33
© The Author(s) 2021
H. Campos (ed.), The Innovation Revolution in Agriculture,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50991-0_2
Chapter 2
Productivity in Agriculture
for a Sustainable Future
Ann Steensland and Margaret Zeigler
2.1 The Global Agricultural Imperative
In 2050, the number of people living on our planet will grow to nearly 10 billion,
and that could double the demand for food, feed, fiber, and biofuels from 2005 levels (von Lampe et al. 2014). It is imperative that this demand be met in a way that is
economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially beneficial.
Our food and agriculture systems face enormous challenges to sustainably producing sufficient, nutritious affordable food, feed, fiber, and biofuel for a growing
world. At present, agriculture is the largest user of water globally; agriculture also
is the single largest use of land, covering a third of the planet’s surface. Competition
between food production and other uses of water and land will increase in the coming decades. In addition, climate change threatens agricultural productivity due to
increased temperatures and shifts in weather patterns (Box 2.1), thereby making it
difficult for crops and livestock to grow and thrive and for agricultural laborers to
endure the physical challenges.
A. Steensland
Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
e-mail: anns@vt.edu; https://globalagriculturalproductivity.org/
M. Zeigler (*)
HarvestLAC, Washington, DC, USA
Box 2.1 The Challenge of Climate Change for India’s Farmers (Naresh
et al. 2017)
India’s farmers are struggling as temperature and rainfall patterns become
hotter, drier, and wetter. By the end of the century, the mean summer temperature in India could increase by five degrees Celsius. The number of
days of extreme heat could increase by more than a month, and the number of warm nights could more than double. The amount of rain is also
(continued)
© The Author(s) 2021
H. Campos (ed.), The Innovation Revolution in Agriculture,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50991-0_2
Chapter 2
Productivity in Agriculture
for a Sustainable Future
Ann Steensland and Margaret Zeigler
2.1 The Global Agricultural Imperative
In 2050, the number of people living on our planet will grow to nearly 10 billion,
and that could double the demand for food, feed, fiber, and biofuels from 2005 levels (von Lampe et al. 2014). It is imperative that this demand be met in a way that is
economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially beneficial.
Our food and agriculture systems face enormous challenges to sustainably producing sufficient, nutritious affordable food, feed, fiber, and biofuel for a growing
world. At present, agriculture is the largest user of water globally; agriculture also
is the single largest use of land, covering a third of the planet’s surface. Competition
between food production and other uses of water and land will increase in the coming decades. In addition, climate change threatens agricultural productivity due to
increased temperatures and shifts in weather patterns (Box 2.1), thereby making it
difficult for crops and livestock to grow and thrive and for agricultural laborers to
endure the physical challenges.
A. Steensland
Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
e-mail: anns@vt.edu; https://globalagriculturalproductivity.org/
M. Zeigler (*)
HarvestLAC, Washington, DC, USA
Box 2.1 The Challenge of Climate Change for India’s Farmers (Naresh
et al. 2017)
India’s farmers are struggling as temperature and rainfall patterns become
hotter, drier, and wetter. By the end of the century, the mean summer temperature in India could increase by five degrees Celsius. The number of
days of extreme heat could increase by more than a month, and the number of warm nights could more than double. The amount of rain is also
(continued)