May 4, 2016, 12:59 AM ETPanel, Conference Presentation

Food Security: Strengthening the Global Supply Chain

Pierre Ferrari (Heifer International): President/CEO since 2010; focuses on lifting smallholder farmers in 30+ countries from poverty to self-sufficiency via livestock and training.
Mark LePage (Genome Canada): President/CEO; emphasizes biology and genomics as critical tools for climate change solutions beyond traditional renewable energy.
Kimball Musk (The Kitchen): Co-founder aiming to build a new local food system; currently executing a project in Memphis to convert 1,500 acres of cotton farming into food production.
Martin Short (Power of Nutrition): CEO focused on malnutrition; asserts that proper childhood nutrition is the highest GDP multiplier available.
Kenneth Simrell (Fleischmann's Ingredients): CEO leading a global portfolio of health and wellness food and beverage companies.

Global Population Pressure: The world must feed 2 billion additional people by 2050–2060 without adversely impacting the climate.
Productivity Disparity: 600 million smallholder farmers globally produce 70% of the world's food, yet their average productivity in regions like East Africa is extremely low (e.g., 1–2 liters of milk/cow/day vs. potential 18 liters).
US Systemic Issues: The American agricultural model is criticized for over-productivity of commodity crops (corn, soybeans), driving land use toward ethanol (25 million acres) and industrial animal protein rather than diverse food production.
Africa's Paradox: Despite being a potential "breadbasket," Africa remains a net importer of food (30% of needs met by US/Latin America) while exporting cash crops like cocoa and tea.
Waste Magnitude: Approximately 40% of food production in Africa and Asia is lost at the farm gate due to lack of storage and cold chain infrastructure.
Dietary Shifts: Emerging economies (China, India, Latin America) are shifting demand toward high-protein Western diets, projecting a doubling of meat demand by 2050, which current arable land cannot sustain.

Genomic Solutions: Genome Canada is using accelerated breeding to mine natural genetic variance for drought-resistant traits in crops like soybeans, avoiding the need for GMO insertion in some cases.
Climate Adaptation: With potential temperature increases of 4°C in Canada, re-engineering crop genetics for climate resilience is deemed critical for global food security.
Methane Reduction: Immediate progress involves breeding cattle for efficiency and adding feed enzymes to reduce methane emissions by 50% by 2030.
Cultured Meat Prospects: Lab-grown meat offers potential reductions in water usage (90%), land usage (90%), and energy usage (70%) compared to traditional livestock.
Planned Commercialization: Companies like Memphis Meats project commercial availability of cultured meat within 3–7 years.
Plant-Based Innovation: Demand for plant-based proteins (e.g., Gardein) is up 30% year-over-year; products are currently rated "solid B" versus "solid C" for average industrial meat.

Consumer Awareness: Social media and digital transparency have forced major retailers (Walmart, Whole Foods) to demand non-GMO options and clear labeling, altering supply chains.
GMO Perception: Industry leaders note that 99.9% of current GM crops are feed/ethanol crops (corn, soy, cotton), fueling public resistance regarding environmental impact and obesity rather than food scarcity.
Market Resistance: Industrial players like Monsanto face reputational decline described as "polishing silverware on the Titanic" while fighting mandatory labeling.
Obesity Export: There is a concern that the US will export its obesity crisis to developing nations by marketing high-calorie, low-nutrient "junk food" via globalized brands like McDonald's.
Local vs. Industrial Safety: Chipotle's recent food safety issues were traced to the industrial supply chain, not local sources, highlighting the complexity of scaling local produce safely.

Smallholder Viability: In Arkansas, a two-acre small farm can generate $40,000–$45,000 annually, attracting youth back to agriculture if producing high-value crops (vegetables, fruits, animal products) rather than commodities.
Fisheries Economics: Aquaculture with tilapia in small ponds can provide high-return protein for families, provided complex fingerling technology is solved.
Carbon Tax Proposal: A panelist suggests a carbon tax would be the most efficient mechanism to internalize the costs of inefficient agriculture and methane production, though no such global tax currently exists.
Meat Tax Debate: Proposals to tax processed meat are contested; proponents argue it acts like tobacco taxes to curb health costs, while opponents warn against penalizing protein access in developing nations where meat is affordable.
Corporate Strategy: Major chains (McDonald's, Walmart) are increasingly pressured to pivot toward fresh, local ingredients as processed food sales collapse, though supply chain infrastructure remains a bottleneck.

Memphis Model: Kimball Musk advocates for a "one step at a time" approach, aiming to make the Memphis food system profitable and scalable locally before attempting global solutions.
Regulatory Reform: Experts argue current regulations favor industrial ag, effectively blocking small farmers; calls are made for government funding to support the organic transition period (3 years) for commodity farmers.
Nutrition Security: Martin Short emphasizes that food security cannot exist without nutrition security, citing the need for fortification (e.g., iodized salt, vitamin A in oil) to combat the "double burden" of stunting and obesity.
Systemic Change: Pierre Ferrari warns that current beneficiaries of the industrial food system will resist the shift to high-productivity smallholder models, necessitating significant systemic disruption.
Industry Evolution: The consensus suggests the industrial food model is unsustainable, with the future reliant on localized systems, plant-based proteins, and advanced breeding rather than increased fossil-fuel-intensive farming.