Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis
Background: Information about the global structure of agriculture and nutrient production and its diversity is essential to improve present understanding of national food production patterns, agricultural livelihoods, and food chains, and their linkages to land use and their associated ecosystems se...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2017-04-01
|
| Series: | The Lancet Planetary Health |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519617300074 |
| _version_ | 1818983851255398400 |
|---|---|
| author | Prof Mario Herrero, PhD Philip K Thornton, PhD Brendan Power, MSc Jessica R Bogard, PhD Roseline Remans, PhD Steffen Fritz, PhD James S Gerber, PhD Prof Gerald Nelson, PhD Linda See, PhD Katharina Waha, PhD Prof Reg A Watson, PhD Paul C West, PhD Leah H Samberg, PhD Jeannette van de Steeg, PhD Eloise Stephenson, MSc Mark van Wijk, PhD Petr Havlík, PhD |
| author_facet | Prof Mario Herrero, PhD Philip K Thornton, PhD Brendan Power, MSc Jessica R Bogard, PhD Roseline Remans, PhD Steffen Fritz, PhD James S Gerber, PhD Prof Gerald Nelson, PhD Linda See, PhD Katharina Waha, PhD Prof Reg A Watson, PhD Paul C West, PhD Leah H Samberg, PhD Jeannette van de Steeg, PhD Eloise Stephenson, MSc Mark van Wijk, PhD Petr Havlík, PhD |
| author_sort | Prof Mario Herrero, PhD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Information about the global structure of agriculture and nutrient production and its diversity is essential to improve present understanding of national food production patterns, agricultural livelihoods, and food chains, and their linkages to land use and their associated ecosystems services. Here we provide a plausible breakdown of global agricultural and nutrient production by farm size, and also study the associations between farm size, agricultural diversity, and nutrient production. This analysis is crucial to design interventions that might be appropriately targeted to promote healthy diets and ecosystems in the face of population growth, urbanisation, and climate change.
Methods: We used existing spatially-explicit global datasets to estimate the production levels of 41 major crops, seven livestock, and 14 aquaculture and fish products. From overall production estimates, we estimated the production of vitamin A, vitamin B12, folate, iron, zinc, calcium, calories, and protein. We also estimated the relative contribution of farms of different sizes to the production of different agricultural commodities and associated nutrients, as well as how the diversity of food production based on the number of different products grown per geographic pixel and distribution of products within this pixel (Shannon diversity index [H]) changes with different farm sizes.
Findings: Globally, small and medium farms (≤50 ha) produce 51–77% of nearly all commodities and nutrients examined here. However, important regional differences exist. Large farms (>50 ha) dominate production in North America, South America, and Australia and New Zealand. In these regions, large farms contribute between 75% and 100% of all cereal, livestock, and fruit production, and the pattern is similar for other commodity groups. By contrast, small farms (≤20 ha) produce more than 75% of most food commodities in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, south Asia, and China. In Europe, west Asia and north Africa, and central America, medium-size farms (20–50 ha) also contribute substantially to the production of most food commodities. Very small farms (≤2 ha) are important and have local significance in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, and south Asia, where they contribute to about 30% of most food commodities. The majority of vegetables (81%), roots and tubers (72%), pulses (67%), fruits (66%), fish and livestock products (60%), and cereals (56%) are produced in diverse landscapes (H>1·5). Similarly, the majority of global micronutrients (53–81%) and protein (57%) are also produced in more diverse agricultural landscapes (H>1·5). By contrast, the majority of sugar (73%) and oil crops (57%) are produced in less diverse ones (H≤1·5), which also account for the majority of global calorie production (56%). The diversity of agricultural and nutrient production diminishes as farm size increases. However, areas of the world with higher agricultural diversity produce more nutrients, irrespective of farm size.
Interpretation: Our results show that farm size and diversity of agricultural production vary substantially across regions and are key structural determinants of food and nutrient production that need to be considered in plans to meet social, economic, and environmental targets. At the global level, both small and large farms have key roles in food and nutrition security. Efforts to maintain production diversity as farm sizes increase seem to be necessary to maintain the production of diverse nutrients and viable, multifunctional, sustainable landscapes.
Funding: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CGIAR Research Programs on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security and on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health funded by the CGIAR Fund Council, Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation, European Union, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Australian Research Council, National Science Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change—Belmont Forum. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T18:09:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e10e3707ea14fc09885793cfefc96a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2542-5196 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T18:09:40Z |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Lancet Planetary Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e10e3707ea14fc09885793cfefc96a22022-12-21T19:30:29ZengElsevierThe Lancet Planetary Health2542-51962017-04-0111e33e4210.1016/S2542-5196(17)30007-4Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysisProf Mario Herrero, PhD0Philip K Thornton, PhD1Brendan Power, MSc2Jessica R Bogard, PhD3Roseline Remans, PhD4Steffen Fritz, PhD5James S Gerber, PhD6Prof Gerald Nelson, PhD7Linda See, PhD8Katharina Waha, PhD9Prof Reg A Watson, PhD10Paul C West, PhD11Leah H Samberg, PhD12Jeannette van de Steeg, PhD13Eloise Stephenson, MSc14Mark van Wijk, PhD15Petr Havlík, PhD16Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, QLD, AustraliaCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, QLD, AustraliaCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, QLD, AustraliaCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, QLD, AustraliaBioversity International, Heverlee, BelgiumInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, AustriaInstitute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USAUniversity of Illinois, Champaign, Urbana, IL, USAInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, AustriaCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, QLD, AustraliaInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS, AustraliaInstitute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USAInstitute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USAHAS University of Applied Sciences, International Food and Agribusiness, 's-Hertogenbosch, NetherlandsCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, QLD, AustraliaInternational Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, KenyaInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, AustriaBackground: Information about the global structure of agriculture and nutrient production and its diversity is essential to improve present understanding of national food production patterns, agricultural livelihoods, and food chains, and their linkages to land use and their associated ecosystems services. Here we provide a plausible breakdown of global agricultural and nutrient production by farm size, and also study the associations between farm size, agricultural diversity, and nutrient production. This analysis is crucial to design interventions that might be appropriately targeted to promote healthy diets and ecosystems in the face of population growth, urbanisation, and climate change. Methods: We used existing spatially-explicit global datasets to estimate the production levels of 41 major crops, seven livestock, and 14 aquaculture and fish products. From overall production estimates, we estimated the production of vitamin A, vitamin B12, folate, iron, zinc, calcium, calories, and protein. We also estimated the relative contribution of farms of different sizes to the production of different agricultural commodities and associated nutrients, as well as how the diversity of food production based on the number of different products grown per geographic pixel and distribution of products within this pixel (Shannon diversity index [H]) changes with different farm sizes. Findings: Globally, small and medium farms (≤50 ha) produce 51–77% of nearly all commodities and nutrients examined here. However, important regional differences exist. Large farms (>50 ha) dominate production in North America, South America, and Australia and New Zealand. In these regions, large farms contribute between 75% and 100% of all cereal, livestock, and fruit production, and the pattern is similar for other commodity groups. By contrast, small farms (≤20 ha) produce more than 75% of most food commodities in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, south Asia, and China. In Europe, west Asia and north Africa, and central America, medium-size farms (20–50 ha) also contribute substantially to the production of most food commodities. Very small farms (≤2 ha) are important and have local significance in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, and south Asia, where they contribute to about 30% of most food commodities. The majority of vegetables (81%), roots and tubers (72%), pulses (67%), fruits (66%), fish and livestock products (60%), and cereals (56%) are produced in diverse landscapes (H>1·5). Similarly, the majority of global micronutrients (53–81%) and protein (57%) are also produced in more diverse agricultural landscapes (H>1·5). By contrast, the majority of sugar (73%) and oil crops (57%) are produced in less diverse ones (H≤1·5), which also account for the majority of global calorie production (56%). The diversity of agricultural and nutrient production diminishes as farm size increases. However, areas of the world with higher agricultural diversity produce more nutrients, irrespective of farm size. Interpretation: Our results show that farm size and diversity of agricultural production vary substantially across regions and are key structural determinants of food and nutrient production that need to be considered in plans to meet social, economic, and environmental targets. At the global level, both small and large farms have key roles in food and nutrition security. Efforts to maintain production diversity as farm sizes increase seem to be necessary to maintain the production of diverse nutrients and viable, multifunctional, sustainable landscapes. Funding: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CGIAR Research Programs on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security and on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health funded by the CGIAR Fund Council, Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation, European Union, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Australian Research Council, National Science Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change—Belmont Forum.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519617300074 |
| spellingShingle | Prof Mario Herrero, PhD Philip K Thornton, PhD Brendan Power, MSc Jessica R Bogard, PhD Roseline Remans, PhD Steffen Fritz, PhD James S Gerber, PhD Prof Gerald Nelson, PhD Linda See, PhD Katharina Waha, PhD Prof Reg A Watson, PhD Paul C West, PhD Leah H Samberg, PhD Jeannette van de Steeg, PhD Eloise Stephenson, MSc Mark van Wijk, PhD Petr Havlík, PhD Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis The Lancet Planetary Health |
| title | Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis |
| title_full | Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis |
| title_fullStr | Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis |
| title_short | Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis |
| title_sort | farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use a transdisciplinary analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519617300074 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT profmarioherrerophd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT philipkthorntonphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT brendanpowermsc farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT jessicarbogardphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT roselineremansphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT steffenfritzphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT jamessgerberphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT profgeraldnelsonphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT lindaseephd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT katharinawahaphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT profregawatsonphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT paulcwestphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT leahhsambergphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT jeannettevandesteegphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT eloisestephensonmsc farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT markvanwijkphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis AT petrhavlikphd farmingandthegeographyofnutrientproductionforhumanuseatransdisciplinaryanalysis |