Good report and relevant to point out that "..FAO´s projection of the need for a 60% increase in food crops and a 70% increase in livestock production by 2050 imply a need for additional cropland and pastureland, even if crop yields continue to grow at high rates and even accounting for a massive increase in the productivity of pasture...".
The report refers to interactions between food security, land ownership, social factors etc. and use of land and water for biofuels and energy markets. These interactions could be developed further in the next Report and clarified to add impact to what they mean. For one thing the interactions can compound the impact of extreme events including those emerging from climate change and extreme climatic events. The next Report would benefit from a separate section on Risk and Risk Management of Food Security and Biofuels.This would ideally examine the risks from a global and country level and describe a framework and principles for improved management of the risks including regulatory risk.
The next Report would also benefit from a separate section on Price Efficiency in the Food, Energy, Biofuels, Water and Farmland Markets. Babcock points to some of the price efficiency issues with US and EU biofuels interventions but more is needed. Can improved price efficiency be achieved in these markets? Just because price efficiency is difficult in these markets does that mean nothing can be done? What are the priorities for making these markets more efficient? What are the risks of letting price efficiency/inefficiency drift?
Sr. David Michael