Researcher: Innovation is key to a more sustainable agriculture
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Feeding the world's growing population in a manner that doesn't compromise the needs of the next generation is a balancing act, but one that can be handled through innovation and environmental stewardship, said Purdue University agronomist Gebisa Ejeta.
"Sustainability is an important agenda because we have to pay attention to meeting the needs of today without compromising the needs of the future," Ejeta said. "It has everything to do with the stewardship of our natural resources, while at the same time effectively using those resources to meet the food and fiber needs of today's population."
Ejeta, who was named the 2009 World Food Prize laureate for his research in drought- and Striga-resistant sorghum varieties, said he and his colleagues pay special attention to sustainability in their daily work.
"We pay due attention to sustainability in our research because we are working on genetic resistance," he said. "We work on providing protection of the crop through genetic means without the use of chemical herbicides and insecticides and so on."
He also said sustainability and stewardship should remain on the minds of American farmers and agribusiness professionals.
"I think it's very important for American farmers and American industry to be concerned about sustainability," he said. "American agriculture has been very productive and, to some extent, that productivity may have brought about some neglect of our natural resources because of the overuse of inputs that have made agriculture so productive. But I think that American ingenuity and American technology can give us the tools to be able to continue to produce enough food for the current population, and also pay more attention to the stewardship of our natural resources.
"It can be done, and a lot of people are doing research toward that goal."
While there still is a lot of work to be done, Ejeta has been impressed by the advancements that farmers and researchers already have made.
"Conservation agriculture, over the last few decades, has made significant contributions to bringing up alternatives, including minimum tillage, for example, that have lent themselves toward the care of our natural resources," he said. "Continued efforts in those regards would bring about more opportunities for conservation."
Ejeta also believes that the American agriculture industry needs to have an open dialogue with consumers about what the industry is doing and where food comes from.
"The risk is that, because of the efficiency and productivity level of modern agriculture, the current generation of Americans, and I'm afraid future generations, may forget where plants and animals are produced," he said. "They may forget that these products are produced on farms, and there may be a tendency to believe they come out of groceries and places like that. So, in that case, education needs to be paid attention to, to impart in the minds of the young generation the responsibilities of taking care of natural resources and the realities of the farm.
"I think it would be a win-win for agribusiness and the consumers, as well as for those who are engaged in the stewardship of our natural resources on the farm."
Writer: Jennifer Stewart, 765-494-6682, jsstewar@purdue.edu
Source: Gebisa Ejeta, 765-494-4320, gejeta@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-8415;
Steve Leer, sleer@purdue.edu
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