| Description |
The global food security is in question today with ever increasing food prices resulting from adverse climatic effects on agricultural production, rise in oil prices, increasing use of grains for biofuels, and almost a 50% reduction in public spending on agricultural sector over the last three decades. The environmental sustainability has also become more elusive due to rapid industrial and population growth, urbanization, and with the lack of public realization about the sheer effects of environmental pollution. Both of these issues are more prominent in most developing countries including India, where about 70% of the population derives its livelihood from agriculture. In future, the problems of dwindling food security and environmental sustainability will aggravate because the total food production remained constant over the last two decades with growing environmental and socio-economic challenges. To cope with such situations, agricultural package of practices and policies should adopt efficient measures for increasing production without degrading environment. Efficient handling, storage, and processing technologies are also needed to reduce post-harvest losses of farm produce and increase value addition to processed products. Research and development activities can play a pivotal role in attaining these goals. There is a greater need for our farmers to have an easy access to modern and eco-friendly technologies and quality agricultural inputs to ensure food security and environmental sustainability.
The aim of this international conference on "Food Security and Environmental Sustainability FSES 2009" is to bring together different stakeholders of the agricultural enterprise from different parts of the world to a single platform to exchange views and share knowledge so as to build a roadmap for achieving food security and environmental sustainability.
|
|
