene discovery and breeding, especially for
integrating complex traits into crops and livestock species important to smallholder farmers.
Knowledge repositories and exchange platforms that enable development partners to distill and
access context-specific learning to increase the effectiveness of development efforts.

Mobile platforms that provide integrated agriculture, health, financial and education services to
rural families, e.g., the MOTECH platform.

Promoting integrated landscape management

Main contributions: most Targets
To address the challenges of food insecurity, persistent poverty, climate change, ecosystem degradation
and biodiversity loss successfully, it is critical to move beyond zero-sum strategies that solve one
problem but exacerbate others. Integrated landscape management aims to realize synergies and
reduce trade-offs among these multiple objectives. Farmers and land managers around the world are
reaching out across traditional sectoral boundaries to forge partnerships with conservation
organizations, local governments, businesses and others to solve problems that are inter-connected.
More than 107 such initiatives have been documented in Latin America, over 85 in Africa and an Asian
inventory is underway210,211. However, current institutionsstill sectorally siloedprovide weak support
for these efforts. In Lari-Kijabe in Kenya, smallholder farmer organizations are partnering with local
governments, banks and conservation groups to expand agricultural markets and protect high-
conservation value forests and watersheds. In the Maasai Steppeland of Tanzania, commercial avocado
producers, pastoralists and conservation organizations are partnering to raise incomes and food
security, while protecting wildlife. In Tigray, Ethiopia, restoration of highly degraded watersheds by
community-government-NGO partnerships have enabled irrigation and water access, increased food
production, and greatly reduced the need for food aid during droughts.
In 2012, a global coalition of more than 50 agriculture, environment and development organizations
came together to implement the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative
(www.landscapes.ecoagriculture.org). The Initiative is advancing viable pathways for sustainable
development in places where food production, ecosystem health and human wellbeing must be
achieved simultaneously. The top priority is to strengthen the capacity of existing landscape initiatives
and mobilize cross-site learning, coordinated investment and documentation. To accelerate the scaling
up of integrated landscape approaches, the Initiative is assisting countries to put in place supportive
policy frameworks, encouraging businesses to pursue sustainable sourcing through landscape
partnerships, expanding financing for integrated landscape investments and promoting science and
knowledge systems for landscape solutions.
Transforming China's agriculture
Main contributions: Targets 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c, 8b, 9a, 9c
China produces the bulk of its food on millions of tiny farms, but hundreds of millions of people have
already left the countryside in recent decades. China also imports huge amounts of agricultural products
from other regions. Success in transforming the global food system will also depend on whether China
can transform its agriculture. The sheer size of its population and food consumption, and the rapid pace
of its economic development have already strained land, water, and other resources, leading to
widespread environmental problems and food safety concerns. SAI will have to become the cornerstone
for future food security and rural development in China. Perhaps the biggest challenge for China is to
find "double high SAI solutions that ensure high yields with high resource use efficiency, and also meet
higher environmental protection and land quality standards. Being the world's largest fertilizer
consumer, more effective nutrient management is of particular significance for China because current
application rates of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are high, whereas their use efficiencies
are often very low. Solving this problem requires better congruence between crop nutrient demand and
nutrient supply from soil, fertilizer and other sources. The technologies and diagnostic tools needed
have been developed by Chinese researchers, demonstrating that large gains in yields, income, water

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and nutrient use efficiency could be achieved182,212,213216. Adoption of such approaches could also lead to
substantial reductions in GHG emissions. Nitrogen fertilizer-related emissions constitute about 7% of
GHG emissions from the entire Chinese economy. Mitigation opportunities include improving methane
recovery during coal mining, enhancing energy efficiency in fertilizer manufacture, and increasing the
efficiency of N fertilizer use at the field-level. This could cut N fertilizer-related emissions by 2063%,
which would decrease Chinas total GHG emissions by 26%43.
The main challenge is how to upscale knowledge-intensive management practices through suitable
policies and extension models for different types of farming in China212. In small households with 0.5 ha
land, double high agriculture requires organizing small farms into somewhat larger land units and
working closely with farmers through village-based agricultural experts. This should also be tied into
new business models for farming in China, such as small to medium agribusinesses, cooperatives and
contract farming208,214. In contrast, large farms are found in Northeast China, with each household
managing 25 ha or more land with modern machinery and good access to professional extension experts.
In this case, even information technology-based management and large-scale agricultural service
models have been tested and successfully adopted by these large-scale farms. Agricultural technology
extension in China predominantly relies on public sector activities, with only a small, complementary
role for the private sector. With further development of the Chinese economy the role of the private
sector in research and extension of agriculture technology is becoming more important. Based on the
characteristics of the main bodies involved in China, the approaches for agricultural technology transfer
and extension for high-yield and high-efficiency crop production can include: (1) farm-based approaches
for promoting knowledge transfer to farmers; (2) enterprise-based approaches for incorporating
knowledge into commercial products; and (3) government-based approaches for improving the national
extension network212.
Monitoring the worlds agricultural systems
Main contributions: all Targets
Effective monitoring networks are essential to track, anticipate and manage changes in the biophysical,
economic, and social aspects of different farming systems around the world143,167. A global agricultural
monitoring system should be established as a well-designed and well-directed network of partners
engaged in collecting high-quality data required by a wide range of stakeholders. It would provide up to
date information on the status of agriculture and progress towards meeting the agreed future SDG
Targets, including environmental targets affected by agriculture. Simultaneously measuring indicators
across SDGs - including many of those proposed in Chapter 3 - in an integrated monitoring system will
allow scientists, land managers and other decision makers alike to find solutions to the most pressing
problems facing global food security. It would help direct public and private investments, and would
allow for quantification of the multifunctional aspects of agriculture and food systems in a comparable
manner across scales.
Such a monitoring system would build on existing but often disconnected monitoring efforts. It would
supplement and improve existing national and global statistics with high quality data collected at farm,
landscape and regional scales. Both universal and site-specific metrics are needed to detect change over
time and across scales167. This would include, for example, more precise data such as crop and livestock
yields, weather data so that yields can be adjusted for climate variability, yield gaps based on simulation
of yield potential and measurement of actual yields, nutrient application rates, budgets and efficiencies,
crop losses by pests and diseases, water use and efficiency, measures of soil quality and ecological
resilience, availability of credit and machinery, household income, and low-cost genetic fingerprinting to
assess the diversity of the main crop varieties and animal breeds. It would utilize adaptive monitoring
and hierarchical design strategies to address specific and new questions or hypotheses, including those
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that are subject to much public debate, such as the impacts of GM crops or tradeoffs of organic
agriculture. Universities and International Agricultural Research Centers (the CGIAR and others), could
play a major role in such an effort because they have thousands of experts in various disciplines and
thousands of partners on the ground. An interdisciplinary monitoring network would also provide
unique, exciting opportunities for students and others to learn about the science and practice of
sustainable agriculture. The monitoring work would have to tie in with national statistical agencies, UN
agencies and others who collect and analyze data on agriculture and associated and natural ecosystems,
to overcome many of the current weaknesses in data coverage and quality (see Chapter 5.2).
International donors should allocate sufficient amounts of long-term funding to support such an effort,
which would benefit them and countries in making better decisions and tracking returns on
investments.

4.3. Investing in long-term change

Foresight is needed to avoid running into another food crisis 20 or 30 years from now. In addition to
investing in early solutions or technologies that are likely to become available in the next 5 to 10 years,
strategic investments are needed to sustain and even accelerate the rate of progress over time. This
requires large, stable investments in two major areas: (1) agricultural research with potentially high
payoffs and (2) strengthening the capacity of National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), including
human resources development at all levels, from science to extension215,216.
For some 10,000 years farming made progress through observation, tinkering and trial and error.
Organized agricultural research has only been conducted for about 200 years. Its success has been
spectacular, leading to a steady accumulation of knowledge as well as massive breakthroughs in the
performance of agriculture. It has been demonstrated numerous times that rates of return on
investment in agricultural R&D are high in both developed and developing countriesz, that spillover of
innovations among countries is substantial, and that investments in R&D often have large, long-lasting
cross-sectoral growth benefits4,215,217-219. It has also been shown that countries that have heavily invested
in R&D, extension, and measures that favor long-term business and infrastructure development for
commercialization of new knowledge and technologies have also had the strongest productivity
growth5,220. Further, investments in R&D can have significant impacts on productivity growth even in the
absence of improvements in infrastructure or extension, whereas the reverse is usually not the case5.
Despite this track record and a modest increase in funding in recent years, agricultural R&D
expenditures remain far too low in most countries. In 2008/9, global public spending on agricultural R&D
totaled about US$32-34 billion, split about evenly between high-income and low/middle-income
countries163,221. Private sector investments add another US$15-20 billion, 90% of which is in high-income
countries. Altogether agriculture and food only account for about 5% of total global science spending.
Moreover, Brazil, China and India alone account for half of all agricultural R&D spending in the
low/medium income category, whereas many low- and middle-income countries still have very limited
R&D capacity. It has been estimated that nearly half of the world's agricultural science knowledge stock
has been generated by just seven countries, with the USA, Japan, and China accounting for one third221.
There is no plausible reason for why returns on investments in agricultural R&D could be lower in the
future. Investments in public agricultural research should be doubled within the next 10 years215 and
they need to be of a long-term, strategic nature, not driven by short-term thinking and bureaucracy that

z

Annualized rates of return vary by country and type of innovation, but often range from 20% to 80% in agricultural research in
developing countries. Calculations of rates of return may sometimes be biased because failures may not be included in impact
studies or because attribution to research is difficult to quantify for some technologies and policy interventions.

70

causes high transaction costs. Although private sector funding for agricultural R&D has risen
substantially in recent years, questions must be raised as to whether it can really substitute for public
R&D222. Generally speaking, private sector R&D is concentrated on fewer commodities, technologies and
markets than public R&D and the intellectual property created is not equally accessible. Moreover, a
decline in public sector funding would also lead to a decline in basic research needed to create new
technology opportunities for the private sector, as well as a decline in the training of human resources
needed by the private sector. Hence, a balanced approach is needed, including increased investments in
public R&D on agriculture and food systems, but with better R&D funding mechanisms that create more
space for scientists to actually be able to do creative science.
Larger, more predictable and less restrictive support for R&D involves investing in strong pipelines of
both basic and applied research. Both are interlinked and need to be funded in parallel. Many exciting
new ideas have been proposed or are already being pursued by research groups worldwide, addressing
fundamental questions in agricultural sciences223,224. Most of them require large, longer-term public and
private sector investment and effective collaboration of scientists worldwide. Some examples for
potential future breakthroughs are shown in Box 4-6.
Investing in creating and retaining a new generation of agricultural scientists and professionals
including more women will be vital for achieving any of the post-2015 agricultural goals. Huge human
resource gaps persist in many developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, but with the
exception of China and India also in most countries of Asia. A generation gap is opening up due to
retirements and lacking investments in human resources development during the past 20 years. We can
achieve a lot with new technologies, but only if we have dedicated people who develop them, make
sure that they meet farmers and businesses needs, and bring them towards application. Robots,
computers, the internet or smartphones cannot do this. They are helpful tools, but not the primary
means for innovation and enacting behavior change in the complex world of agriculture. Public science
education on food, agricultural and environmental issues needs to be strengthened all the way from
primary education to college. Curricula should be upgraded to include the best available science of
sustainable agricultural intensification in an exciting manner, thus encouraging young people to become
part of the transformative changes needed by seeking a career in the agriculture and food sectors. A
global classroom, a network of knowledge centers who become global, regional and national leaders in
agricultural sustainability science and practice, should be formed to raise the profile of agricultural
science, mobilize action, connect young people worldwide, and also educate business executives and
political leaders.
National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS)aa are the backbone of agricultural development in a
country, but many will require a complete overhaul and even whole new models in order to be able to
fulfill their mandate. At present, many are too weak in terms of human capital, infrastructure,
operational funding, incentives, management and governance to undertake the work that will be
required216. In many countries, NARS still depend highly on donor funding, which also creates volatility
risks for pursuing a long-term national agenda. While international donors should be encouraged to
invest more in both international and national agricultural R&D systems, most low- to middle-income
countries should also aim to spend at least 1% of their agricultural GDP to support public agricultural
R&D in their country. At present, most developing countries spend only about 0.5% of agricultural GDP
on R&D163. Modernization of NARS and greater financial support should be an integral component of
comprehensive national agricultural development and investment strategies, following an integrated,

aa

Here we focus primarily on public sector research. The term National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) is
often used to describe the entire system of research and extension organizations in a country.

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inclusive approach that is country-owned. Many good suggestions have been made and various new
models have already been tried in recent years for modernizing national agricultural research as well as
extension systems216,226.

Box 4-6. Blue-sky research that could lead to future transformative changes in agriculture and food systems

Massive discovery of genes functions by sequencing and phenotyping the worlds collections of wild and
domesticated crop and animal species, and using that know-how in conventional and biotechnology
applications for accelerating next generation crop and animal breeding. The revolutions in biological
sciences and information technology have put this exciting opportunity at our fingertips. Potential returns
on such investments are huge and broad, including for small farms worldwide.
Re-engineering crop photosynthesis to increase yields and make crops more resource-efficient.
Introducing C4-photosynthesis into a C3 crop such as rice could produce 30-50% more yield for the same
amount of sunshine, water and nitrogen. The metabolic components already exist in C3 rice plants.
However, the anatomical and biochemical features of C4 plants must be understood and transferred to
rice plants. This is currently being pursued by a group of scientists from the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) and advanced institutions around the world in the international C4 Rice Consortium, who
113
hope to construct a functioning C4 rice plant within the next 20 years .
Genetic improvements to increase the nitrogen use efficiency in non-leguminous crops, including
225
engineering a m echanism for fixing atmospheric N2 into such crop species . The three major cereals (rice,
wheat, maize) account for about 50% of global nitrogen fertilizer consumption. A breakthrough in nitrogen
use efficiency of such staple crops would help decouple rising food production from rising fertilizer
consumption, and make farming more profitable.
Cost-effective small-scale production of ammonia integrated with renewable energy generation to meet
local fertilizer supply needs and store energy in fertilizer to buffer intermittent supplies of electrical
41
energy .
Smart fertilizer technologies and/or genetic improvements that could double the crop recovery efficiency
of applied phosphorus fertilizer. Typically, only 20-25% of the P applied with fertilizer is recovered by the
crop in the first growing season. Although it can be increased through better nutrient management and
stewardship programs in low-performing areas, new technology could enable increasing short- and/or
long-term phosphorus efficiency. This would be more profitable for farmers, and also reduce the risk of P
losses.
Next generation biofuels and other bioenergy solutions that are more energy efficient, use crop residues
and biomass waste, and dont consume more agricultural land or natural ecosystems.
118
Environment-independent, self-sustained skyfarming or other forms of vertical urban agriculture and
horticulture, as part of local food chains.
Semi-autonomous farm robots for precision farming at different scales, including for performing tasks that
are difficult, laborious or dangerous to humans.
Edible, commercially viable 'synthetic' meat grown under controlled, energy-efficient conditions to replace
livestock products.
New products made from agricultural by-products and waste, including recycling of chemical elements for
other uses.
Innovative payment and (digital) monitoring schemes for environmental services that incentivize the
implementation of high ecological and social standards at landscape scale.
Food market system innovations that can incentivize species and landscape diversity in agriculture, e.g.,
whole new storage facilities and computerized delivery systems for diverse products.

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Generally speaking, there is a need to (i) move from supply-driven to demand-driven agricultural
innovation systems that focus on the right priorities, including active participation by key stakeholders,
and (ii) simplify the increasing complexity, fragmentation and lack of coordination of agricultural R&D
funding. New, visionary R&D funding models are needed that

73

Are founded in strategic long-term thinking;

Have a clear outcome-focus and reward quality science and proven impact;
Enable public-private collaboration in R&D and extension to cover all areas sufficiently and make
faster progress;
Encourage open access to information, data and other intellectual properties;
Create a viable market for R&D outputs and innovation services;
Enhance cross-border learning, cooperation and technology spillover;
Stimulate more private investments in R&D and direct it to areas of public interest, including
attracting new investors such as venture capital and social impact investors;
Systematically improve public R&D infrastructure; and
Build human capital.

5. Planning and implementing action

Implementation of the new SDGs through targets, indicators, planning and investments should be
scalable from local to global levels, and must also be measureable at all levels and scales. The pathways
towards more sustainable agriculture and food systems will vary by country as well as within countries,
but could follow some common principles (Box 5-1).
In every village there is a huge diversity of households, from relatively better off to abjectly poor. Each
country and each locality must choose its own agricultural transformation paths, and prioritize concrete
solutions for them. Market-driven economic and technological growth will not be sufficient to achieve
the necessary, deep transformation of the global food system because it lacks the incentives to confront
all of the challenges that need to be tackled. Good governance supported by good metrics needs to
direct the transformation process. Not all goals of sustainable agriculture and food systems can be
achieved immediately and simultaneously because the challenges and uncertainties are simply too large
and complex. Perfect, quick solutions rarely exist. Multiple actionable changes are the basis for
moving towards achieving a major goal. A risk minimization strategy also offers greater potential for
ownership and building consensus that results in real change. Its goal is to find ways of moving forward
rather than seeking ultimate solutions that do not address the diverse, pressing needs of different
countries, which too often result in no action being taken77. It may also include drastic actions that may
have to be taken in certain cases, such as policies and good governance mechanisms that slow down and
halt the destruction of forests or natural wetlands, the depletion of water resources, and the conversion
of fertile agricultural land into housing and industrial zones, or provide the necessary controls over food
quality and safety.
Planning for success requires an implementation plan that provides a roadmap to realize strategic goals.
While the high-level SDGs for the post-2015 era will galvanize the global community to work towards
shared development goals, country-by-country as well as local implementation plans will be required to
achieve the targets. National and local governments need to take the lead in developing and
implementing their own sustainable development strategies and action plans at different levels, based
on the proposed SAI principles and the four dimensions of sustainable development. Improved
measurement of development outputs and outcomes has to be an integral part of this, but moving
beyond high-level global goals will also require solid business plans for development that provide a
roadmap for success. Countries and local stakeholders need to enter the sustainable development path
in the right order by defining their priorities and assessing the feasibility of different options. Action
planning needs to be goal-oriented and systematic. National and local governments should apply
structured assessment and business planning methodologies to analyze how various solutions could
contribute to meeting one or more specific targets, and what the cost of different options is.
Researchers must play an important role in guiding this process. A structured assessment and
backcasting approach typically includes five steps:

Background analysis: data collection, past trends and future projections, possible scenarios
Analyze data on problem relevance: define and characterize key problems/opportunities
Assess different technology/policy solutions (assumptions, timeframes, effectiveness, cost, etc.)
Estimate outcomes and effects at scale (direct and indirect effects)
Modeling of large-scale impact on development goals/targets: direct and indirect sectoral and
cross-sectoral benefits; cost vs. benefits

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Interesting examples have recently been demonstrated for assessing technology paths for decarbonizing
Californias energy supply through such a backcasting approach227, or for climate change adaptation
planning in Ethiopia228.
Box 5-1. Some guiding principles for implementing Sustainable Agricultural Intensification

Governments and international agencies should make sustainable development of agriculture a priority
and support it through larger and sustained investments.
The domestic private sector, composed of millions of farmers and other local businesses, is by far the
biggest investor in agriculture and must be at the center of agricultural development strategies and plans.
Countries should weigh the costs, benefits and potential tradeoffs of specific steps to take, but within a
generic framework that aims to achieve transformative changes.
Countries need to constantly adjust their own policies to remove barriers, take advantage of new
technologies and create incentives for farmers, technology developers and the investment community to
develop workable options for deploying into agricultural systems.
Agricultural productivity growth in cereals and other staple food crops cannot be compromised because it
is essential for eradicating poverty and hunger.
Improvement of agriculture and food systems is a continuous, iterative process involving many public, civil
society and private sector stakeholders. Many small steps must be taken, involving learning as well as
requiring behavior change by all actors involved. Multi-faceted approaches are needed to respond to the
diversity of farmers environments, objectives, constraints and incentives and to ensure proper targeting.
Thinking, policies and technologies from developed countries cannot be simply transferred to developing
and transition countries to dictate what is right or wrong, but all opportunities for North-South as well as
South-South sharing and learning should be exploited.
Specific attention must be paid to increasing the resilience of crop and livestock systems, adapting
agriculture to climate change and climatic extremes, reducing the water intensity of crop production,
better nutrient management, improved animal health, and halting the expansion of agriculture into
natural ecosystems of ecological high value.
Greater equity is needed in terms of access to inputs and markets throughout the world to help
smallholders escape from poverty and resource depletion traps.
Farming, and the broader rural agribusiness sector, must provide attractive social and economic
development opportunities for people living in rural areas, particularly women and the hundreds of
millions of young people who will soon be looking for jobs. Women are key drivers of change in
agriculture. They need to be empowered along the whole value chain, from equal access to land to
opportunities for small business development in the agriculture and food sector.
Better support systems are needed on the ground to accelerate progress, including more professional
extension systems, mobile phone technology, soil data, real-time weather data, reference research
information, crop information, etc.
Implementing SAI should include efforts to integrate agriculture with other sectors to have greater impact,
particularly on health, natural resource management, disaster risk reduction, gender, education and
energy.
Multiple stakeholders must be encouraged to participate in the SAI process. Programs and policy m easures
should encourage business development, public-private partnerships, and other measures through which
a variety of sectors can work together on the ground.
The engagement of farmers, communities and consumers should increase.
Biophysical, economic, social and environmental metrics need to be collected in a comprehensive, reliable
manner to assess different policy and technology options, make the right choices, and evaluate the
performance of agriculture over time. Countries should adopt open data policies.

Political will is needed to implement a more coordinated and business approach to development,
including behavior change on the part of all participants. One of the major challenges is the alignment of
many actors who play different roles in development to ensure strategies are translated into tangible

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outputs and outcomes to improve food security and nutrition for the rural and urban poor. One
initiative which has shown some success is the development of Innovation Platforms to foster linkages
between the many players in a specific value chain. These Innovation Platforms or Innovation Hubs
bring together the public and private sectors, research and development, and actors at different places
in the value chain to contribute to local innovation and strengthened chains. Local and national
governments are often overwhelmed by disparate programs operating within their borders, but such
platforms can give a solid base from which to drive action which is well coordinated. The range of
organizations to coordinate with includes:

National governments and local authorities

National agricultural research and extension systems
Universities
Civil society organizations (CSOs), including farmers associations
Private companies and industry associations
Sustainable agriculture platforms and roundtables
UN organizations such as FAO, WFP, UNEP, UNDP, and OECD
Global and regional political bodies and organizations
Global, regional and national initiatives, e.g., CAADP, G8 Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition,
AGRA, African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), Global Partnership on Nutrient
Management (GPNM), Global Dryland Alliance (GDLA), Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), etc.
Large business-led initiatives, platforms (e.g., SAI Platform www.saiplatform.org) and
development corridors (e.g., WEF/New Vision for Agriculture)
Donors, development banks and funds, private foundations, and social/impact investors
International agricultural research centers, e.g., those forming the CGIAR and the Association of
International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture (AIRCA)

While many of these stakeholders have common goals, there is relatively little coordination among
them along a commodity value chain in most developing countries compared to developed economies.
Often implementation measures to increase farm productivity and profitability is hampered by partners
not knowing how individual initiatives stitch together to support a robust and safe food system. The
diversity of uncoordinated projects operating within a given country leads to fragmented, unsustainable
investments that seldom reach large scale. Key steps towards addressing this critical issue include:

Comprehensive, national and sub-national agricultural development strategies and investment

plans which follow an integrated, inclusive approach, are evidence-based, and are driven by the
needs of smallholder farmers and local entrepreneurs to become successful in producing,
processing and marketing nutritious, safe food in an efficient and equitable manner.
Laws, policies and implementation offices that guide and coordinate the activities of multiple
actors and ensure transparency and accountability of development partners for outputs in
support of national development goals.
Establishment of scalable systems that support stakeholder engagement, sharing of information
and practices, measurement, sustainability goal setting, training, extension, etc. so that diverse
stakeholders can focus their resources on making a meaningful difference.
The use of modern tools (e.g., mobile phones, satellite imagery, geospatial databases) to foster
linkages along value chains and stronger coordination and engagement with farmers to increase
the adoption of ecological intensification practices.
Scorecards that leverage digital technologies to provide more granular feedback to governments
on their progress towards SDGs across sectors, including the contributions of multiple actors
involved.
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There is a need for partner mapping within each country to enable organizations within regions and
along different commodity value chains to self-assemble and make strategic contributions to increase
value chain efficiency, reduce duplication and provide farmer-preferred inputs and services while
supporting equitable market opportunities for smallholder farmers and their families. Providing the
tools, many digitally enabled, to support value chain coordination and efficiency gains in service of farm
families will be vital for success. Mechanisms, indicators and scorecards should be created that
incentivize organizations to take ownership and become more effective in reducing poverty and
increasing agriculture productivity in a sustainable manner. One example of this is the development of
seed roadmaps to ensure crop improvement programs are placing appropriate emphasis on the markets
and traits important to farmers through participatory testing and then build out seed production and
distribution plans in partnership with a wide range of local partners. This deliberate approach to variety
development and seed production and distribution puts in place the targets needed to realize national
seed requirements for farmer- and market-preferred crops.
Countries and international donors need to make strong investments in the public sector, but they
should also enable more sustainable business investment by creating infrastructure, providing security,
stopping corruption, protecting human rights, encouraging education, and more. This is one of the
prerequisites for leveraging large private sector investments in smallholder farming and food systems in
developing countries229. With these in place private investments will grow and publicprivate
partnerships (PPP) could flourish as a mechanism for implementing concrete solutions in different
farming situations and food chains. There is a growing desire on the part of governments, universities,
international institutions, and civil society organizations (CSOs) to work with the private sector, and vice
versa. Experience so far shows that PPPs are easy to talk about but often hard to make work230.
Nevertheless, some good examples have already emerged in recent years which have demonstrated
success or promise at different scales such as smallholder input and service delivery systems, product
supply chains, R&D, and large-scale investment corridors (Box 5-2). The latter, while offering potential
solutions, should be developed in close consultation with local stakeholders, particularly the current
land users.
There is also a need for alternative funding approaches that complement the traditional funding of R&D.
"Pull mechanisms" are results-based financial incentives that reward successful innovations and their
adoption, to overcome market failure and stimulate more private sector engagement in R&D231,232.
AgResults, launched by the G20 in 2010, is a new global initiative to enhance smallholder welfare and
improve food security for the poor and vulnerable through the use of "pull mechanisms" in agriculture.
Moving agriculture towards more sustainable productivity will require policy coherence and innovation
(Box 5-3). These must often be coordinated within and across countries to achieve transformative
change. Needed policy reforms include those that increase support for the rural sector by improving
infrastructure, strengthening capacities along value chain actors, and stimulating innovation. Economies
that are heavily dependent on agriculture sometimes tend to tax their rural sectors in favor of urban and
industrial sectors. However, policies that support agriculture as well as rural infrastructure and
enterprise will benefit the majority of the population, including the urban sector. A comparison with
experiences from middle-income countries in Southeast Asia reveals, for example, that (i) the historical
roots of economic success lie in pro-poor agricultural and rural development policies; (ii) even when it
has been pro-rural, African development strategy has often not necessarily been pro-poor; and (iii) pro-
poor agricultural development, not export-oriented industrialization, should be the first priority of
African states seeking to achieve sustained growth and poverty reduction233. A key policy objective will
be the support of capacity strengthening for the various stakeholder groups that are important for rural
development. This includes farmers (with youth and women requiring particular attention), extension

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Box 5-2. Examples of public-private partnerships and business initiatives in agriculture and food systems
Unilever, Kenyan Tea Development Agency and the UK Government
The objective of this pilot is to seek out new methods for encouraging Kenyan smallholders to adopt
sustainable farming practices. Costs are shared between the UK government (DFID, 45%), Unilever (35%), the
Kenyan Government (18%) and Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR, ~2%). Results obtained so
far have shown yield improvements of between 5-15% and improved farmer incomes. This is now being rolled
out by the Kenyan Tea Development Agency to 500,000 farmers. Eco-certification is a key element in this
partnership.
Hybrid Rice Development Consortium (HRDC)
Small, m edium and large seed companies engaged in hybrid rice breeding and commercialization need to have
access to traits, breeding materials, breeding support and other information generated by public sector
research. The Hybrid Rice Development Consortium (HRDC) was established by the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) in 2008 as a PPP model to advance hybrid rice development. It currently has 34 private
businesses and 34 public-sector institutions as members. Members of the HRDC provide feedback on hybrid
rice research priorities. Private sector members provide financial support through annual membership and
germplasm fees and in return gain access to diverse germplasm and other benefits, including training. HRDC
members can also seek bilateral collaboration with IRRI and other public sector partners. This mechanism has
allowed IRRI to increase its hybrid rice breeding capacity in a demand-driven, self-sustained manner. Within
four years it has led to a 10-fold increase in the volume of germplasm shared with both private and public
members of the HRDC. http://hrdc.irri.org
Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform
Food industries are the biggest purchasers of agricultural raw materials. In order to rely on a constant,
increasing and safe supply of agricultural raw materials, these must be grown in a sustainable manner. The SAI
Platform is a food industry organization to support the development of sustainable agriculture. The SAI
Platform today counts over 50 members. It aims at developing sustainable agriculture for mainstream
agricultural produce through a continuous improvement process that allows for more flexible adoption by
farmers worldwide. Examples of recent activities include principles and practices for sustainable water
management at farm level, recommendations for sustainability performance assessment, a standardized
methodology for the dairy sector to assess greenhouse gas emissions, and executive training on sustainable
sourcing. www.saiplatformaust.org
Grow Africa
Grow Africa is a partnership platform that seeks to accelerate private-sector investment in African agriculture
by supporting partner countries in developing investment blueprints, building a pipeline of investments, and
strengthening cross-sector collaboration. It provides support for innovative finance, risk management and
partnership building, with the intent of boosting smallholders and agricultural enterprises by tackling
constraints to their commercial viability. Grow Africa is based on national agricultural priorities in support of
the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP), with the World Economic Forum
(WEF) as a major convening partner. Goals for specific initiatives are defined by a countrys comparative
advantages and accessible m arket opportunities. Current initiatives focus on agricultural growth corridors in
Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania. Partners include the governments
of these countries, international donors, development organizations and private companies.
http://growafrica.com

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services (including non-governmental groups), as well as enterprises that provide services and support
value chains, such as those involved in finance, input supply, transportation, drying, milling, and
marketing. Government policies on agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and
machinery are of particular importance for agriculture, but they sometimes provide wrong incentives or
result in barriers that slow down progress. Well-targeted fertilizer subsidies play a major role in
increasing productivity and halting soil nutrient depletion, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, but
fertilizer subsidies can also lead to excessive or imbalanced use, or become a major economic burden
for a country if they become permanent, large entitlements that do not encourage adoption of better
management practices. Machines are often handed out for free or at highly subsidized prices, but
without an agribusiness sector that provides the necessary training and service many break down
quickly and end up in machine graveyards that can be found in many developing countries. This
contrasts with a very different, successful model - the small machines revolution (engines, pumps, hand
tractors, tillers) that powered the Green Revolution in Asia, which was largely driven by local
entrepreneurs234. Could this be a suitable model for Africa? What policies could enable it? Generally
speaking, input subsidies or credit schemes should become market-smart and target smallholders and
small entrepreneurs, e.g., through vouchers, grants, or loans to promote private sector solutions; they
should be temporary, not permanent; and they should be contract-based, with mechanisms that ensure
that contracts are being honored by everyone in the chain.
Intellectual property rights (IPR), regulations for acquiring, sharing, import and export of germplasm,
variety release systems, seed laws, seed subsidies and other seed-related policies to a large extent
influence progress in breeding, the development of a vibrant seed industry with numerous local
businesses, and affordable access to new varieties by farmers. This is a rapidly changing area in which
countries constantly need to adjust their policies to address emerging technology opportunities. Barriers
to innovation that slow down the time to market or increase the cost of getting a new product to market
to a level that is only affordable by few companies with sufficient resources need to be removed235. For
the majority of crops it typically takes 12-15 years to breed, test, release and disseminate seed of a new
variety to farmers. This slow process is one of the reasons why many farmers cannot take advantage of
better varieties. The time from a cross made to quality seed in the hands of a farmer can be cut in half
through modern breeding technologies and the right government policies and support mechanisms for
speeding up release and seed commercialization through public and private channels. In India maize and
pearl millet yields grew significantly during the last two decades due partly to a combination of public
policies that encouraged private investment in India's seed industry and intellectual property rights
conferred by hybridization that addressed both the private sector's need for ownership as well as the
nation's need for productivity growth236.
Governments should design and implement national policies that are modeled after the Voluntary
guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of
national food security151. In many countries this may require placing constraints on the conversion of
natural ecosystems to agriculture or policies that minimize the loss of productive agricultural land to
industrialization and urbanization. Economic instruments should be used for sustainable land
management, water resource management (e.g., water pricing) and ecosystem restoration. Science-
based fisheries policy and governance reforms are needed to promote a complementary role of
sustainable capture fisheries and aquaculture, and safeguard the diversity of global fish stocks51.
Information and communications technologies (ICTs) have much to offer for enhancing planning and
implementation of agricultural transformation processes. While ICTs cannot replace interpersonal
interactions, digital communications can certainly enhance information exchange and provide the
analytical power needed for planning, decision-making, real-time feedback and other forms of

79

evaluation. Besides the possibility of inexpensive provision of information to populations who are
otherwise relatively isolated, ICTs have the potential to foster exchange of information among
households and communities, as well as crowd-sourcing of data and opinions.
Box 5-3. The enabling role of agricultural policies
New technologies are important, but policy and institutional reforms will be needed to align producer and
consumer incentives and thus implement transformative changes in agriculture and food systems. The general
principles (Chapter 2), goals, and targets for sustainable development (Chapter 3) as well as the available
solutions for SAI (Chapter 4) provide overall guidance for priority setting and choosing policy options.
Transparency, inclusiveness, good monitoring, critical review and dynamic adaptation of policies to specific,
changing contexts will determine whether the stated targets can be met. Development of policies is by nature
politically driven, based on the specific challenges faced in each country. Agricultural policies should support
systems-based approaches to improving sustainability performance on site-specific levels across nations and
regions. They must be developed with extensive stakeholder engagement to ensure that diverse perspectives
are considered and included. The outcomes of these policies m ust be m onitored well through suitable
129
indicators, some of which could be internationally agreed and others nationally defined . Countries, through
their policies, should aim to incentivize action by all actors towards m ore sustainable agricultural production
and food consumption practices. They should stimulate - not distort - the development of a vibrant,
competitive agribusiness sector that serves the needs of farmers and consumers. Critical areas to improve
include policies on agricultural trade and market access, prices, financing, food processing and safety,
consumer behavior, agricultural inputs and subsidies, land tenure, water rights and use, access to knowledge
and technology, rural infrastructure and labor, agricultural research and extension systems, protection of
ecosystems, and use of ecosystem services as well as gender roles, rural education and health. Many will
require substantial institutional reforms in many countries. Countries in which the poorest households spend a
large share of their income on food need to pay special attention to the stability of food prices, and establish
the necessary safety nets and social protection mechanisms. Regulation or protection are an important part of
good policy setting and governance, but such tools should be used with care, focusing on specific areas such as
protecting the poor, ensuring food safety, or protecting vulnerable natural assets, particularly forests, water
and fish stocks. Countries should also aim to share their experiences and align critical policies to overcome
present barriers for technology development and adoption and thus make faster progress in m eeting their own
targets. A ctual implementation of policies m ust be monitored rigorously, and due attention should be given to
policy research to establish causality between specific policy initiatives and progress toward policy goals.

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6. Concluding remarks
The unique opportunity to eradicate poverty and hunger in our generation and make agriculture and
food systems more sustainable should not be missed. The primary objective of agriculture - which
cannot be compromised - is to produce enough food to sustainably feed 9 or 10 billion people by 2050.
This largely needs to be accomplished by crop and animal productivity increases, reducing food losses
and waste, and changing diets, always keeping in mind that the Earths natural resource base is finite. In
addition to the already common pressures of the past, our generation is facing new challenges: How to
make sure that we do not run out of water? How to preserve or improve soils? How to adapt to climatic
extremes? Is the best future for many smallholder farmers to get out of farming? How do we create
better jobs and higher incomes for them in rural or urban areas? How do we ensure healthier diets and
lifestyles in all countries?
We live in an ever-changing world in terms of population, resource demands and constraints, climate,
and even political volatility. Meeting future food demand will require shifts in behavior as well as shifts
towards more sophisticated technologies, information and knowledge management systems for farming
systems and whole value chains, but also policy-making, and market and incentive systems for
investment in ecosystem services.
We need to be realistic about the future of smallholder farming in developing countries. For many small
farming households exiting the agricultural sector may be the best strategy to overcome current poverty
traps caused by resource constraints that also restrict the adoption of better technologies. Access to
better education and jobs may offer future generations a chance for a different perspective on life,
while those who remain in farming may have a greater chance to consolidate land holdings and thus
modernize many operations for greater income potential.
The 2015 to 2030 period must become a period of serious transition towards food systems that operate
based on SAI principles. It is possible to effectively end extreme poverty and hunger during this period,
but it will probably take longer to completely halt and reverse all of the negative environmental and
health impacts of contemporary food systems. However, if political will, governance and human
behavior can change as rapidly as science and technology emerge, policy coherence for development,
sustainable agriculture and food systems can become the new global standard, not the exception.
Prosperous, healthy and resilient rural communities will be needed to produce the worlds future food
in a sustainable manner.
Concerted, coordinated action is needed, with increased, sustained investment in agriculture and rural
development. We need to make farming more precise and more attractive to systematically improve
sustainability performance using new technology. We need new implementation models that can unlock
the real potential of the public and private sectors in addressing complex problems, including
monitoring, learning, and prudently adapting. Markets alone are not enough; the private sector will also
have to change its business models, and good governance will be essential, including more restraint in
exploiting critical resources such as land, water, and forests.
Aspirations of maximum consumption should be replaced by patterns of optimized consumption. The
available technical solutions are well advanced, but we also need to overcome systemic political,
economic and social barriers to change, which are substantial. Strong multi-sectoral cooperation will be
needed to address the development challenges facing humanity and the planet.

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Annex 1. A baseline scenario for future production of cereals

and meat

Region

East Asia and Pacific
Europe and Central Asia
Latin America and the Caribbean
Middle East and North Africa
South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Developed
Developing
World

Cereals production
(Million metric tons)
2010
2030
2050
519.6
640.0
708.6
277.7
374.7
467.0
156.1
240.2
313.8
68.9
102.0
126.7
291.8
363.1
392.3
95.9
158.4
225.3
711.0
898.6
985.8
1410.2
1879.7
2234.1
2121.2
2778.4
3219.9

Meat production
(Million metric tons)
2010
2030
2050
102.2
125.1
138.7
19.5
25.5
29.4
41.6
62.5
80.2
6.2
11.4
17.8
9.5
20.0
35.2
8.5
16.2
25.7
91.2
114.0
129.2
188.0
261.4
327.8
279.2
375.4
457.0

65

Source: M. Rosegrant, IFPRI, IMPACT model predictions, adapted . IMPACT covers 46 crops and livestock commodities and 115
countries/regions linked through international trade and 281 food production units. Demand is a function of prices, income,
and population growth. Crop production is determined by crop and input prices, the rate of productivity growth, and water
availability. The underlying data and model used make many assumptions about the future trajectories of food demand and
supply. Uncertainties associated with such projections are generally large and so are differences among countries and regions.

This Business-As-Usual scenario assumes a continuation of current trends and food consumption,
agricultural policies and investments in agricultural productivity growth. Population growth is the
median variant of the UN projections (esa.un.org/wpp). Real prices for major agricultural commodities
continue to rise due to increasing demand (population growth and per capita consumption), increasing
agricultural land prices, and land and water constraints to expanding production. Meat consumption
accelerates in developing countries, but also continues to increase in developed countries. Global per
capita consumption of meat would rise from 40.2 kg in 2010 to 44.8 kg in 2030 and 48.8 kg in 2050.
Total meat production would grow by 34% in 2030 relative to 2010, and by 64% in 2050. Global per
capita consumption of cereals would rise from 150 kg in 2010 to 151.6 kg in 2030 and 153.4 kg in 2050.
Cereals production would grow by 31% in 2030 (relative to 2010) and by 52% in 2050. World harvested
crop area would increase, putting additional pressure on natural resources. Use of fertilizers and other
inputs would continue to rise at current rates. Productivity and efficiency gains would be too small to
significantly reduce the negative environmental impacts of agriculture. It would also be difficult to
eradicate poverty and food insecurity. The number of people at risk of hunger would only decline by
around 20%, from 918 million in 2010 to 749 million in 2050. The number of malnourished children
would only decline by about 30%, from 164 million to 117 million.
This scenario illustrates some of the key principles and interactions involved in addressing multiple
development goals through changes in agriculture and food systems. Productivity increases play a key
role in achieving the targets of future, sustainable agriculture. However, to eradicate poverty, hunger,
and other forms of malnutrition by 2030, crop and animal productivity growth rates would need to be
higher than in the BAU scenario. Furthermore, achieving all of the targets of sustainable agriculture and
food systems, including better environmental stewardship, protection of natural resources, and
healthier human beings, requires deeper, transformative changes in how the world consumes and
produces food. It can probably not be achieved through productivity and efficiency increases alone.

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Annex 2. Sustainable Development Goals and Targets

proposed by the Sustainable Development Solutions
Network.
Goals and Targets are for 2030 unless otherwise noted. Targets marked with (*) need to be specified at
country or sub-national level. Each target will require one or more indicators to be developed at a later
stage.

PREAMBLEbb
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) and aim to finish the job of ending extreme poverty in all its forms. The SDGs reaffirm the need
to achieve sustainable development by promoting economic development, social inclusion, environ-
mental sustainability, and good governance including peace and security. These goals reaffirm human
rights and underscore the right to development as central objectives. They are universal and apply to all
countries, national and local governments, businesses, and civil society. Sustainable development will
require that the goals be pursued in combination, rather than individually or one at a time.
GOAL 1: END EXTREME POVERTY INCLUDING HUNGERcc
End extreme poverty in all its forms (MDGs 1-7), including hunger, child stunting, malnutrition, and food
insecurity. Support highly vulnerable countries.
Target 1a.

End absolute income poverty ($1.25 or less per day) and hunger, including achieving
food security and appropriate nutrition, and ending child stunting (MDG 1).

Target 1b.

[Other suitably revised targets of MDGs 2-7 included here or below.]

Target 1c.

Provide enhanced support for highly vulnerable states and Least Developed Countries,
to address the structural challenges facing those countries, including violence and
conflict.*

GOAL 2: ACHIEVE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN PLANETARY BOUNDARIES

All countries have a right to development that respects planetary boundaries, ensures sustainable
production and consumption patterns, and helps to stabilize the global population by mid-century.
Target 2a.

Each country reaches at least the next income level as defined by the World Bank.dd

Target 2b.

Countries report on their contribution to planetary boundaries and incorporate them,

together with other environmental and social indicators, into expanded GDP measures
and national accounts.*

Target 2c.

Rapid voluntary reduction of fertility through the realization of sexual and reproductive
health rights in countries with total fertility rates above [3] children per woman and a

bb

Preamble based on the Rio+20 outcome document.

The term hunger as used here embraces various things, including child stunting, food insecurity, and malnutrition.
Appropriate indicators will need to be chosen to reflect the full spectrum of what constitutes hunger.
dd
E.g. Low-Income Countries become at least Lower-Middle-Income Countries.
cc

94

continuation of voluntary fertility reductions in countries where total fertility rates are
above replacement level.*
GOAL 3: ENSURE EFFECTIVE LEARNING FOR ALL CHILDREN AND YOUTH FOR LIFE AND LIVELIHOOD
All girls and boys complete affordable and high-quality early childhood development programs, and
primary and secondary education to prepare them for the challenges of modern life and decent
livelihoods. All youth and adults have access to continuous lifelong learning to acquire functional
literacy, numeracy, and skills to earn a living through decent employment or self-employment.
Target 3c.

All girls and boys have equal access to quality early childhood development (ECD)
programs.

Target 3d.

All girls and boys receive quality primary and secondary education that focuses on
learning outcomes and on reducing the dropout rate to zero.

Target 3e.

Youth unemployment rate is below [10] percent.

GOAL 4: ACHIEVE GENDER EQUALITY, SOCIAL INCLUSION, AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL
Ensure gender equality, human rights, the rule of law, and universal access to public services. Reduce
relative poverty and other inequalities that cause social exclusion. Prevent and eliminate violence and
exploitation, especially for women and children.
Target 4b.

Monitor and end discrimination and inequalities in public service delivery, the rule of
law, access to justice, and participation in political and economic life on the basis of
gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, national origin, and social or other status.

Target 4c.

Reduce by half the proportion of households with incomes less than half of the national
median income (relative poverty).

Target 4d.

Prevent and eliminate violence against individuals, especially women and children.*

GOAL 5: ACHIEVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING AT ALL AGES

Achieve universal health coverage at every stage of life, with particular emphasis on primary health
services, including reproductive health, to ensure that all people receive quality health services without
suffering financial hardship. All countries promote policies to help individuals make healthy and
sustainable decisions regarding diet, physical activity, and other individual or social dimensions of
health.
Target 5a.

Ensure universal access to primary healthcare that includes sexual and reproductive
healthcare, family planning, routine immunizations, and the prevention and treatment
of communicable and non-communicable diseases.ee

Target 5b.

End preventable deaths by reducing child mortality to [20] or fewer deaths per 1000
births, maternal mortality to [40] or fewer deaths per 100,000 live births, and mortality
under 70 years of age from non-communicable diseases by at least 30 percent compared
with the level in 2015.ff

ee

We recommend that countries retain suitably updated MDG indicators for HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.
Countries that have achieved the mortality targets should set more ambitious aggregate targets that are commensurate with
their development and ensure that the minimum quantitative targets are achieved for every sub-population.

ff

95

Target 5c.

Promote healthy diets and physical activity, discourage unhealthy behaviors, such as
smoking and excessive alcohol intake, and track subjective wellbeing and social capital.*

GOAL 6: IMPROVE AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS AND RAISE RURAL PROSPERITY

Improve farming practices, rural infrastructure, and access to resources for food production to increase
the productivity of agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, raise smallholder incomes, reduce environmental
impacts, promote rural prosperity, and ensure resilience to climate change.
Target 6a.

Ensure sustainable food production systems with high yields and high efficiency of
water, soil nutrients, and energy, supporting nutritious diets with low food losses and
waste.*

Target 6b.

Halt forest and wetland conversion to agriculture, protect soil and land resources, and
ensure that farming systems are resilient to climate change and disasters.*

Target 6c.

Ensure universal access in rural areas to basic resources and infrastructure services
(land, water, sanitation, modern energy, transport, mobile and broadband
communication, agricultural inputs, and advisory services).

GOAL 7: EMPOWER INCLUSIVE, PRODUCTIVE, AND RESILIENT CITIES

Make all cities socially inclusive, economically productive, environmentally sustainable, secure, and
resilient to climate change and other risks. Develop participatory, accountable, and effective city
governance to support rapid and equitable urban transformation.
Target 7a.

End extreme urban poverty, expand employment and productivity, and raise living
standards, especially in slums.*

Target 7b.

Ensure universal access to a secure and affordable built environment and basic urban
services including housing; water, sanitation and waste management; low-carbon
energy and transport; and mobile and broadband communication.

Target 7c.

Ensure safe air and water quality for all, and integrate reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions, efficient land and resource use, and climate and disaster resilience into
investments and standards.*

GOAL 8: CURB HUMAN-INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENSURE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

Curb greenhouse gas emissions from energy, industry, agriculture, the built environment, and land-use
change to ensure a peak of global CO2 emissions by 2020 and to head off the rapidly growing dangers of
climate change.gg Promote sustainable energy for all.
Target 8a.

Decarbonize the energy system, ensure clean energy for all, and improve energy
efficiency, with targets for 2020, 2030, and 2050.*

Target 8b.

Reduce non-energy-related emissions of greenhouse gases through improved practices

in agriculture, forestry, waste management, and industry.*

Target 8c.

Adopt incentives, including pricing greenhouse gas emissions, to curb climate change
and promote technology transfer to developing countries.*

gg

The Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC (2007) has defined this level as global average temperatures that are 2C above
the pre-industrial level. Recent scientific evidence suggests the need to reduce the long-term temperature increase to 1.5C
or less. The global emission reduction target should be regularly updated in view of the growing body of scientific evidence.

96

GOAL 9: SECURE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND BIODIVERSITY, AND ENSURE GOOD MANAGEMENT OF
WATER AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES
Biodiversity, marine and terrestrial ecosystems of local, regional, and global significance are inventoried,
managed, and monitored to ensure the continuation of resilient and adaptive life support systems and
to support sustainable development.hh Water and other natural resources are managed sustainably and
transparently to support inclusive economic and human development.
Target 9a.

Ensure resilient and productive ecosystems by adopting policies and legislation that
address drivers of ecosystem degradation, and requiring individuals, businesses and
governments to pay the social cost of pollution and use of environmental services.*

Target 9b.

Participate in and support regional and global arrangements to inventory, monitor, and
protect biomes and environmental commons of regional and global significance and
curb trans-boundary environmental harms, with robust systems in place no later than
2020.

Target 9c.

All governments and businesses commit to the sustainable, integrated, and transparent
management of water, agricultural land, forests, fisheries, mining, and hydrocarbon
resources to support inclusive economic development and the achievement of all
SDGs.*

GOAL 10: TRANSFORM GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The public sector, business, and other stakeholders commit to good governance, including transparency,
accountability, access to information, participation, an end to tax and secrecy havens, and efforts to
stamp out corruption. The international rules governing international finance, trade, corporate
reporting, technology, and intellectual property are made consistent with achieving the SDGs. The
financing of poverty reduction and global public goods including efforts to head off climate change are
strengthened and based on a graduated set of global rights and responsibilities.
Target 10a. Governments (national and local) and business commit to the SDGs, transparent
monitoring, and annual reports - including independent evaluation of integrated
reporting for all major companies starting no later than 2020.*
Target 10b. Adequate domestic and international public finance for ending extreme poverty,
providing global public goods, capacity building, and transferring technologies, including
0.7 percent of GNI in ODA for all high-income countries, and an additional $100 billion
per year in official climate financing by 2020.
Target 10c. Rules for international trade, finance, taxation, business accounting, and intellectual
property are reformed to be consistent with and support achieving the SDGs.

hh

In line with the Aichi Biodiversity targets to be achieved by 2020.

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Annex 3. Composite indices and tools for analysis,

decision making and communication
Many composite indices and other decision or communication tools have been proposed in recent years
to score multiple functions of agriculture and food systems. Generally speaking, many of them suffer
from three basic shortcomings: (i) the quality of the underlying component data, (ii) scoring of
qualitative data, and (ii) correlation and weighting of the various quantitative or qualitative component
indicators. Nevertheless, composite indices have an important role to play in communicating to a
broader audience the multiple dimensions of food security and sustainable agricultural development in
user-friendly numbers, charts and tables. They are thus an integral part of decision-making and
implementation strategies aimed at changing behavior and triggering more action at different levels. In
general, composite indices, footprint tools or similar approaches should be (i) science-based; (ii)
outcome- and action-oriented (iii) applicable at different scales, from the farm and value chain scale
(where the change must happen) to the national scale (where progress towards meeting targets must
be measured); (iv) capable of measuring trends over time, and (v) primarily based on credible, publicly
available data. Preference should be given to tools that are based on well-defined, measurable
components that can stand on their own and are also linked to key indicators for measuring progress
towards achieving SDG targets (see Chapter 3.2.).

For illustration we provide six different examples:
The Global Hunger Index (GHI)237 is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger globally
and by country and region. Calculated each year, the GHI aims to highlight successes and failures in
hunger reduction, raise awareness and help understand regional and country differences in hunger to
trigger further action. To reflect the multidimensional nature of hunger, the GHI combines three equally
weighted indicators into one index number: Undernourishment: the proportion of undernourished as a
percentage of the population; Child Underweight: the proportion of children under age of five who are
underweight; and Child Mortality: the mortality rate of children under age of five. www.ifpri.org/book-
8018/ourwork/researcharea/global-hunger-index
The Global Food Security Index (GFSI) considers four core issues of food security across 105 countries:
affordability, availability, quality and safety. The index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative scoring
model, constructed from 25 unique indicators, that measures these drivers of food security across both
developing and developed countries. It includes several unique qualitative indicators, many of which
relate to government policy, to capture drivers of food security which are not currently measured in
other international datasets. The GFSI is updated on a quarterly basis to adjust for the impact of
fluctuating food prices. Its major goal is to assess in a timely manner which countries are most and least
vulnerable to food insecurity. foodsecurityindex.eiu.com
The Womens Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) measures the empowerment, agency, and
inclusion of women in the agriculture sector to identify ways to overcome those obstacles and
constraints. It aims to increase understanding of the connections between womens empowerment,
food security, and agricultural growth. It measures the roles and extent of womens engagement in the
agriculture sector in five domains: (1) decisions about agricultural production, (2) access to and decision
making power over productive resources, (3) control over use of income, (4) leadership in the
community, and (5) time use. The five domains comprise ten indicators. Each domain is weighted
equally, as are each of the indicators within a domain. The WEAI identifies women who are
disempowered and tries to understand how autonomy and decision-making can be increased. The WEAI

98

is also a useful tool for tracking progress toward gender equality, which is one of the current Millennium
Development Goals. www.ifpri.org/publication/womens-empowerment-agriculture-index
National Water Security Index (NWSI)238 The Asian Water Development Outlook measures the overall
national water security as the composite result of five interdependent dimensions, because a single
focus on any of these is insufficient to guide decisions or assess outcomes in the water sector. The five
dimensions are (1) Household water security, (2) Economic water security, (3) Urban water security, (4)
Environmental water security, and (5) Resilience to water-related disasters. Each of the five dimensions
is measured on a scale of 1-5 (1 = Hazardous, 5 = Exemplary) using 3-4 sub-indices (indicators) for each
dimension. The NWSI is calculated as the populated-weighted average of the five key dimensions of
water security, and further aggregated up to sub-regions. Countries and regions with a low overall NWSI
are described as hot spots, where additional efforts and targeted investments are required. The NWSI
can be used to track progress at country and regional scale towards improving water security as a whole
and for its various components. www.adb.org/publications/asian-water-development-outlook-2013
The Rice Bowl Index (RBI) is a public-private sector initiative that aims to provide a platform for joint
action between various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. The tool serves as a
common language for different stakeholders to engage in purposeful dialogue leading to solutions-
oriented action. The RBI consists of a quantitative and a qualitative component, which are currently
measured for 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The quantitative component is a modular
diagnostic platform examining the key enablers and disablers of food security. The RBI defines these as
Demand & Price; Environmental Factors; Farm-level Factors; and Policy and Trade. Each driver is a
composite of 4-9 different metrics and proxies which are measured by using publicly available data, such
as consumer price index, cereal yield, arable land, food consumption, infrastructure, and water
availability. The qualitative component is a white paper (and an update is published every 6 months)
which interprets the platform data and identifies areas which require increased attention in terms of the
development of appropriate policy solutions, investment in technology and infrastructure, and the
creation of economic opportunities for farmers and the communities in which they live and work.
www.ricebowlindex.com
Field to Market is an alliance of nearly fifty organizations including producer organizations,
agribusinesses, food companies, conservation organizations and other not-for-profit organizations,
universities, and agency partners in the USA. It aims to create opportunities across the agricultural
supply chain for continuous improvements in productivity, environmental quality, and human well-
being. A national report is published every four years (last report: 2012) to assess environmental and
socioeconomic indicators for measuring outcomes of on-farm agricultural production in the United
States. The report analyzes trends over time in major agricultural crops at the national scale. Its first part
analyzes five environmental indicators (land use, soil erosion, irrigation water applied, energy use, and
greenhouse gas emissions), each of which is presented in three formats: resource use/impact per unit of
production, resource use/impact per acre, and total resource use/impact. For ease of communication,
trends are shown in spider diagrams for 5-year periods, with 2000 as reference year. In a second part,
six socioeconomic indicators (debt/asset ratio, returns above variable costs, crop production
contribution to national and state gross domestic product, non-fatality injury, fatality, and labor hours)
are assessed. Moreover, a Fieldprint Calculator is available online as an educational tool designed to
help farmers assess how their own operational decisions affect overall sustainability performance. The
calculator is an easy way to find out how a farmers current land use, energy use, water use, greenhouse
gas emissions, and soil loss compare with state and national averages.
www.fieldtomarket.org

99

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) engages scientists,

engineers, business and civil society leaders, and development practitioners
for evidence-based problem solving. It promotes solutions initiatives that
demonstrate the potential of technical and business innovation to support
sustainable development.

www.unsdsn.org