WASHINGTON, D.C. — Improving farm productivity and biosecurity in the United States is vital to maintaining a reliable global food supply, according to testimony at a U.S. House hearing last week.
The House Agriculture Committee heard expert testimony from John Negroponte, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Tammy Beckham, dean of the School of Veterinary Science at Kansas State University. Water will be more important to food security, Negroponte said. "Water may become to us, in the decades ahead, what oil has represented in the past," he projected. The ongoing drought in California provides an example of the importance of water to agricultural and food security.
Certain areas of the world are potentially more vulnerable to water supply, said Negroponte. Africa, the Middle East and South Asia are frequently mentioned.
Infrastructure is crucial to maintaining a safe U.S. food supply. "Agriculture is extremely dependent on roads, rail, electricity, water and other infrastructure," said Negroponte in his prepared comments.
According to him, government has responsibility to both upgrade and protect the infrastructure. "Reducing the chances of attack will likely require increased investment in vulnerable or aged infrastructure and a continuing evaluation of new and emerging threats."
Animal agriculture in the United States may be especially vulnerable, said Beckham. "The very elements that make the U.S. agricultural system robust and productive are also the same ones that make it vulnerable to a natural or intentional introduction of a biological agent," she pointed out.
Human disease pathogens that can be transferred by animals make animal health a human health concern, she said. "It has been estimated that over 75 percent of all emerging pathogens are zoonotic, and zoonotic pathogens are twice as likely to be associated with an emerging disease than non-zoonotic pathogens," she added.
"Funding levels must be increased to the agricultural sector, and they must be strategically utilized," said Beckham. She advocates for a "one-health" approach that considers human health issues in light of animal health.
The concern in food security extends beyond the House, as the issue has been recently highlighted at national and international food events, like The Atlantic Food Summit Oct. 29. "Never has there been more urgency around discussing food security – as the Earth’s population is estimated to reach 9.7 billion in 2050, experts say that will mean a 60 percent increase in demand for meat, milk and eggs," said Elanco Animal Health President Jeff Simmons. "Adding more animals isn’t the answer. We need innovative solutions and collaboration to move the discussion forward."
Improving animal protein production methods globally is important, according to Simmons. As incomes rise around the world, people demand more protein from meat, milk and eggs. Improved production efficiencies, especially in developing countries, can help increase the quantity supplied.
"We must continue to find new solutions and better ways to produce animal protein that both protect the welfare of the animal and meets consumers’ expectations. Ultimately, we must ensure our efforts are right for the health and welfare of animals, right for people and right by the planet," said Simmons.
Other calls for increased global food security link the issue to climate change. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva has called on the global community to put food security and agriculture at the center of debates on climate change.
The world’s 50 poorest countries are expected to be among the most affected by climate change, according to the FAO. "These countries have not created the problem. In fact, they are responsible for less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions," noted da Silva.
The FAO and other global organizations, including the Vatican, stress food security is also linked to human care of the environment. A meeting on climate change to be held in France, beginning Nov. 30, will call on developed countries to pledge to these production practices.
Concern for food security is more frequently linked with environmental responsibility. Pope Francis released in June an encyclical letter about climate change. The letter included language about responsible food production. "It’s like saying that when the planet or the environment is hurt, the human beings whose lives depend on the Earth (are) also hurt," said Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and one of the Vatican’s leading experts on the Encyclical Letter.
"If we run (the Earth) as sustainable, it also sustains our own existence," said Turkson, in an interview released by FAO. "For the Earth to be able to sustain our lives as a home, it requires our care."
