Is there enough land available globally to produce the food that will be needed by future populations ?

Is there enough land available at national level to allow all countries to attain self-sufficiency in the production of food ?

Answers to these questions are possible only by a quantifying land resources and evaluating their population supporting capacities. Fundamental to such quantifications is the fact that the ability of land to produce is conditioned by soil and climatic conditions and by the levels of inputs that are being applied low levels of inputs which prevail in subsistence farming; intermediate inputs which cater for plant nutrition, pest and disease control; or high levels of inputs which are characteristic of intensive agriculture in industrialized countries. In turn, the levels of inputs and land management must be conditioned by the preservation and enhancement of the basic natural resources.
Recognizing these basic principles, FAO and the UNFPA, in collaboration with IIASA, made an estimate of the physical limits of the supporting capacities of lands in developing countries in terms of present and future populations.
While the findings are the result of a broad assessment they do bring to light some important considerations.

- if the people of the world were to live in harmony; if resources were shared; if cultivable land were used in an optimal way, and if there were unrestricted movements of produce, there would be food for all for many years to come without undue stress to the natural resource base.

The reality, however, is very different.

- The Land resources and their potentials are very unevenly distributed both between and within countries, and over large areas the available land resources are insufficient to meet the food needs of populations currently dependent on them or projected to be so in : the future.

- in a great number of countries the productive potential of the land is not being achieved because of the low level of inputs. The study identified 55 critical countries whose potential population supporting capacities, at low levels of inputs, were less than their actual present populations.

- in certain countries, production potentials are decreasing alarmingly due to the progressive degradation of the resource base.

When planning for a higher degree of self-sufficiency it is essential that differences in crop production potential are fully appreciated and that land degradation hazards are identified. In some countries, land reserves are such that cultivation can be expanded to meet national requirements and even beyond. In other areas the limits of cultivable land have already been reached or are about to be reached, and most of the necessary increased production will have to come from the intensification of agriculture on land already cultivated. Certain countries with unfavourable soil and climatic conditions may not be able to meet the food requirements of their population, even if the level of inputs were to be optimized. A national assessment of the available land resources is a prerequisite for determining appropriate food policies. Development decisions must be based on reliable knowledge of what is possible and what is not. With the existence of critical areas in various parts of the world it is clear that food security will also depend on areas with different food production capabilities complementing each other - a clear indication that the problems of land use and food supply must be tackled at national, regional and global levels and not just within the context of individual countries.

As populations increase, land suitable for cultivation inevitably becomes more scarce. Nearly half the total world population lives in countries that are already using more than 90 percent of their potential arable land. Loss of soil, and of its productive capacity, create increased food dependencies, threats to the autonomy of nations and disparities between countries with different soil resource endowments. This interdependence implies that care for the world's soil resources is an issue of international dimensions.

Conscious of this situation, the 21st session of the FAO Conference, in 19$1, adopted the World Soil Charter' and recommended that the United Nations and international organizations concerned give effect, within their respective spheres of competence, to the Principles set forth below:

1. Among the major resources available to man is land, comprising soil, water and associated plants and animals: the use of these resources should not cause their degradation or destruction because man's existence depends on their continued productivity.

2. Recognizing the paramount importance of land resources for the survival and welfare of people and the economic independence of countries, and also the rapidly increasing need for more food production, it is imperative to give high priority to promoting optimum land use, to maintaining and improving soil productivity and to conserving soil resources.

3. Soil degradation means the partial or total loss of soil productivity, quantitatively, qualitatively, or both, as a result of such processes as soil erosion, salinization, waterlogging, depletion of plant nutrients, deterioration of soil structure, desertification and pollution. In addition, significant areas of soil are lost daily to non-agricultural uses. These developments are alarming in the light of the urgent need to increase production of food, fibres and wood. 4. Soil degradation directly affects agriculture and forestry by diminishing yields and upsetting water regimes, but other sectors of the economy and the environment as a whole, including industry and commerce, are often seriously affected as well, for example through flooding or the silting up of rivers, dams and ports.

5. It is a major responsibility of governments that land use programmes include measures aimed at achieving the best possible use of the land, ensuring long-term maintenance and improvement of its productivity, and avoiding the loss of productive soil. The land users themselves should be involved, thereby ensuring that all resources available are utilized in the most rational way.

6. The provision of proper incentives at farm level. and a sound technical, institutional and legal framework, are basic requirements for establishing good land use.

7. Assistance given to farmers and other land users should be of a practical service-oriented nature and should encourage good land husbandry.

8. Certain land-tenure structures may constitute an obstacle to the adoption of sound soil management and conservation measures on farms. Ways and means should be pursued to overcome such obstacles with respect to the rights, duties and responsibilities of land owners, tenants and land users alike, in accordance with the recommendations of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (Rome, 1979).

9. Land users and the broad public should be well informed of the need for and the means of, improving soil productivity and conservation. Particular emphasis should be placed on education and extension programmes and training of agricultural staff at all levels.

10. In order to ensure optimum land use, it is important that a country's land resources be assessed in terms of their suitability at different levels of inputs for different types of land use, including agriculture, grazing and forestry.

11. Land having the potential for a wide range of uses should be kept in flexible forms of use so that future options for other potential uses are not denied. The use of land for non-agricultural purposes should be organized in such a way as to avoid, as much as possible, the occupation or permanent degradation of good-quality soils.

12. Decisions about the use and management of land and its resources should favour long-term advantage rather than short-term expediency which may lead to exploitation, degradation and possible destruction of soil resources.

13. Land conservation measures should be included in land development at the planning stage and the costs included in development planning budgets.

The World Soil Charter further lists the Guidelines for Action required by the acceptance of the above Principles, both by governments and at the international level.

FAO has extended its cooperation for the implementation of these guidelines in the fields of assessment of land resources, land-use planning, soil management, fertilizer use, conservation and reclamation of land resources.

After World War 11, irrigated agriculture developed rapidly, resulting in a current irrigated land area of some 270 million hectares. However, since the late seventies, the expansion of irrigation has decreased markedly, and with the growing awareness of the environmental, economic and social problems that are created by many development activities, serious questions are now being raised about past irrigation developments.

The overall performance of many current irrigation projects is less than expected. Inadequate operation, maintenance and management of an increasingly scarce water resource contribute to many socio-economic and environmental problems. Of major concern is the rapid rise in groundwater which can lead to depressed crop yields, waterlogging, salinity and a host of water-borne diseases. It is not unusual to find that 60 percent of the water diverted or pumped for irrigation never reaches the crops. The cost of providing this water is high, and when more than half is wasted, the cost per unit may be doubled.

By far the most significant economic and environmental loss stems form waterlogging and salinization of irrigated lands. It is estimated that on a global basis about 20 to 30 million hectares of irrigated lands are severely affected by salinity and that an additional 60 to 80 million hectares are affected to some extent.

The quality of water available to agriculture is as important as the quantity because poor quality water not only reduces crop yields, but can also reduce land productivity and create environmental hazards. Many irrigation developments have suffered in this way. Two common sources of poor-quality water are farm drainage water and untreated sewage effluents. These sources carry significant chemical and biological hazards and have often been the cause of acute and chronic illness in both rural and urban populations.

Equally important has been the impact of agricultural practices on water quality. Excess plant nutrients in surface runoff, and deep percolation from both irrigated and rained areas, have contributed to water pollution, leading in particular to high levels of nitrates, eutrophication of surface water bodies and the growth of aquatic weeds in canals and watercourses.

It is evident that despite its commendable contribution to food production, past irrigation development has in some instances been achieved at considerable cost, and that approaches to water management and irrigation development need to be geared more consciously to sustainable development and more effective use of finite water resources.

Many people are increasingly concerned about the potentially harmful effects of chemicals in agriculture. Problems have indeed arisen from the use, or rather the misuse, of some chemical compounds, especially those that are toxic, and in this context the use of the term 'agrochemicals' is misleading. It generally lumps together pesticides and mineral fertilizers. The former are biocides-designed to destroy or control insects, fungi or weeds - while fertilizers are composed of nutrients which are essential for plant growth. It is imperative that this distinction is made if misjudgment on the application of chemicals' in agriculture is to be avoided. It is preferable therefore not to use the term 'agrochemicals' or at least not to use it without specifying the products concerned. Actually, the term mineral fertilizers'- meaning manufactured fertilizers- is to be preferred over chemical fertilizers'. Since all fertilizers are chemical', whether they are of mineral or organic origin, natural or manufactured.

In consultation with appropriate United Nations agencies and other organizations, FAO has developed a Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides (1990). A covenant is now being prepared for the good use of fertilizers, thus making the necessary distinction between the two major groups of chemicals used in agriculture.

Environmental effects of fertilizers may be both beneficial and hazardous, and their actual impact depends less on the fertilizers themselves than on the amounts and on the way they are applied. Where detrimental effects are observed, they are usually due to overdoses or to improper use, which may be corrected by improved management practices. It must be noted that the amounts of fertilizers, both mineral and organic, used in developing countries are relatively low. The local excesses that occur in some industrial countries should not be allowed to prejudice their increased use in the developing world.

Both the code on pesticides and the covenant for good fertilizer include definitions of the terminology being used. The nature and the usage of agricultural chemicals' very considerably, and it is incumbent on those in agriculture to do everything possible to reduce or eliminate potential hazards, including those arising from the use of loose terminology. What's in a name' can make all the difference when it comes to decision-making.

FAO's Locust Control Programme commenced in 1952, and was originally focused on coordinating international action against the desert locust, then in a state of plague in the Arabian peninsula. A major development in 1960 was the first UNDP project, an inter-regional project involving some 30 countries aimed at extending and strengthening national, regional and international action through the FAO-supported Desert Locust Information Service, ecological and operational research, support to field research stations, and training (fellowships, study tours and seminars). During the 1960s and 1970s support was provided to regional organizations concerned with the monitoring and preventive control of the African migratory locust, the red locust, the Central American locust and, in the latter decade, with the quelea bird problem in Africa. In 1974-75 major international assistance to combat grasshopper emergencies in the Sahel was coordinated by the specially created Office for Special Relief Operations (OSRO). In 1978 a short-lived desert locust plague attracted considerable governmental and IGO assistance mobilized and coordinated by FAO.

The return of near-normal rains to much of Africa from 1985 led to the plagues of desert locusts and brown locusts, swarms of african migratory locust and red locust and large Infestations of planthoppers in the Sahel. The Emergency Centre for Locust Operations (ECLO) was established to mobilize and coordinate the massive assistance (over US$300 million) provided to meet these emergencies, which were met almost entirely using chemical pesticides. This operation aroused environmental concern and a recognition of the need to develop alternative strategies less dependent on chemical pesticides.

Current and future activities include running the Desert Locust Information Service and establishing desert locust control units in the Sahelian countries; promoting and field testing pesticides that are highly specific to locusts and grasshoppers and therefore of minimal danger to non-target organisms; carrying out studies on the eco-toxicological aspects of currently used locust pesticides; finding and developing biopesticides bases on naturally occurring pathogens (fungi, protozoa, etc.); developing a programme to contain and eventually dispose of obsolete and unwanted pesticides; developing improved methods of-pesticide delivery on to target organisms; training in management of migratory pests and co-sponsoring with UNDP a programme to develop non-chemical methods of locust and grasshopper control.

Integrated pest management has been defined as 'the pest management system that, in the context of the associated environment and the population dynamics of pest species, utilizes all suitable techniques and methods in as compatible a manner as possible and maintains the pest populations at levels below those causing economic injury' (FAO/UNEP Panel of Experts on IPM, First Session, 1967).

Since its adoption, IPM has become the basis of 'all FAO plant protection activities because it contributes directly towards the achievement of sustainable agriculture.

While recognizing the widespread benefits derived from the Green Revolution, it should be recognized that the rapid increase in yields was accompanied by a massive increase in the use of agricultural inputs. Pesticides, in particular, were indiscriminately used in many countries, with widespread negative impacts on the environment, the health of farmers and consumers, production costs, the ecological balance of pest populations, and the resistance of pests to pesticides. This situation caused alarm amongst governments and farmers, and an analysis of the problem during the 1960s and 1970s led to the development of alternative and more sustainable pest management strategies. These included the 'best mix' of natural control measures (resistant varieties, cultural practices, biological control, etc.) and a need-only-based use of selective pesticides. This mix should be technically defined for each specific agronomic situation and its implementation should be supported by appropriate policy and legislative measures.

Numerous benefits accrue from the implementation of IPM at field level. IPM-trained farmers are better managers of their fields, grow a healthy and more stable crop and use less pesticides, thereby saving money while reducing environmental contamination and health problems. At national level, benefits include reduced hard currency expenditure on the import of pesticides; reduction or abolition of subsidies; better agricultural production in terms of quantity and quality, and an improved planning and monitoring capacity within the implementing system (from policy to extension to farmers).

The FAO Global Programme, which started in 1982, focused originally on pesticide over-use, for example in rice production in Asia. Now after ten years' experience in IPM implementation, FAO promotes this approach as a pest control strategy that is economically viable for farmers and governments, safe for human health and the environment, and an essential component of any sustainable agricultural system.