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Societal Challenges

aka Wicked Problems. Societal Challenges. Population Food Energy Water Environment Climate Change Health Poverty. Population. 21 st Century Food System Challenges. Agricultural Competitiveness

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Societal Challenges

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  1. aka Wicked Problems Societal Challenges • Population • Food • Energy • Water • Environment • Climate Change • Health • Poverty • Population

  2. 21st Century Food System Challenges • Agricultural Competitiveness • Improve crop and animal agriculture; enhance farm productivity and income; policies; supply chain; storage; transportation • Ecological Footprint • Water/land use, natural resource and environmental stewardship, greenhouse gas, global climate change, depleted soils • Bioeconomy • Replacements for petroleum-based products and enhance community economic well being • Health • Food safety, nutrition, obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer, hunger, poverty, families/children

  3. Feed, shelter, clothe > 9 billion • Climate change • Land and water constraints • Increasing urbanization • Environmental degradation • Minimal ecological footprint • Changing income and diets • Positive health outcomes

  4. The Nexus

  5. Sustainability = 3 Ps $$ http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/54000/54388/BlueMarble3Kx3K.tif http://www.clker.com/clipart-smaller-crowd-rdc-color.html

  6. Farming systems • Improved technologies • Productivity gap: 1.52% • Peak farmland – Ausubel et al. 2013 • Closed loop systems • Cooperatives – Kibbutz? • Integrated/diversified • Smart farming • Robotics, sensors, sentinels • Resilient intensification • Policies and consequences • Vertical farming • Hydroponics • Aquaponics Fish culture and irrigation ARO, Israel: Harpaz 2012

  7. Feed Efficiency GRAINS 100 KG FEED (protein, carbohydrates, fat) GIVES MEASURED AS EDIBLE MEAT ARO, Israel: Harpaz 2012

  8. Double food production in 40 years • Cut loss/waste by half? • Impact climate change

  9. Water • Quantity and quality • ~70-90 percent for food • Food safety issues • Increase water productivity • Crop per drop • Biological • Physiological – Transpiration • Genetics • ‘omics • Food processing • Virtual water • Engineering, Physical • Irrigation, recycling, reuse • Desalination • Robotics, sensors, sentinels FAOStat 2009

  10. Water Sustainability Index 2050 Roy et al. 2010. http://rd.tetratech.com/climatechange/projects/doc/Tetra_Tech_Climate_Report_2010_lowres.pdf

  11. (adapted from graphic in Understandng the Nexus: Background paper for the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference)

  12. Bioeconomy • Food vs. fuel • Grain based vs. cellulosic • Advanced biofuels – Renewable Fuel Standard – goal • EPA: 36 BGY by 2022; Pres. Obama: 60 BGY by 2030 • 2012 goal: 8.65 MGY; actual 20,000 gallons • Challenges • Water use • Feedstocks • Agricultural, forestry, algal, municipal wastes • Biochemical vs. thermochemical process • Impact of fracking • Petroleum- vs. bio- chemical feedstocks

  13. Humans Matter • Consumers, businesses, groups, communities, towns, states and countries make decisions • Information-dependent: Haves and Havenots • Acceptance of technologies • People impacts • Technical, Policy, Regulatory, and Social Change • Social Sciences • Behavior, Choices, Attitudes • Risk and Change • Nexus of Bio-Physical and Social Sciences • Advance science and integrate into society

  14. Path Forward: New Paradigms Science 303:47-48 (2 January 2004)

  15. Path Forward Virtual Water Flows • Virtual water and nitrogen • True costs? • Transformative approaches • Blue Revolution • Perennial/multi cropping • Algae in oceans? • Modern Meadow, Inc. • 3-D printing • Bio-/nano-technology • Conversion of deserts • Pest management • Education & Extension • Policy research • Research investments • Partnerships • Governments • Academic • Private • NGOs • Big data Hoekstra and Mekonnen2012. PNAS. doi:10.1073/pnas.1109936109

  16. Researchable Questions • Limiting water and energy footprints? • Optimal crop portfolio? • Regional water distribution policy analyses? • Power plants vs. irrigation? • Environmentally-friendly labeling? • Impact of reduced food waste on reducing water/energy used in food production?

  17. Impact of water stress on plant- and animal-disease/pest interactions? • How do chemical signals between plants/animals and microbes change during water stress?  • Why are water-stressed plants and animals more susceptible to diseases? Are defense pathways altered? • Mechanism of plant/animal response to water stress? • Impact of water-stress on plant/animal development? On photosynthesis? On water use efficiency? • Impact of water quality on crop and livestock production and protection?

  18. Data Needs • Life cycle analyses • Integrated information and improvedtechnologies on impact of water conservation policies and practices at watershed scale • Decision support and data to foster behavioral changes, inform policy design, and science priority decision making • Accurate quantification of water useand integrated watershed data • Quantifying impacts of drought • Risk assessment of drought and links to climate change • Public perceptions • Role of water banks and other market-based mechanisms

  19. Development of drought tolerant or water conserving species • Impacts of water reuse • Data on landscape limits to energy production (bioenergy/fracking) and impact on food production/water resources • Data of where, when, and how much water is actually used • Data on quantity and quality of U.S. groundwaterresources • Better monitoring of the nexus, nor coordinating across all three systems • True economic cost of degraded natural resources

  20. NIFA Programs

  21. FY 2013 NIFA Funding Opportunities Climate • AFRI Climate Change, $5 million, closes April 15 • Carbon Cycle Science (NASA, DOE, NOAA) $4.5 million, closes July 31 • Water Sustainability and Climate (NSF), $5 million, closes September 10 • Multi-National Call on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research (EU, New Zealand, Canada) $0.5 million, closes September 3

  22. FY 2013 NIFA Funding Opportunities Bioenergy • AFRI Sustainable Bioenergy • $10 million CAP award, closes April 3 • $3 million standard grants (3-6 awards), closed April 3 • Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy(DOE), $2 million closed February 25 • Small Business Innovation Research • Phase I – up to $100,000 • Phase II – up to $450,000 • AFRI Foundational • Plant Health & Production and Plant Products, $37 million, closed Feb. 19 • Engineering Products & Processes, $12 million, closed February 13

  23. FY 2013 NIFA Funding Opportunities Food Security • AFRI Food Security, $5 million, closes July 17

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