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Initiative for improving wheat quality
and food security
W
heat is regarded as one of the main crops in the world
and provides 20% of the daily protein and calorie intake
for humans. Wheat production in the past decades could
not supply in the demand and resulted in price instability and
hunger riots.
Several World Bank studies indicated that food price increases
from 2005 to 2007 may have pushed 100 to 150 million people back
into poverty, which corresponds to a setback of seven to ten years
of poverty reduction.
An additional billion tonnes of cereals will be needed by 2030. With
an estimated world population of 9 billion by 2050, the expected
demand for wheat will increase by 60%. The annual wheat yield must
therefore increase to meet this demand, from the current level of
below 1% to at least 1,6%.
The following points were raised in a presentation by Dr Hans-
Joachim Braun of the The International Maize and Wheat Im-
provement Centre (CIMMYT) at the 15th International Cereal and
Bread Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, 18 - 24 April 2016.
Approximately 75% of future growth must come from lands already
in use. Most of the production must occur in the country where it
will be consumed, including marginal areas where poor people
reside. This will result in limited land expansion, except in the
Americas and sub-Saharan Africa. Expansion of irrigation is crucial
to meet the demand for food.
Several factors threaten food security. Soil loss for instance, is
regarded as an unfolding global disaster, with 30% of the world’s
arable land lost to erosion or pollution in the past 40 years. Erosion
rates from ploughed fields averages ten to 100 fold greater than
the rates of soil formation.
Wasted food’s impact cannot be excluded from a topic on food
security. A reduction in food waste will have the biggest impact to
increase food supply. Considering that 30% - 50% of all food either
get lost or wasted. For fruit and vegetables, the waste can reach 70%.
The largest waste in rich countries occurs at home, supermarkets
and restaurants. In poor countries the biggest losses occur during
harvest, transportation to the market and improper storage. Climate
change is another threat to food security. Studies indicated that for
every 1°C increase in growing season, production decreases by 6%.
The Wheat Initiative was created in 2011, after endorsement by
the G20 Agriculture Ministries and provides a platform to establish
wheat research at international level for developed and developing
countries. The idea is to promote communication between the
research community, funders and global policy makers. Further-
more, to initiate and support activities that will enhance access for
all to information, resources and technologies.
The purpose of the Wheat Initiative is to increase food security.
To create improved wheat varieties and dissemination of better
agronomic practices across the world, in order to allow producers
to improve and stabilise wheat yields in diverse production
environments.
The Wheat Initiative is:
A science led initiative.
A way to bridge national and international programmes/
networks.
A mechanism for the wheat community to identify gaps and to
define and update research priorities.
An information platform for institutions to establish investment
priorities.
An opportunity for public and private funders to support inter-
national programmes.
Self-funded through members.
The Wheat Initiative is:
Not a research programme.
Not competing with existing national and international initiatives.
Not a funding entity.
The first meeting of the Expert Working Group on Improving
Wheat Quality for Processing and Health was held at INRA in
Paris, France (25 - 27 April 2016). The meeting was attended by
32 researchers from 18 countries.
Prof Maryke Labuschagne (University of the Free State) and I
represented South Africa. In order to have the full benefit from the
Wheat Initiative, countries have to be a member. South Africa is
not yet a member of the Wheat Initiative although researchers may
participate on an ad hoc basis.
’In the next 50 years we will need to produce as much food as has
been consumed over our entire human history,’ said Ms Megan
Clark, CEO of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation, Australia.
I am grateful for the financial contribution from the Winter Cereal
Trust to attend the 15th International Cereal and Bread Conference
in Istanbul.
Wheat production / Research / Conference
Food security
BAREND WENTZEL,
ARC-Small Grain Institute, Bethlehem
ON FARM LEVEL