CLIMATE, FOOD AND HUMAN HEALTH An Italy-UK Symposium

In Preparation For EXPO 2015 London

October 20th 2014

Sustainable Food Production Claudia Sorlini

President, Scientific Committee for EXPO2015 of the Municipality of Milan Former full professor of Agricultural Microbiology

Food, Nutrition and Environment Sciences Dept, University of Milan

Sustainability is based on two fundamental pillars: 1. guarantee to all people, at all times, the access to sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious food for a healthy diet 2. preserve natural resources for the future generations.

The Near-future Challenge: Elaborating Strategies For A Sustainable Food Supply Chain

2. The Agriculture Production Does Not Increase With The Same Trend Of The Past

Over the past 50 years of green

revolution , the production of cereals

has trebled whilst the population

has doubled .

At present the food production is

more than sufficient to feed the

world’s population.

[1]Tilman, D. et al. 2011. Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture. PNAS. 108, 20260–4

Current Scenario 1. Malnutrition And Its Numbers

• 850 million people are starving

due to lack of access to

food and poverty.

•Over two billion suffer from hidden

hunger, due to vitamins and minerals

deficiencies, in particular vit A, iron,

zinc .

Global Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency in Populations at Risk, 2009

(WHO)

Overweight: more than two billion; around 35% of adults aged 20 and over (34% men and 35% women) (Data WHO, 2008 )

Obesity: more than half a billion ; around 12% of adults aged 20 and over (10% men, 14% women) (Data WHO, 2008)

Obesity increased in the last decades 1980 6.5 % 2008 12%

Overweight And Obesity

Future Scenario

Food demand grows quicker than food offer because of World population growth

Increased demand for of animal proteins

(1 kg cow protein requires about 10 kg vegetable proteins).

Moreover agriculture production does

not grow with the same trend of the past.

2050 Forecast

• 9 billion people

• Food Demand +70%

• Water Consumption +71%

The New Food Demand Faces Obstacles

- Soil availability

- Water consumption

- Energy

- Climate change

- Environmental impact of animal breeding

Increasing Competition For Soil Availability • Need of urban expansion

in Europe during the last 20 years urbanized surfaces have increased by 20% while population increased by 6%.

• Plants cultivation for bioenergy and no food production • Food cultivation

Use of the biomass for bioenergy

production is increasing In Europe

• And In USA....

Cereals For Food Or For Bioenergy?

• A proper balance has to be found. We need to produce more food and to develop renewable energy sources.

• It is fundamental to lower carbon

footprint (gas greenhouse emissions)

and preserve the not renewable sources.

• To recover energy some

researchers suggest to use cellulosic

by-products or biomasses cultivated in

marginal areas

(Nature 2011).

2. Water Scarcity

• Almost 800 million people drink not sanitized water

• 1,2 billion live in areas with water shortage.

• 69% of fresh water is consumed by the agriculture

The cultivation systems and the

industrial trasformation are causing a

very high water footprint The production of 1 Kg of beef requires an average 15.467 litres of water 1 kg corn : 1867 litres 1 drop of coffee : 1.100 drops of water

3. Climate Change

• Agriculture is responsible of 14 to 17% of total

greenhouse gas emissions and adds to the climate

change resulting in an increasing

drought and desertification

• Some projections foresee a

25% food loss at low latitudes

(perhaps the production will

increase in temperate regions) .

Scientific Research And The Need To Improve Availability and Food

Quality Whilst Limiting Environmental Impact

Looking For New Genes To Improve Food Nutritional Values

The wild ancestral tetraploid wheat, Triticum turgidum ssp. Dicoccoides has the allel Gpc-Bl, associated to iron, zinc and proteins bioaccumulation. This variety could be a potential gene donor to other plants by breeding or genetic engineering

J.W. Low, et al. F2007The Journal of Nutrition 137(5): 1320

Biofortification

To increase vitamins and minerals content (by fertilizations, breeding and GMO, or diets)

Plant

Breeding

Volume 132, Issue

5, pages 437–445, October

2013

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Dept AEES Univ of Milan

Reduce Water Consumption In Agriculture

• Select plants resistant to drought, by advanced molecular technologies (identification of genes that regulate the water evaporation - transpiration )

Traditional rice culture in underwater New variety cultivated in “dry”

M. Eisestein . 2013. Nature 501 S7–S

Reduce Agrochemicals In Agriculture

Plants with a high nutrients absorption

efficiency to reduce use of fertilizers.

Plants able to produce active biomolecules

(ex. polyphenols)

against pests and prevention of microbial

infections

Reduce The Impact Of The Animal Breedings which cause high environmental impact (water, air and soil).

Mitigation by appropriate diets to reduce nitrate and to inhibit the methane production, one of the most important greenhouse emissions

• .

• Biofertilizers : to provide nutrients

• Biostimulants: to modulate the hormonal

balance

• Biocontrol : to protect the plants from the

phytopatogens

Use Of Microorganisms To Promote Plant Growth And Production In Dry Lands

Yang et al., 2008, Trends in Plant Science

Reduce Food Loss And Waste

Food Losses happen

in field, harvesting, transport, conservation, first transformation

Food Waste happen

during selection, industrial transformation, distribution and final consumption

They represent 30% of the food produced. In developed countries the highest percentage is lost at home and eliminated as municipal waste. In developing countries the highest percentage is lost during cultivation, harvesting, transport and processing. In either case.

Research Against Food Waste

Advanced packaging

Active Packaging : to increase the shelf life of food

(e.g. by controlled release of antimicrobics, CO2, ethylene

absorption etc)

“Intelligent” Packaging: to obtain

information on the state of the product

conservation

Use of nanotechnologies in the industrial processes in order

to improve and accelerate the monitoring of the production

The Crops Of The Future

• Plants with high photosynthetic efficiency;

• Annual plants conversion into biennial or perennial

• Plants able to fix atmospheric nitrogen

New Protein Sources

Insects

• Algae

Scientific Committee For EXPO Of Milan City Council

Set up by the Mayor, it is formed by

the deputy rectors of the seven Milanese Universities: Università degli Studi di Milano,Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Politecnico di Milan, Università degli Studi Milano Bicocca, Università Commerciale Bocconi, Università di Lingue e Comunicazioni – IULM,Università Vita e Salute – S.Raffaele

A delegate of the Mayor of Milan

A delegate of the President of Region Lombardy

A delegate of the EXPO Company,

A delegate of the Italia Pavillon

A delegate of the Milanese Foundations

A president of the Committee

EXPO Milano 2015 Feeding The Planet – Energy For Life

UN are preparing the new millennium goals to deliver at the end of 2015, named “the goals for a sustainable development” and will expect suggestions from the debates of EXPO

European Commission is waiting to receive inputs from the discussions before launching the call of the second part of “Horizon 2020”.

Therefore EXPO will be a good opportunity to increase the scientific cooperation between United Kingdom and Italy and organize joint events during the semester of the exposition.

Thank You For Your Attention