Soy in Feed the Future: Promise and Challenge Rob Bertram U.S. Agency for International Development
The Global Challenge About 870 million people suffer from chronic hunger More than 3.5 million children die from undernutrition each year The world s population will increase to more than 9 billion by 2050 Food production will have to increase by 60% by 2050 to feed the world Agricultural production will be significantly impacted by climate change
Food price spikes and volatility Global cereal prices (US$/ton) 800 Maize Wheat Rice 600 Projected changes in global agricultural commodity prices, 2010-2050 Lamb Milk Beef Soybean 400 Rice Wheat Rapeseed 200 Poultry Pork Maize 0 0% 20% 40% 60% Source: Data from FAO 2014 Source: Rosegrant et al. 2013 Notes: The changes are calculated assuming current policies are maintained
Global Cereal Yield Trends, 1966-2006 5000 Grain Yield (kg 4000 3000 2000 +2.8% Maize Yield y = 2260 + 62.5x r2 = 0.94 ha ) Wheat Yield y = 1373 + 40.1x r2 = 0.97 Rice Yield y = 2097 + 53.5x r2 = 0.98 +1.3% 1000 1966 1976 1986 1996 2006 Year THESE RATES OF INCREASE ARE NOT FAST ENOUGH TO MEET EXPECTED DEMAND ON EXISTING FARM LAND! source: FAOSTAT
Business as Usual: Challenges and Threats = Continued Scarcity Challenges Climate change Water scarcity Biofuel demand Income Population growth Higher food prices Growing threats to: Land Water Environmental preservation Biodiversity Enhanced investment in agricultural research + technological change Game-changer for productivity and food security Lack sufficient knowledge on Disaggregated impacts of specific technologies by country Agroclimatic zone Source: IFPRI
What Does Feed the Future Do? 1. Help farmers produce more 2. Help farmers get more food to market 3. Support Research & Development to improve smallholder agriculture in a changing climate 4. Strengthen Regional Trade 5. Create a better Policy Environment 6. Improve Access to Nutritious Food and Nutrition Services
FTF Research Strategy Overarching Goal Emerged: Sustainable Intensification Three research themes: Advancing the productivity frontier Transforming key production systems Improving nutrition and food safety Anchored by key geographies: Indo-gangetic plains in South Asia Sudano-sahelien systems in West Africa Maize-mixed systems in East and Southern Africa Ethiopian highlands
USAID Food Security Research Program Areas 3 Major Research Programs Program anchoring research in key farming systems Program for Policy Research and Support Program for Safe and Nutritious Foods Program for Human and Institutional Capacity Building 8 Integrated Cross- Cutting Programs 8
Feed the Future Innovation Labs Lead Institution Collaborating Institution Oregon State University Aquaculture & Fisheries University of California, Davis Assets & Market Access Climate Resilient Chickpea Climate Resilient Millet Genomics to Improve Poultry Horticulture Hawaii Washington State University Climate Resilient Wheat University of California, Riverside Climate Resilient Cowpea Puerto Rico Colorado State University Adapting Livestock Systems to Climate Change Sorghum & Millet Sustainable Intensification ^! ^ Kansas State University Applied Wheat Genomics Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss University of Texas, El Paso Rift Valley Fever Control in Agriculture University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign Soybean Value Chain Research Texas A&M University Small Scale Irrigation Michigan State University Grain Legumes Food Security Policy Purdue University Food Processing & Post-Harvest Handling Tufts University Nutrition The Pennsylvania State University Climate Resilient Beans Virginia Polytechnic and State University Integrated Pest Management University of Georgia Climate Resilient Sorghum Peanut Productivity & Mycotoxin Control
Soybean Value Chain Research Why Soybean? Soybean is the fastest growing agricultural crop over the last 20 years, expanding at a rate of 8% per year Soy is grown in over 85 countries on a total of almost 100 million hectares This impressive growth has occurred despite being a non-native crop in 94% of regions currently producing soybean Recent expansion has occurred in the lower latitude regions of the world where food insecurity rates and poverty rates are highest and where poor populations are often deficient in protein consumption
Benefits of Soybean The dramatic rise of soybean in global agriculture can be attributed to: the nutritional value it offers users given its high protein and oil content, and the economic benefits it provides farmers by being both a highly productive and profitable crop. dietary shifts towards livestock and poultry semi tropical and tropical production systems supports soil fertility enhancement through legume-based nitrogen fixation--rotations
Goal: Help African farmers participate in the soy revolution Global Farmer Soybean Revenue $126,000,000,000 African Farmer Soybean Revenue $1,012,500,000 (.8%) African Farmer Soybean Revenue (ex-south Africa) $610,000,000 (.48%) The driver is poultry feed (also pork, aquaculture) Soybean is a proven powerful driver of rural economic development and malnutrition reduction Very high human development indices in districts where soybean is grown
Animal Feed Soybean meal has long been considered the best source of supplemental protein in diets for poultry and swine. Soybean meal is by far the most widely used protein source in the USA and throughout the world Aquaculture replacing fish meal in fish feeds
Soybean Value Chain Lab: Univ. Illinois-led Consortium What is Feed the Future Innovation lab for Soy Value Chain Research? A consortium of leading soybean researchers in the U.S. and Africa with the support of local research partners have designed the Foundations for Soybean in Africa Project The approach of the Foundations Project is based on four research pillars (I) Genetic Improvement (II) Enhanced Crop Productivity and Quality (III) Nutrition (IV) Value Chains and Socio-Economic Research
These four pillars comprise the essential components of sustained production improved household nutrition sustainable market linkages for smallholder farmers The Foundations Project s architecture is based on a novel SMART Farm concept (Soybean Management with Appropriate Research and Technology) as its platform http://soybeaninnovationlab.illinois.edu/
Where we work: African countries where soybean emerging
Foundations for Soybean Research 1. Plant Breeding and Germplasm Development 2. Seed and Grain quality and storage 3. Plant Breeding education and training 4. Production and Agronomics 5. Human nutrition 6. Livestock nutrition 7. Gender Implications 8. The Economics of Value Chains 9. Environmental Impact 1. Drs. Diers and Nelson, UI Crop sciences 2. Drs. Bilyeu and Clark, UM Crop sciences 3. Dr. Mumm, UI Plant Breeding Center 4. Drs. Reynolds and Awuni, MSU Crop sciences 5. Drs. Gundersen and Nash, UI Human Nutrition 6. Dr. Lacy, UG Poultry Nutrition 7. Drs. Ragsdale and Peterson, MSU Sociology and Anthropology 8. Dr. Findeis, UM Economics 9. Dr. Guest, UI Env. Engineering
Soy Innovation Lab: Addressing critical needs for smallholders Established a SMART farm in Ghana Soybean Management with Appropriate Research and Technology Production, agronomic, and varietal testing station Varietal Improvement Program for Soybeans Working with IITA and NARs to establish a coordinated continuous and transparent varietal testing program Masters degree in Soybean Breeding University of Ghana and West African Center for Crop Improvement Development of a low processing soybean Increases household utilization by reducing labor and energy costs
Filling gaps for a sound foundation for smallholders Technical support and germplasm exchange NARs Direct technical advisory partnerships Bradyrhizobia persistence in tropical soils Soybean seed germination evaluation Poultry Nutrition Centers Local processing, marketing and utilization of meal The environmental impact of soybean production Smallholder adoption, gender, and economics Soy Cows and Vitagoats for human nutrition and entrepreneurship Tropical Soybean Information Portal (TSIP)
What are the benefits of Soybean Innovation lab to US Soy producers 1) Foster market demand for soy in Africa 2) Increased understanding/awareness of biotechnology based crop improvements 3) US-friendly industry standards established
Please See our Feed the Future Website Thank You! www.feedthefuture.gov