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FACT SHEET

INNOVATION IN AGRICULTUREGlobally, while production of major crops has more than tripled since 1960,challenges such as population growth and climate change mean that innovation inplant science and sustainable agriculture is more important than ever. The plantscience industry can play a significant role in helping to sustainably supply food,feed, fibre and fuel to people around the world -- now and in the future.

Increased yields, reduced crop losses from pests and disease, and less spoilage after harvestare just some of the benefits of innovation in agriculture that we all enjoy today and will allneed in the future.

Agriculture is More Productive than EverToday, farmers worldwide are producing more than ever. Globally, production of major cropshas more than tripled in the last 50 years. Yields for rice, the worlds most important staplecrop, have more than doubled and yields for soybean have gone up about 100%1.

Challenges for the Future

THE HISTORY OF HUMAN PROGRESS ISALSO A HISTORY OF INNOVATION.[] INNOVATION IS ABOUT IMPROVINGCOMMUNICATIONS, CURING DISEASES ANDSOLVING ENERGY, FOOD ANDENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS." ANGELGURRIA,SECRETARY GENERAL OF THEOECD(NOV.2007)

Increasing Demand:With world population expected toreach over 9 billion by 2050, global demand for food isprojected to increase by at least 2.5 times over currentlevels. The need for animal feed, fibre for clothing andother materials and fuel will also grow.

Limited Resources:There is less cropland per person thanever; increased future demand will threaten expansion intofragile environments and forests. Today, 70% of the worldswater is used for agriculture.

Climate Change:The impact of a changing world climate will be felt wherever crops aregrown. Climate-related crop failures and livestock deaths are already imposing higheconomic losses and undermining food security in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, and theyare projected to become far more severe and widespread.

Meeting the needs of farmers in developing countries:More than one billion farmers (80%of the world farmers) live in poverty, without reliable access to current agriculturetechnology, credit, advanced farming knowledge or techniques, or markets. As a result,

some key crops in developing countries reach only 20% of the level of the productivitythat is enjoyed elsewhere.

There is no single "silver bullet" that will meet all of these challenges. We need innovativeways of working with existing agriculture tools as well as developing new technologies, andmaking them readily available to farmers.

Sharing Existing Tools and Techniques

1 FAO Statistical Database

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Conservation Tillageminimizes or eliminates tillingthe soil with the help of specially chosen herbicidesand crop varieties, using less labor and less fuelmachinery. In 2005, this practice reduced carbondioxide emissions by 962 million kg the equivalent toremoving more than 400,000 cars from the road.

IN THE 1980S AND 1990S, IMPROVEDVARIETIES ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE

ACCOUNTED FOR AS MUCH AS 50% OFYIELD GROWTH, COMPARED WITH 21% INTHE PRECEDING TWO DECADES.POOR CONSUMERS HAVE BEEN THE MAINBENEFICIARIES.WITHOUT THOSE GAINS IN

YIELDS, WORLD CEREAL PRICES WOULDHAVE BEEN 1821% HIGHER IN 2000,CALORIC AVAILABILITY PER CAPITA IN

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WOULD HAVE

BEEN 47% LOWER,1315 MILLIONMORE CHILDREN WOULD HAVE BEEN

CLASSIFIED AS MALNOURISHED, AND MANYMORE HECTARES OF FOREST AND OTHER

FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS WOULD HAVE BEEN

BROUGHT UNDER CULTIVATION. (WORLDBANKREPORT 2008)

for

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies producequality crop yields with techniques that minimizeenvironmental impacts. Farmers actively work toprevent or limit pest outbreaks and use mechanical,biological, chemical or other controls only as needed.

Improved Seeds, including biotech-derived seeds,help increase yields and productivity. South Africanfarmers growing biotech insect-resistant corn sawyields increase by 32%, while in the Philippines,farmers using biotech corn and skills from IntegratedPest Management (IPM) training have seen their cropyields double.

Innovative New Technologies

Drought Tolerance: Drought tolerant crop varieties that allow plants to survive when wateris scarce are being developed through advanced breeding and biotechnology.

Nitrogen Fixing:Creating plants that use nitrogen more efficiently can reduce the need foradded fertilizer, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

Salinity Tolerance:Saline soils are generally unproductive for crops. Salt-tolerant crops willallow land that has been stressed by climate change to be more productive.

Green Power: Biofuels offer a cleaner source of power. Increasing starch content, utility ofstalks leaves and other plant parts, along with greater productivity, is important to thesustainability of biofuels.

Our Commitment to Innovation in AgricultureThe private sector is a major contributor toagricultural research and development,bringing these and other innovative newproducts to farmers around the world.

Our Resources: The top ten plant sciencecompanies employ over 15,000 scientistsand spend approximately US$5 billionannually to develop new technologies and

products. This level of investment iscomparable to other highly innovativesectors like pharmaceuticals andinformation technology.

Pro-Innovation Policies: We support policiesthat promote investment and innovation inagriculture, including science-basedregulation of new technology and protection

of intellectual property rights. These also provide incentives for companies to adaptproducts to developing country needs.

Private$1.1 billion

Public$10.2 billion

Private$12.6 billion

Public

$12.9 billion

Total $36.8 billion

Developing

Industrialized

Source: CGIA

Agricultural research spending (2006)

R

- J uly 2009 -

For more information, visit www.croplife.org

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Public agriculture research: Agriculture research in sub-Saharan Africa reduces the numberof poor by 2.3 million or 0.8% annually2. But government spending is declining in someregions, and CropLife International joins others in urging greater public investments inagriculture research.

Public-Private Partnerships: The plant science industry is committed to participating innetworks of private companies, public agencies, and non-governmental organizations todevelop and scale-up agriculture innovation so that it reaches those who need it the most.

Fostering innovation and rewarding creativity and its contribution to society is essential tomeet future needs. CropLife International and its members are here to help sustainably supplyfood, feed, fibre and fuel to people around the world.

2The impact of agricultural research on productivity and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, by: Arega D. Alene, Ousmane Coulibaly,

Food Policy, Vol. 34, No. 2. (April 2009), pp. 198-209.

- J uly 2009 -

For more information, visit www.croplife.org