DuPont highlights challenges faced by growing world population
“We are going to be faced with around two billion more mouths to feed by the year 2050,” explained Mr Coffano. “And in order to feed these people, food output must grow by 70 percent beyond today’s levels.”
According to projected figures, over the next 30 years developed countries will experience a 12 percent increase in demand for food. However, in developing countries this figure is anticipated to be in the region of 115 percent.
DuPont considers food security to exist when all people at all times have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient and nutritious food that meets their dietary need and food preferences for a healthy and active life. One of the many areas where DuPont is working collaboratively is to reduce food losses at the pre-consumption stages.
Food Chain Key Account Manager for DuPont, Andy Selley, highlighted the scale of the problem. “Per-capita losses in Europe, Latin, America, North America and Oceania are approaching 200kg per year before food even reaches the consumer,” explains Mr Selley.
Per-capita food losses in kg per annum
Mr Selley explained that up to 40 percent of the potato crop for instance is lost in the field before harvest, and that it takes 2-3kg of fresh potatoes to produce 1kg of a processed product such as fries.
“Growers that have used DuPontTM Vydate® nematicide to control free living nematodes typically see better crop establishment, claims Mr Selley. “We’ve listened to processors and now understand their requirements. Reducing the damage caused by nematodes results in a more uniform and better quality tuber that has improved processing characteristics. We have also shared our technical know-how to help growers optimise their use of insecticides in some high value crops where insect damage can be devastating. DuPontTM Evalio® AgroSystems is a web-based service that can be used by growers, agronomists and advisers to time the application of insecticides for maximum efficacy,” Mr Selley explains.
DuPontTM Evalio® AgroSystems is offered free of charge to growers. A European network of insect traps is used to monitor the population development of problematic pests such as the Potato Tuber Moth (Phthorimaea operculella) or the tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta). A team of experts interprets the findings and sends out warnings to registered users of likely pest infestations.
“Growers, their advisers and food processors can register to receive real-time warnings of developing pest populations via SMS, email or on the Evalio® AgroSystems website,” says Mr Selley. “Decisions on when and what to spray can then be made according to the level of threat, and not just on a calendar basis as is often the norm. Crop protection sprays are only used when they are needed and crops are better protected against insect damage.”
For more information:
Carolina Berti
DuPont International Operations Sarl (Switzerland)
Email: Carolina.Berti@dupont.com