The path to global food security depends on technology and trade. Speaking last week to the China Food Security and Food Safety Strategy Summit in Beijing, U.S. Grains Council Chairman Ron Gray emphasized the commitment of U.S. farmers to continuous improvement and sustainable increases in yield. He also expressed the readiness of U.S. producers to serve as reliable partners in meeting China’s critical food security goals in the years ahead.

“The world is not on track to meet its food security needs by 2050, when the global population will reach 9 billion,” Gray said. “This isn’t just a U.S. problem or a Chinese problem. It is a global problem. The global yield curve needs to increase. The only way to achieve global food security on a sustainable basis is through technology and trade.”

The summit was a top-level conference sponsored by the Development Research Center (DRC) of the State Council. Nearly 50 speakers representing both Chinese and international perspectives joined the discussion. While there is public debate in China about biotechnology, the country is making major investments in this area, and the majority of scientists and economists at the DRC conference appeared to accept biotechnology as a necessary part of the long-term solution to food security.

“The Chinese speakers repeatedly raised concerns about water constraints and land degradation,” Gray said. “We were able to discuss the success of U.S. farmers in increasing yields while reducing irrigation, fertilizer and chemical usage on a unit basis, thanks to biotechnology and precision agriculture. This is clearly of great interest to the Chinese as they look ahead to future challenges.”