Defining the future of agriculture

The author asserts that while global food production must increase by 60% by 2050 to meet the needs of a growing and urbanising population, this is achievable through sustainable agriculture and collaboration between governments, the private sector, and farmers. Key challenges identified include soil degradation, climate change, and significant food waste, with post-harvest losses accounting for up to 50% of available calories. The text advocates for improving smallholder farmer livelihoods, investing in rural education, and establishing open markets and aligned international trade regimes. It highlights the World Economic Forum's New Vision for Agriculture initiative as a model for the necessary multistakeholder cooperation.

• To meet the needs of a world population exceeding 9 billion and 70% urbanisation by 2050, global food requirements are expected to increase by 60%.
• The global food system faces urgent pressures including climate change, depleting water tables, inadequate infrastructure, and land availability reductions caused primarily by soil degradation.
• Food waste and post-harvest losses are a major challenge, representing up to 50% of the total calories available from the farm to the consumer.
• Sustainable agriculture requires a combination of national enabling environments—such as land rights, open markets, and infrastructure investment—and an aligned international trade regime.
• Achieving food security requires a multistakeholder approach where governments create enabling environments, the private sector provides investment and innovation, and farmers remain central to the process.

APA

Bulcke, P. (2015). Defining the future of agriculture. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/food-water-air/defining-the-future-of-agriculture/

Chicago

Bulcke, Paul. Defining the future of agriculture. World Economic Forum, 2015. https://www.weforum.org/stories/food-water-air/defining-the-future-of-agriculture/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Bulcke |first1=Paul |title=Defining the future of agriculture |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=23 January 2015 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/food-water-air/defining-the-future-of-agriculture/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{bulcke2015defining, author = {Bulcke, Paul}, title = {{Defining the future of agriculture}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2015}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/food-water-air/defining-the-future-of-agriculture/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }