1. Are FDI’s by Arab Countries
really needed for food security?
Dr. Henk C. van Latesteijn

2. The background

3. Global food requirements in 2050
Countries Type of growth ‘Scenarios’ Biomass
(109 tons GE)
Current 7
Poor Population More food
growth 2050: food and feed 12
Middle- Economic More feed
income growth and feedstock 2050: + 10% of global 17
energy supply
Rich Biobased More
economy feedstock 2050: + all citizens a 23
European diet
GE = Grain Equivalents

4. Food security = risk management
Global trade
1
Optimize comparative advantages
FDI’s
2
Expand production base
3
Metropolitan agriculture
Production and access in urban areas
4 Yield gap closure
Unlock nature’s potential in rural regions

5. Global trade: vegetables 1
exports
imports
Source: worldmapper.org

6. Global trade: dairy 1
exports
imports
Source: worldmapper.org

7. Global FDI’s in Agriculture 2
Source: UNCTAD, 2009

8. Metropolitan agriculture 3
Sustainable
COMMERCIAL
Intensification
AGRICULTURE
Sustainable
Re-valuation
METROPOLITAN Sustainable
AGRICULTURE
Diversification
ORGANIC &
ENVIRONMENTA
URBAN
L
AGRICULTURE
CONSERVATION
AGRICULTURE

9. Metropolitan agriculture and food security 3
 Production
 Access

10. Improve local productivity 4
YIELD GAP
CLOSURE
Source: Van Ittersum & Rabbinge, 1997

11. Why technical potentials are not easily realised 4
 Producers maximize profit, not yield
 Less favoured areas have higher input-
output price ratios
 Closing yield gaps requires research effort
 Depletion of fossil fuels and phosphate
rock raises input prices
 Supply becomes tight long before
technical potentials have been exhausted

12. Global Yield Gap Atlas 4
Source: Boogaard et al. (in prep.)

13. Lacking Data 4
Source: Boogaard et al. (in prep.)

14. Conclusions
 Food security asks for production
increase
 Different pathways are available
 Food security = risk management
 Don’t put all your eggs in one
basket
 Invest in different options

15. Thank you