United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva called for a paradigm shift towards sustainable agriculture, higher productivity and a reduced use of inputs in a Sept. 29 speech to members of the Committee on Agriculture, a UN technical advisory group. Graziano da Silva emphasized the importance of reducing the intensity of water and chemical use and exploring new technologies.

Graziano da Silva noted that global food production must grow by 60 percent by 2050 to meet anticipated demand from a projected global population of 9 billion people. Graziano da Silva also said a wide range of new approaches will be needed including agro-ecology, climate-smart agriculture, biotechnology and the use of genetically modified organisms or GMOs.

“Director-General Graziano da Silva’s remarks are right on target,” said Ron Gray, USGC chairman. “When you begin by defining sustainability in terms of long-term food security, which is FAO’s objective, the logical conclusions start to fall into place. Farmers will be challenged to grow more with less, and we need new tools and technology to do it.”

Graziano da Silva’s remarks coincidentally overlapped with the visit of a MAIZALL team to Europe to meet with key officials of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the European Union and the FAO. Composed of representatives from Argentina, Brazil and the United States – the three major corn exporting countries of the Americas – the MAIZALL group focused on the EU’s chronic failure to meet its own standards for science-based regulation and a timely, predictable regulatory process.

“We met with Director-General Graziano da Silva shortly after his COAG remarks and complimented him on his leadership,” said USGC Past Chairman and MAIZALL President Julius Schaaf. “Biotechnology is an essential tool for meeting global food security goals. MAIZALL looks forward to working with FAO to provide the farmers’ perspective on the environmental benefits of biotechnology and its contributions to agricultural sustainability.”