If agriculture is to meet the demands and uncertainties of the future, here are some main areas that will need to be addressed:
- sustainable agriculture will need to find ways to increase yields comparable to those of scientific farming methods.
- scientific methods will need to look at ways of improving yields that are not so reliant on the heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers.
- agricultural economists will need to look beyond yields and output, and find policies that insure that any technical advances are not out of reach (for economic or social reasons) of any farmer, regardless of gender, class, or economic level. The people involved in farming (farmers and farm laborers) are not just numbers.
- geneticists will have to look seriously and thoroughly at the questions of what unplanned effects might result from extensive planting and cultivating of genetically manipulated breeds.
What is needed is a comprehensive view, which keeps in mind technology, environment and ecosystems, social questions, and the difficult task of feeding an ever-increasing population with affordable food, in a way that is fair to all types of farmers and consumers.
