Editor's Note: The Independent Science Panel is a group of scientists from many disciplines committed to accountable, accessible and widely participatory science to inform public policy. The ISP is launching a project on sustainable agriculture. They are currently working to produce a report with recommendations for governments on how to make agricultural systems more sustainable.

The Independent Science Panel
Promotion of Science for the Public Good
http://www.indsp.org

Current food production system due for collapse.

World grain yield fell for four successive years from 2000 to 2003, bringing reserves to the lowest in thirty years. The situation has not improved despite a 'bumper' harvest in 2004, which was just enough to satisfy world consumption.

Box One True Cost of Industrial Food Production System

1,000 tonnes of water are consumed to produce one tonne of grain 10 energy units are spent for every energy unit of food on our dinner table 1,000 energy units are used for every energy unit of processed food 17% of the total energy use in the United States goes into food production & distribution, accounting for more than 20% of all transport within the country; this excludes energy used in import & export 12.5 energy units are wasted for every energy unit of food transported per thousand air-miles 20% of all greenhouse gases in the world come from current agriculture US$318 billion of taxpayer's money was spent to subsidize agriculture in OECD countries in 2002, while more than 2 billion subsistence farmers in developing countries tried to survive on $2 a day 90% of the agricultural subsidies benefit corporations and big farmers growing food for export; while 500 family farms close down every week in the United States Subsidized surplus food dumped on developing countries creates poverty, hunger and homelessness on a massive scale Getting our food production sustainable is the most urgent task for humanity; it is also the key to delivering health, ameliorating the worst effects of climate change and saving the planet from destructive exploitation. The benefits of sustainable food production systems are also becoming evident (see Box 2).

In too many food production regions of the world, conventional farming practices have severely depleted the underground water to the point where rivers and lakes have dried out, topsoil has been eroded away, and wild life decimated. At the same time, world oil production may have passed its peak; oil price hit a record high of US$58 a barrel on 4 April 2005, and is expected to top US$100 within two years. This spells looming disaster for conventional industrial agriculture, which is heavily dependent on both oil and water. The true costs of our current food production system are becoming all too clear (see Box 1).

The Independent Science Panel (ISP) and the Institute of Science in Society (ISIS) are launching this Sustainable World initiative to engage with all sectors of civil society to make our food production system truly sustainable.

Box Two Benefits of Sustainable Food Production Systems

2- to 10-fold energy saving on switching to low-input/organic agriculture 5 to 15% global fossil fuel emissions offset by sequestration of carbon in organically managed soil 50 to 92% reduction in carbon dioxide emission from the soil on switching from conventional tillage to no-till agriculture 5 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission disappear with every tonne of nitrogen fertilizer phased out 2-3- fold increase in crop yield using compost in Ethiopia, outperforming chemical fertilizers Organic farming performs as well or slightly better than conventional industrial farming in the US Small farms are 2 to 10 times more productive than larger farms Organic farms support significantly more birds, bats, invertebrates and wild plants than conventional farm in Europe Organic foods contain more vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients than conventionally produced foods 1 000 or more community-supported farms across US and Canada bring $36m income per year directly to the farms £50-78m go directly into the pocket of farmers trading in some 200 established local farmers' markets in the UK Buying food in local farmers' market generates twice as much for the local economy than buying food in supermarkets chains Money spent with a local supplier is worth four times as much as money spent with non-local supplier

The Independent Science Panel (ISP) and the Institute of Science in Society (ISIS) are launching this Sustainable World initiative to engage with all sectors of civil society to make our food production system truly sustainable.

We are convening a special ISP group on Sustainable Agriculture (ISP-SA) - currently 18 strong - and a task force of sponsoring organizations and individuals who will make direct input into a comprehensive report on sustainable agriculture at the end of a year. The report will include a series of recommendations for government and inter-governmental agencies on the social, economic and political policy and structural changes needed to implement a sustainable food production system.

ISIS and ISP are in a unique position to draw these previously disparate strands together into a powerful scientific and social consensus. We have scientists in many disciplines working together and some of the scientists are competent across several disciplines. A majority of the scientists are already working with grass- roots organisations and local communities in both the developed and developing countries, or are supporting their activities in other ways.

There will be a series of consultations (by post or e-mail) with our sponsors, and two to three working conferences throughout the year when the report is being drafted, depending on finances available.

A major international conference to launch the final report will take place in 2006. Copies of the report will be sent to all relevant governments and inter-government agencies as the start of a campaign to get the recommendations implemented.

Note:

The Independent Science Panel consists of dozens of prominent scientists from around the world concerned over the commercialisation of science and the consequent failure of the scientific establishment to protect the public from the hazards of emerging technologies (www.indsp.org/ISPMembers.php). The Panel published its first report, The Case for a GM- Free Sustainable World , in June 2003, documenting scientific evidence of the problems and hazards of GM crops as well as the proven successes and promise of all forms of sustainable agriculture. The report was widely circulated and adopted, and translated into several major languages within a year. It was presented in three successful briefings to government and inter-governmental agencies in 2004, receiving widespread coverage in the popular media.

At the European Parliament briefing in October 2004, ISP delivered its strongest message: invest in sustainable agriculture right now, as there is no other way to really feed the world under global warming . The present initiative is intended to take that message forward.