Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus
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Nicole Mason, MSU Department of Agriculture, Food & Resource Economics, describes perspectives on the food dimension from an agricultural development economist.
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Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus
- 1. Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus: Perspectives on the food dimension from an agricultural development economist Nicole M. Mason, Assistant Professor Department of Agricultural, Food, & Resource Economics 103-105 Kellogg Center, 14 January 2016
- 2. To feed 9.7 billion by 2050, food production will need to increase by at least 50% … and in the face of: • Poor access to affordable, reliable, clean energy • Land & water scarcity, degradation/pollution • Climate change
- 3. Not just more food, different food • Urbanization and rising incomes increased demand for: • Eggs, meat, fish, dairy • Fresh fruits and vegetables • Processed foods and food away from home • Many positives but water and energy- intensive
- 4. Interdisciplinary research at the FEW nexus 1. Sustainable agricultural intensification 2. Climate smart agriculture 3. Improving food systems performance Land, water, energy, and other inputs • Raising use efficiency • Increasing availability and access to clean, reliable, sustainable sources
- 5. Spillovers at the FEW nexus – e.g., • How might improving access to safe drinking water raise agricultural productivity? • How might having more reliable access to electricity increase the potential for local food processing firms to compete with imports?
- 6. Leveraging MSU expertise across campus • Science of resource use, degradation, & restoration • Developing new technologies, management practices, governance structures, etc. • Dynamics of adoption/diffusion of innovations; roles of ICTs and human/institutional capacity building; effects on human health, nutrition, and well-being • Organizations, institutions, policies; political economy • Many more dimensions; links among above dimensions
- 7. Thank you! Nicole M. Mason Department of Agricultural, Food, & Resource Economics masonn@msu.edu
Editor's Notes
- - Ag development economist working on food security, technology adoption, agricultural policy analysis, and political economy issues related to smallholder farmers in Africa so coming at things mainly from that perspective
- Climate change could reduce crop yields by more than 25% (World Bank) So we will need to produce much more, using our land, water, and other resources more efficiently; also need to reduce food waste Need to increase food production by 50-110% based on below (various figures): World Bank – at least 50% http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/foodsecurity/overview (4/1/15) FAO (2009) ”How to Feed the World in 2050” –70% University of Minnesota/ Ray et al. 2013 citing several previous studies (60-110% increases in food production needed)
- Most of the population growth will be in developing countries … Many positives – e.g., improved diets and income generating opportunities
- - SI – increasing agricultural productivity on existing farmland while maintaining or improving environmental sustainability. (“yields are increased without adverse environmental impact and without cultivation of more land” (Royal Society, 2009); SAIRLA PPT “increasing agricultural productivity while maintaining or improving environmental sustainability” - CSA – improving ag productivity, food security, and incomes while also increasing the capacity of the ag system to adapt to climate change and enhancing its ability to help mitigate climate change – e.g., reduce GHGs and increase carbon sinks (paraphrased from Campbell et al 2014) - Performance – efficiency, equity, resilience
- -from basic research to the most applied research