b'INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTCOVID-19 Has Long-Term Effects on the IndustryIN THE LASTarticle I wrote, I looked at the short- People willing to experiment on their own farms term effects of coronavirus on the seed industry. Now,with different practices can invent new way of doing its time to look at the long-term effects and what itthings. This wont be done with budgets of millions of means to businesses and consumers in this area.dollars but with a passion in agriculture. From these COVID-19 will see a legacy of debt that many coun- ideas, new products can be formed breaking the mold tries have gone into with economies that have groundof how innovation can occur. This requires a level of to a halt. It will lead to an increased awareness of thescientific understanding to prove whether the concept importance of food by the consumer, but it seemswill work or not. That may be the way the public sector there will be a decrease in importance of agriculture forcan maintain an input into agricultural production. It is many governments.stimulating business growth at the farmer level. ANTHONY LEDDINAgriculture exports will decrease as countries try to Inspired afterbecome more self-sufficient for food supply. The prior-reading Theity for them will be health and looking for quick start Coming Famine,ways to kickstart their economies. Many governments this Australianhave relied on immigration to help increase economic plant breeder setgrowth, but this will be decreased over the next few out to make ayears. There will be a greater encouragement of local[COVID-19] will lead to an increased awareness difference. Plantpopulation growth to stimulate local economic growth. Breeders WithoutGovernment incentives may lead to a mini baby boom,of the importance of food by the consumer, but Borders encouragespushing us higher than the 9.7 billion population that is plant breeders andestimated by 2050. it seems there will be a decrease in importance students to volunteerThis will put even more pressure on having toof agriculture for many governments. their time for inter- increase our current food production above 70% of national breedingwhat we currently achieve to feed this population. projects. We have basically run out of land to be able to create anymore for food production. We could make farming practices more efficient, and this may get us 30% of the way there. However, we will still be 40% short. The only option we have is through agricultural research to achieve the rest of the gains that we willPrograms that include a participatory component need. As governments and private companies lookwhere farmers are involved in the research are not only to restrict spending, agricultureand specificallycheaper to run, but they have committed end users of agricultural researchis usually an area that is first toa product as they have been there from the beginning be axed as food production is take for granted. Theof its development. It may not be as scientific as what amount of funding from governments in public agricul- has been performed in the past with research, but with ture research will decrease until their effort is close tothe limitations on the budget that COVID-19 will place non-existent. That role will fall onto the private compa- on us, we need to look at different ways of doing this nies, and with a decrease in income due to COVID-19,so that we can achieve the goal of feeding the world they will also be limited in what they can achieve. So, allpopulation in the future. new developments in agriculture will be stifled at justJob creation will be the solution to getting through the time they need to be increased with the threat ofCOVID-19, and with the greater interest that individu-climate change and an increasing world population. als are having in food, there isnt a better time to create Where can we find a solution to this dilemma? I thinkthe next generation of agricultural researches on the the answer comes with the individual.farm. SW66/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2020'