(Godfray et al. 2010b). Another important short-term factor is the agro fuel boom.
Agro fuel crops compete for planting area with food crops and cattle pasture. The
major global price increase in the costs of chemical inputs for conventional
farming, as a direct result of the high price of petroleum, is also a major short-term
causal factor. Other factors of recent impact include droughts and other climates
(Rosset 2008).
In Latin America and elsewhere, cheap food energy combined with low
diversity and nutritional quality produces a pattern of obesity, particularly of
women, in combination with household undernutrition (Doak et al. 2000). Early
childhood malnutrition (fetal programming) probably increases susceptibility to
diabetes and other conditions in later life (Popkin et al. 2001). Epidemics of
chronic noncommunicable diseases can be expected to further accelerate in
countries with aging populations.
1.10 Challenges to Reach the Proposed Vision
for Food Production
1.10.1 Climate Change
Climate refers to an ensemble of both average and extreme conditions of its
principal determinants including temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind
velocity, radiation, and cloud cover observed over an extended period of time.
Planet Earth has experienced numerous climate changes throughout its history.
The last drastic climate change occurred between 10,000 and 12,000 BC, which
turned out to be the defining moment in human history because it permitted the
settling of agriculture. In this change, global temperature increased by &5 °C
along with an increase in atmospheric concentration of CO 2 from 180 to 280 ppm.
This increase in CO 2 concentration enhanced drastically the biomass production of
C3 plants (e.g., wheat, barley, potato, sugarbeet) and moderately that of C4 plants
(e.g., corn) (Lal 2013b).
Climate change has already caused significant impacts on water resources, food
security, hydropower, and human health, especially for African countries, as well as
to the whole world (Kang et al. 2009). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) was set up jointly by the World Meteorological Organization and
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide an authoritative
international statement for scientific understanding of climate change. The IPCC
has attributed the observed warming over the last century to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and
nitrous oxide (N 2 O) (Parry 2007). Understanding the potential impacts of climate
change is essential if planned responses to avoid or minimize the negative impacts
and taking advantage of positive impacts are to be successful (Taylor et al. 2013).
1 Strategies for Sustainable Plant Food Production
19
Agro fuel crops compete for planting area with food crops and cattle pasture. The
major global price increase in the costs of chemical inputs for conventional
farming, as a direct result of the high price of petroleum, is also a major short-term
causal factor. Other factors of recent impact include droughts and other climates
(Rosset 2008).
In Latin America and elsewhere, cheap food energy combined with low
diversity and nutritional quality produces a pattern of obesity, particularly of
women, in combination with household undernutrition (Doak et al. 2000). Early
childhood malnutrition (fetal programming) probably increases susceptibility to
diabetes and other conditions in later life (Popkin et al. 2001). Epidemics of
chronic noncommunicable diseases can be expected to further accelerate in
countries with aging populations.
1.10 Challenges to Reach the Proposed Vision
for Food Production
1.10.1 Climate Change
Climate refers to an ensemble of both average and extreme conditions of its
principal determinants including temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind
velocity, radiation, and cloud cover observed over an extended period of time.
Planet Earth has experienced numerous climate changes throughout its history.
The last drastic climate change occurred between 10,000 and 12,000 BC, which
turned out to be the defining moment in human history because it permitted the
settling of agriculture. In this change, global temperature increased by &5 °C
along with an increase in atmospheric concentration of CO 2 from 180 to 280 ppm.
This increase in CO 2 concentration enhanced drastically the biomass production of
C3 plants (e.g., wheat, barley, potato, sugarbeet) and moderately that of C4 plants
(e.g., corn) (Lal 2013b).
Climate change has already caused significant impacts on water resources, food
security, hydropower, and human health, especially for African countries, as well as
to the whole world (Kang et al. 2009). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) was set up jointly by the World Meteorological Organization and
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide an authoritative
international statement for scientific understanding of climate change. The IPCC
has attributed the observed warming over the last century to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and
nitrous oxide (N 2 O) (Parry 2007). Understanding the potential impacts of climate
change is essential if planned responses to avoid or minimize the negative impacts
and taking advantage of positive impacts are to be successful (Taylor et al. 2013).
1 Strategies for Sustainable Plant Food Production
19