The global agriculture system will have to change radically if the world is to avoid future environmental and social problems, a report has warned.
The study, commissioned by the UN and World Bank, concluded that while recent advances had increased food production, the benefits were spread unevenly.
It said that 850 million people were still not getting enough food to eat.
The authors added that food prices would remain volatile as a result of rising populations and biofuel growth.
The findings were published by the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), an intergovernmental body that involved more than 400 scientists and 30 governments.
“We tried to assess the implications of agricultural knowledge, science and technology both past, present and future on a series of very critical issues,” explained IAASTD director Robert Watson.
“These issues are hunger and poverty; rural livelihoods; nutrition and human health.
“The key point is how do we address these issues in a way that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable?”
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