Nutreco
- Growing awareness
- Agri Vision 2009
- Embedding sustainability in Nutreco
- The Nutreco Sustainability Policy
- Targets set by the Executive Board
- Feeding the Future
Inspiration for sustainable growth
David Hughes, Emeritus Professor, Imperial College London, said the future for agriculture is attractive. Humans respond successfully to challenges. However, the ‘green bar’ is rising. Food producers must increase their sustainability and gain the approval of society for the new technologies they need.
Karl Rose, Chief Strategist, Shell International B.V., said that scenario planning prepares leaders to anticipate and manage uncertainty, challenges assumptions and provides a measure by which to judge corporate aspirations.
Sipko Schat, Executive Board Member, Rabobank Nederland and Vice Chairman Rabobank International, reported the bank’s study on the impact of the financial crisis on agribusiness. Price volatility will continue and as agribusinesses adapt there will be further consolidation. Rabobank is the co-organiser of Agri Vision.
Olivier Kerr, Corporate Vice President Agricultural Supply Chain Platform, Cargill, told delegates that markets involving raw materials and food have become more complex than ever. The value of knowledge sharing is increasing and co-developments are becoming normal.
“We can feed the world of 2050” |
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Responding to the question “Will we be able to feed and fuel the world in 2050?”, the great majority of Agri Vision 2009 delegates answered “Yes”. They agreed that current knowledge and technology can increase productivity substantially and targeted research can boost it further; doubling production while halving the footprint. The major challenges lie in consumer attitudes, political decision making and in guiding investments and knowledge to those places and people where they will have the greatest benefit. |
