Challenges For Agricultural Research (AGRICULTURE ET ALIMENTATION, ENVIRONNEME)

As the world has changed during the past 50 years, so has agriculture. And so has agricultural research, which continues to confront new challenges, from food security to ecological concerns to land use issues. Indeed, as Guy Paillotin, the former president of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) has noted, agricultural research "has reached new heights in biology and is exploring other disciplines. It is forever changing, as are the needs of the society". The changing challenges faced by agricultural research were examined in depth at a conference organised by the OECD's Co-operative Research Programme on Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems, together with the Czech Republic's Ministry of Agriculture. Participants came from all agricultural sectors and included farmers, industry, scientists and decision makers, as well as other stake holders. This publication presents the twenty papers delivered at the conference. They highlight recent major progress in agricultural research outcomes and address the challenges that lie ahead. www.oecd.org/agriculture/crp Challenges for Agricultural Research Foreword 5 Acknowledgements 6 Table of contents 7 Abbreviations 13 Executive Summary 17 Report from the CRP Reflection Group meeting on “Vision for the Future” 21 Coping with Pressures on Natural Resources (Water and Soil) 29 Balancing Global Agricultural Water Supply and Demand 33 More food 34 More water because of changing diets 36 Scenarios of future water for food demand 37 Role of rainfed agriculture 38 Productivity improvements in irrigated areas 38 Trade 39 Challenges 39 Effect of Reduced Water Supplies on Food Production Economies 45 Drivers for water scarcity 46 Importance of “new” challenges for agricultural water availability 46 Role of agricultural productivity 49 Conclusions 51 Global Soil Resource Base: Degradation and Loss to Other Uses 55 Introduction 56 World population and soil resources 56 Soil degradation, land degradation and desertification 57 Determinants of soil degradation 57 Processes of soil degradation 58 Cause of soil degradation 59 Assessment of soil degradation, land degradation and desertification 60 Soil degradation by land misuse and soil mismanagement 63 Conversion to other land uses 64 Strategies to reverse soil and land degradation trends 65 Conclusion 67 Soil Resources: Science-Based Sustainability 73 Myth 1: Agriculture should mimic natural systems 74 Myth 2: Mineral fertilisers are bad 74 Myth 3: Organic farming can be done anywhere 74 Myth 4: We know quantitatively the effects of soil use on food production, environmental degradation and climate change 75 Delivering Agriculture for Food and the Environment 77 Managing Agricultural Landscapes for Production and Biodiversity Outcomes 81 Introduction 82 The ongoing declines in biodiversity 83 Current approaches to managing interactions between agriculture and biodiversity 84 Conclusion 86 The Role of Genetically Modified Plants in Sustainable Crop Protection 91 Crop losses by pests and food security 92 Sustainable crop protection: the concept of IPM 93 Pest-resistant plants and sustainable crop protection 94 Pest-resistant plants in an IPM perspective 95 Conclusions 102 Challenges to use GM plants in sustainable crop protection 102 Science-Based Policy Issues to Enable Sustainability on the Ground 111 Food comes from the supermarket 112 Food prices are too high 112 Purchasing seed every year is a conspiracy by multinational corporations 112 Rich country agriculture is extremely efficient and thus sustainable 112 Africa has no chance 113 Competition in Agriculture for Food, Fibre and Fuel 117 Economic Balance on Competition for Arable Land between Food and Biofuel: Global Responsibilities of Food, Energy and Environmental Security 119 Food security 122 Energy security 125 Biofuels 125 Challenges 134 Environmental security 136 Genetic Technology, Sustainable Animal Agriculture and Global Climate Change 147 The global environmental challenge 148 Global pork production 148 Pigs and phosphorus pollution 148 Enhancing phosphorus utilisation and reducing P output in pork production 149 The EnviropigTM: a genetic technology for meeting the global environmental challenge 150 Challenges and Opportunities for Further Improvements in Wheat Yield 155 Introduction 156 Can we breed for yield potential with benefits in realistic growing conditions? 156 What physiological traits may be useful in future improvements of wheat yield potential? 157 Replacement of Fish Meal in Aquaculture Diets with Plant Ingredients as a Means of Improving Seafood Quality 167 Fish metabolic advantages over terrestrial animals 168 Human health advantages resulting from seafood consumption 168 Cost of feeds in aquaculture 170 Cost of individual dietary components 170 Fish meal replacement 170 Fish oil replacement 173 Plant ingredients with novel functions: gossypol, saponins, quercetin, hydroxytyrosol, steroid-inhibitors 174 Research needs to facilitate wider/larger use of plant ingredients in aquafeeds 174 Food Safety Today and Tomorrow: the Challenges in Changing Food and Farming Practices 177 Major Trends in Mycotoxin Research 179 Introduction 180 History of mycotoxins and mycotoxicoses 180 Major mycotoxins 180 Other important mycotoxins 182 Research and development priorities 182 Conclusions 185 Food without Zoonotic Agents: Fact or Fiction? 191 Introduction 192 Control of infectious diseases 192 (Re)emerging infectious diseases 193 Challenges in the control of foodborne diseases 194 International co-operation and communication 194 An integrated approach to food safety and zoonoses: global foodborne infections network 195 Conclusion 195 Altering Foods Derived from Animals for the Future? 199 Decrease production and consumption of animal-derived foods or alter their composition? 200 Gross composition of animal products 201 New genetic selection approaches needed 202 Fatty acid composition of animal-derived foods 202 Side-effects of improved fatty acid composition 204 Altering the content of other minor compounds in animal-derived foods 205 Conclusions and additional considerations 205 Plants for the Future 211 Ten thousand years of genetically modified plants 212 Biotechnology as a coherent answer to these challenges 212 Policy framework priorities 214 Public perception and regulatory framework 216 Genetic Resources as the Building Blocks for Breeding: Current Status and Challenges 223 Introduction 224 Current status 230 Challenges ahead 232 Conclusions 237 Regulatory Challenges 243 Animal Biotechnology in the United States: the Regulation of Animal Clones and Genetically Engineered Animals 245 Introduction 246 Regulation of animal clones 246 Regulation of genetically engineered animals 251 Summary 255 Animal Cloning and Transgenesis 257 Introduction 258 Animal cloning 258 Animal transgenesis 267 General conclusions 275 The Biotechnology and Biosafety Activities at the OECD 283 Introduction 284 Environmental risk/safety assessment of transgenic organisms 284 Risk/safety assessment of foods and feeds derived from transgenic organisms 287 Conclusions 288 Biosafety Assessment of the EFSA GMO Panel 291 Introduction 292 The role of the scientific panel on GMO 292 Risk assessment of GMO 293 Legal background for the risk assessment of GMOs, GM food and GM feed at European Community level 295 Outlook 300 5110051e Foreword......Page 5 Acknowledgements......Page 6 Table of contents......Page 7 Abbreviations......Page 13 Executive Summary......Page 17 Report from the CRP Reflection Group meeting on “Vision for the Future”......Page 21 Coping with Pressures on Natural Resources (Water and Soil)......Page 29 Balancing Global Agricultural Water Supply and Demand......Page 33 More food......Page 34 More water because of changing diets......Page 36 Scenarios of future water for food demand......Page 37 Productivity improvements in irrigated areas......Page 38 Challenges......Page 39 Effect of Reduced Water Supplies on Food Production Economies......Page 45 Importance of “new” challenges for agricultural water availability......Page 46 Role of agricultural productivity......Page 49 Conclusions......Page 51 Global Soil Resource Base: Degradation and Loss to Other Uses......Page 55 World population and soil resources......Page 56 Determinants of soil degradation......Page 57 Processes of soil degradation......Page 58 Cause of soil degradation......Page 59 Assessment of soil degradation, land degradation and desertification......Page 60 Soil degradation by land misuse and soil mismanagement......Page 63 Conversion to other land uses......Page 64 Strategies to reverse soil and land degradation trends......Page 65 Conclusion......Page 67 Soil Resources: Science-Based Sustainability......Page 73 Myth 3: Organic farming can be done anywhere......Page 74 Myth 4: We know quantitatively the effects of soil use on food production, environmental degradation and climate change......Page 75 Delivering Agriculture for Food and the Environment......Page 77 Managing Agricultural Landscapes for Production and Biodiversity Outcomes......Page 81 Introduction......Page 82 The ongoing declines in biodiversity......Page 83 Current approaches to managing interactions between agriculture and biodiversity......Page 84 Conclusion......Page 86 The Role of Genetically Modified Plants in Sustainable Crop Protection......Page 91 Crop losses by pests and food security......Page 92 Sustainable crop protection: the concept of IPM......Page 93 Pest-resistant plants and sustainable crop protection......Page 94 Pest-resistant plants in an IPM perspective......Page 95 Challenges to use GM plants in sustainable crop protection......Page 102 Science-Based Policy Issues to Enable Sustainability on the Ground......Page 111 Rich country agriculture is extremely efficient and thus sustainable......Page 112 Africa has no chance......Page 113 Competition in Agriculture for Food, Fibre and Fuel......Page 117 Economic Balance on Competition for Arable Land between Food and Biofuel: Global Responsibilities of Food, Energy and Environmental Security......Page 119 Food security......Page 122 Biofuels......Page 125 Challenges......Page 134 Environmental security......Page 136 Genetic Technology, Sustainable Animal Agriculture and Global Climate Change......Page 147 Pigs and phosphorus pollution......Page 148 Enhancing phosphorus utilisation and reducing P output in pork production......Page 149 The EnviropigTM: a genetic technology for meeting the global environmental challenge......Page 150 Challenges and Opportunities for Further Improvements in Wheat Yield......Page 155 Can we breed for yield potential with benefits in realistic growing conditions?......Page 156 What physiological traits may be useful in future improvements of wheat yield potential?......Page 157 Replacement of Fish Meal in Aquaculture Diets with Plant Ingredients as a Means of Improving Seafood Quality......Page 167 Human health advantages resulting from seafood consumption......Page 168 Fish meal replacement......Page 170 Fish oil replacement......Page 173 Research needs to facilitate wider/larger use of plant ingredients in aquafeeds......Page 174 Food Safety Today and Tomorrow: the Challenges in Changing Food and Farming Practices......Page 177 Major Trends in Mycotoxin Research......Page 179 Major mycotoxins......Page 180 Research and development priorities......Page 182 Conclusions......Page 185 Food without Zoonotic Agents: Fact or Fiction?......Page 191 Control of infectious diseases......Page 192 (Re)emerging infectious diseases......Page 193 International co-operation and communication......Page 194 Conclusion......Page 195 Altering Foods Derived from Animals for the Future?......Page 199 Decrease production and consumption of animal-derived foods or alter their composition?......Page 200 Gross composition of animal products......Page 201 Fatty acid composition of animal-derived foods......Page 202 Side-effects of improved fatty acid composition......Page 204 Conclusions and additional considerations......Page 205 Plants for the Future......Page 211 Biotechnology as a coherent answer to these challenges......Page 212 Policy framework priorities......Page 214 Public perception and regulatory framework......Page 216 Genetic Resources as the Building Blocks for Breeding: Current Status and Challenges......Page 223 Introduction......Page 224 Current status......Page 230 Challenges ahead......Page 232 Conclusions......Page 237 Regulatory Challenges......Page 243 Animal Biotechnology in the United States: the Regulation of Animal Clones and Genetically Engineered Animals......Page 245 Regulation of animal clones......Page 246 Regulation of genetically engineered animals......Page 251 Summary......Page 255 Animal Cloning and Transgenesis......Page 257 Animal cloning......Page 258 Animal transgenesis......Page 267 General conclusions......Page 275 The Biotechnology and Biosafety Activities at the OECD......Page 283 Environmental risk/safety assessment of transgenic organisms......Page 284 Risk/safety assessment of foods and feeds derived from transgenic organisms......Page 287 Conclusions......Page 288 Biosafety Assessment of the EFSA GMO Panel......Page 291 The role of the scientific panel on GMO......Page 292 Risk assessment of GMO......Page 293 Legal background for the risk assessment of GMOs, GM food and GM feed at European Community level......Page 295 Outlook......Page 300 This publication presents the twenty papers delivered at a conference on the challenges faced by agricultural research, organized by the OECD's Co-operative Research Program on Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems and the Czech Republic's Ministry of Agriculture. They highlight recent major progress in agricultural research outcomes and address the challenges that lie ahead.--Publisher's description