Technological tools to address the food crises

Abstract

Many causes have been proposed for the recent food crises that are currently afflicting the world, especially the developing countries. These causes include both the demand- and supply-side factors. One major cause identified was low productivity of agriculture, which has led to the inability of the sector to satisfy traditional and new demands for food. Yet, the food crisis offers an opportunity to revive food and agricultural systems and improve their productivity. This paper identifies various technological tools and options for addressing the food crisis through increased agricultural productivity. The present paper concludes that in order to tackle the problems of low productivity, effective organization, and management of national agricultural research and innovation systems is imperative. Equally important are the institutional innovations that will help close the food demand-supply gaps. © CAB International 2008.