Challenges on World Food Day
On October 16th, World Food Day is celebrated. The date was chosen to remember the creation of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. The first commemoration of the date took place in 1981. The day seeks to promote reflection on important topics such as food security and nutrition for underprivileged peoples and how to ensure healthy, affordable, quality food in sufficient quantity and on a permanent basis. This year's theme is “Grow, Feed, Sustain. Together".
According to the FAO itself, currently the number of people living with moderate or severe food insecurity is 2 billion people. In Brazil, quality food is everyone's right, it is the law and is in the Constitution since September 15, 2006.
In this process, agribusiness as a whole plays a fundamental role not only in producing food but in bringing quality, health and safety to the table, which are increasingly demanded by consumers. Family farming alone, those considered small, are responsible for 70% of all of this. In 2020, even with the pandemic, the sector was one of the only ones that remained resilient, ensuring food with ever more technological input and more preservation and respect for the environment.
In this context, BASF Marketing Director Eduardo Novaes helps us reflect on the date, the new food standards and the role of Brazil and Brazilian farmers. See the article:
New food patterns and the challenge of feeding the world
I have noticed an important movement in favor of real food and healthy food. After years focused on ultra-processed meals, part of the population has turned to an increasingly natural and healthy diet, rescuing the awareness that eating habits also impact the planet.
The new eating patterns, the changes in the way of relating to food and consumption, also impact on Brazilian agricultural production. For those who consume, value more what comes from the earth. For those who plant, produce more with less natural resources. This means having an increasingly sustainable production.
Did you know that Brazilian agribusiness currently feeds around 1.5 billion people around the world? Basically, it amounts to 1/5 of the population. And the sector has managed to maintain the supply of safe food, especially in this moment of uncertainty that we are experiencing with the coronavirus.
Brazil is now among the largest food producers in the world. According to data from the Brazilian Food Industry Association (ABIA), last year the country exported food to more than 180 countries. More than 34 billion dollars were transacted. Agribusiness basically corresponds to more than 60% of the trade balance. One of the great challenges of the sector is to maintain production to feed a population that does not stop growing. According to UN estimates, the planet could reach 9.7 billion people in 2050, an increase of 26% compared to the current number. But the challenge is even greater, it's not just about producing, it's about continuing to act in an increasingly sustainable way. And this is only possible through a lot of research and technology.
We are committed to the longevity and balance of the farmer's business. Therefore, we invest in research to offer tools that meet the needs of him, agriculture, the environment and society.
The total global R&D investment of BASF's Agricultural Solutions Division is approximately €900 million per year to contribute to increased productivity and profitability in the field. In Brazil alone, more than 35 solutions should be launched by 2030 (traits + crop protection), in addition to soy and cotton varieties, digital tools and fruit and vegetable seeds.
What we want is this, that we can support the continuity of this Legacy of the Brazilian farmer. That through research and technology, efficiency in agribusiness means more productive, quality crops without the need to clear new land. Increasingly sustainable for the entire chain, recovering the importance of its origin and the process of growing these foods.