Sustaining Global Food Security: The Nexus of Science and Policy

Population growth alone dictates that global food supplies must increase by over 50% in coming decades. Advances in technology offer an array of opportunities to meet this demand, but history shows that these can be fully realised only within an enabling policy environment. Sustaining Global Food Security makes a compelling case that recent technological breakthroughs can move the planet towards a secure and sustainable food supply only if new policies are designed that allow their full expression. Bob Zeigler has brought together a distinguished set of scientists and policy analysts to produce well-referenced chapters exploring international policies on genetic resources, molecular genetics, genetic engineering, crop breeding and protection, remote sensing, the changing landscape of agricultural policies in the world’s largest countries, and trade. Those entering the agricultural sciences and those who aspire to influence public policy during their careers will benefit from the insights of this unique set of experiences and perspectives.

Table of Contents:
Preface List of contributors An introduction to the global food security, technology and policy nexus Part 1: Tapping and creating genetic resources 1: Systematic assessment for conservation and utilisation of crop genetic resources 2: Crop species origins, the impact of domestication and the potential of wide hybridisation for crop improvement 3: Technological and policy challenges to utilisation of plant genetic resources 4: Oryza genome diversity: discovery, management and utilisation Part 2: Redesigning crop plants 5: Reducing mineral and vitamin deficiencies through biofortification: progress under HarvestPlus 6: Delivering biofortified crops in developing countries 7: Fatty acids and pharmamolecules 8: Resistant starch, large bowel fermentation and human health 9: Redesigning crop photosynthesis Part 3: Modern plant breeding 10: Modern plant breeding: a perspective from the public sector in the United States 11: Improving the regulation and social acceptance of crop-protection and seeds products produced using new technologies: an industry perspective Colour plates 12: Plant phenome to genome: a big data challenge 13: Incorporating stress tolerance in rice Part 4: Managing the crop 14: Closing crop yield gaps around the world 15: The soil microbiome and crop nitrogen nutrition in anaerobic systems: a case study in rice 16: Manipulating molecular interactions between hosts and pathogens for enhancing resistance and disease management 17: Sustainable rice pest management: the role of agricultural policies 18: A view of water management: from river basin to farm Part 5: Sustainable intensive systems 19: Remote sensing for sustainable agricultural management 20: A new public–private interface for staple crops: the Sustainable Rice Platform 21: Linking public goods with private interests: investing in performance at scale with smallholders and the private sector Part 6: Major agricultural regions in transition 22: Agricultural growth, transformation and policies in China 23: Modern plant and agricultural sciences and public policies in India: creating a sustainable global food supply 24: Unlocking Africa’s agricultural potential 25: Sub-Saharan agriculture in transition: the case of rice Part 7: Globalisation of food supply 26: The rapid transformation of food supply chains in developing and emerging economies (DEEs) with implications for farmers and consumers 27: Social change and policies driving the transformation of consumption in the food systems 28: Trade as a means to meeting global food needs Some closing thoughts Index

About the Author :
Robert S. Zeigler devoted his professional career to sustainably improving cereal production, primarily rice, in developing countries. Originally trained as a plant pathologist, Bob led increasingly complex multidisciplinary research programs, culminating in his appointment as Director General of the International Rice Research Institute in 2005, a position he held until his retirement in 2016. He has worked closely with policy makers and senior government officials in rice-producing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia to link the potential of new technologies to political and economic realities. He now lives with his family in Portland, Oregon.

Review :
"Providing a safe, nutritious, affordable diet for an increasingly urbanized world of 10 billion people – under a changing climate and with fewer natural resources – is a task of mammoth proportions. Ending hunger can only be achieved through a determined and sustained commitment to smallholder agriculture, underpinned by appropriate technologies and policies. This fascinating book sets out to tackle these subjects and their interdependency, in a comprehensive and thought-provoking way. Through a crop lens, and with contributions from academia, industry and government, the authors have done a masterful job of combining exciting new science with real world policy pragmatism. Drawing from history, the book explores the intricate interplay between technological and policy innovation, and the way in which the upsides of technological breakthroughs can be balanced against the inevitable downside risks, while maintaining the pace or scale of adoption needed to achieve and maintain global food security."