Debate may derail increase in farm productivity, claims expert

Global efforts to increase farm productivity may be hindered by debate on how to go about raising yields, said Professor Matin Qaim, a lecturer in international food economics at Germany’s University of Goettingen.

Mr Qaim made his comments at the Feeding the World meeting organised by Economist Conferences in Geneva.

“We can double agricultural productivity at a global level,” he said. “We need more money for research and innovation. It’s going to be challenging and it can be done. I do see a big obstacle in the ideological and polarised public debate on the right way to do so.

“The first big debate is about low versus high external input strategies. We cannot just increase productivity by using more agro-chemicals. At the same time, we shouldn’t condemn the use of agro-chemicals. A moderate increase in agrochemical use can certainly have tremendous benefits.”

Mr Qaim said food producers need better agronomic practices, but added that agronomic practices cannot substitute for better seeds. There is mounting evidence that small farmers can benefit and GMO crops can add to poverty reduction, he said.

“We should focus on the small-farming sector, overcoming subsistence farming,” Mr Qaim said.

— Bloomberg