Meeting the food demands of the future

Nebraska farmers are among the most efficient and productive in the world. Our producers have embraced new technologies and techniques to produce an abundance of crops, opening the door to increased trade and helping to feed the world. These advances have not only helped American agriculture thrive, but also play a critical role in meeting global food demands of the present and future.

By 2050, the Earth's population is expected to swell to more than nine billion people. To feed this growing population scientists believe we will need to produce more food in the next 50-100 years than we have throughout most of human history. Meeting this demand will require extraordinary efforts, especially considering it will have to be accomplished on the same amount of land (or less), and with fewer resources such as water.

This effort will only be realized if farmers around the world continue to increase their yields. Farmers in Nebraska and across the heartland have led the way by utilizing new techniques, irrigation technologies, and crop sciences to grow more crops with less land, water, and fertilizer.

Ryan Weeks, who serves on my Agriculture Advisory Council, raises popcorn, commercial corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and prairie hay in central Nebraska. Ryan is one of the many Nebraska farmers using high-tech irrigation tools and modified crops to produce more food at lower costs and greater quality on the same acreage settled by his great-great grandparents in 1892.

Thanks to new technology, farmers such as Ryan are able to use computer systems to monitor moisture in the ground through sensors and only water the crops which need it. The entire system is tracked by satellite and can be monitored and controlled remotely through a tablet or smartphone. These advances help farmers manage their time and conserve water, reducing the cost of producing a crop and minimizing crop losses due to over- and under-watering.

Currently, about 17 percent of farmland in the United States is irrigated. These areas, however, account for around 50 percent of total annual crop revenue.

Another important development to improve productivity and efficiency are genetically modified and genetically engineered crops. While modified foods are nothing new - humans have been cross-pollinating plants to create better crops for thousands of years - science is now helping us to create improved versions of these plants which require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

To encourage further advances, federal policy should compliment, not undermine, innovation. This means ensuring our regulatory structures are efficient and based on sound science. We also must ensure our trading partners recognize our products as safe and nutritious based on internationally recognized standards.

We must also ensure lawmakers are knowledgeable and informed on agriculture issues to make sure we get the policy right. As co-chairman of the House Modern Agriculture Caucus, I have held numerous briefings to educate Members of Congress and staff on innovations in agriculture including biotechnology, water conservation, and animal welfare.

As we recognize National Agriculture Week (March 17-23) we have much to celebrate and many challenges ahead. Knowing the work ethic and forward thinking of our producers combined with the exciting advances in agriculture, I am confident we will meet the food demands of our growing world.