The Global Harvest Initiative (GHI) released its 4th annual Global Agricultural Productivity Report® (GAP Report®) at the World Food Prize Symposium Wednesday before a record crowd of global scientists, agricultural industry experts, farmers, and development professionals.

“This particular report focuses on value chains and what that means for farmers and consumers,” said Dr. Margaret Zeigler, GHI executive director. “We wanted to focus on how the issue of productivity really helps farmers of all sizes succeed as business people as well as feed a growing population using less resources.”

The overall findings of the 2013 GAP Report indicate that over the past decade, countries are managing to maintain growth in productivity on global average but stresses that we must maintain an increasing rate of global agricultural productivity year after year for the next 40 years. Interview with Margaret Zeigler, Global Harvest Initiative

GHI has six corporate partner members who are very involved in the organization. Among them is Elanco, and the company’s Senior Director of Global Market Access Claudia Garcia was on a panel at the GAP report release to discuss the new findings.

One of the report’s findings was that countries such as China will not be able to meet domestic demand for food, particularly for its growing middle class. “Those people will require more animal-source foods,” said Claudia. “The challenge is how can we produce more animal-source foods without impacting the environment.”

Of the nine billion person population projected to be on the planet by 2050, one third are expected to be middle class. Claudia says that’s why Elanco launched the Sensible Table movement, #Feedthe9, to make a commitment. Interview with Claudia Garcia, Elanco
2013 World Food Prize photos