Since 1948, the WHO has defined human health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The awarding of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize to Dr. Norman Borlaug indicates a high level of recognition of the linkage of agricul-tural sciences to this definition of human health. This article summarizes an upcoming joint publication from IPNI and IFA comprised of 11 chapters in three volumes described below.Volume 1: Food and Nutrition SecurityFood security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. Nutrition security means access to the adequate utilization and absorption of nutrients in food, in order to be able to live a healthy and active life (FAO, 2009). Between 1961 and 2008, the world's population grew from 3.1 to 6.8 billion. In the same period, global cereal production grew from 900 to 2,500 M t (Figure 1), with much of the growth due to the increase in world fertilizer use from 30 to over 150 M t. Without fertilizer use world cereal production would be halved (Erisman et al., 2008). By doubling the quantities of new N and P entering the terrestrial biosphere, fertilizer use has played a decisive role in making possible the access of humankind to food. However, not all have access. Chronic hunger still haunted the existence of one-sixth of the world's people in 2009. By 2050, according to FAO, the human population would require a 70% increase in global agricultural output compared to that between 2005 and 2007 (FAO, 2012). Future yield increases expected through genetic improvement will still depend on replenishment of nutrients removed by using all possible sources, organic and mineral, as efficiently as possible
展开▼
