Sustainability of rice in the global food system - IRRI books

Building national capacity for an integrated approach to environmental and development
objectives is a key goal for UNDP. In a recent program conducted jointly
by the public sector and civil society organizations in Zambia, we supported training
of about 18,000 women farmers to improve food legume production and storage for
environmental sustainability. Legumes are an important source of both food value
and income in Zambia. By reaching women with improved technological solutions, a
breakthrough in sustainable food security could be achieved.
UNDP also works closely with the Global Environment Facility to incorporate
development and long-term food security goals in all environmental programming.
In Ethiopia, we demonstrated the potential of farmer-based conservation of their rich
plant genetic resources. Genetic diversity is critical for agriculture in marginal lands
to survive, improve its productivity, and be environmentally friendly for long-term
food security. A similar integration of environment and development has been demonstrated
in an integrated coastal zone management program in Belize.
Food and sustainable livelihoods
The emphasis on environmental sustainability cannot be separated from an emphasis
on the livelihoods of people, especially for those who live in ecologically fragile
areas.
Environmental and human health concerns often intersect. One example is the
development of agricultural systems that promote biological diversity and human
nutritional needs. As soon as minimal calorie needs are met, the natural human response
is to diversify the diet. Though this can be obvious in regions where demand
for grains for human consumption has reached a plateau, a strong case can also be
made for agricultural diversification in the newly emerging agricultural growth areas
such as sub-Saharan Africa.
Raising agricultural productivity is clearly necessary, as are improvements in
agricultural technology on marginal lands, where some 500 million poor people live
today. In other regions of the world, where agricultural production and the economy
have been on a steady upward trend, the structure of demand is changing. Food needs
continue to grow, but food demand will become more complex as incomes rise. Population
and income growth will continue to increase demand for food, as will the success
of poverty eradication efforts.
In much of Asia, and particularly in most of the rice-producing countries of Southeast
Asia, incremental demand will occur primarily in noncereal food groups. Cereals
for human consumption will remain important, but diminishing at the margin. Other
uses of cereals—such as for livestock feed and industrial and energy uses—are growing
rapidly. There is a need for such uses, but agricultural policies need to distinguish
where incremental investments would have the greatest benefit to the majority of the
people, and particularly for the poor.
The changing structure of demand offers a unique opportunity for investing in
areas where land-intensive agriculture is not a feasible option, such as hillsides. Highvalue,
labor-intensive crops, agroforestry, and other biomass-enriching options are
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