Society

Global agriculture employs about a billion people in agricultural production alone, and creates the foundation for agribusiness and related enterprises all the way to the store and café. The production of food is the very foundation of human survival, and offers employment and earnings. The development of sustainable agriculture has a major impact on world society in general and on rural communities in particular. A large part of the world’s farmers nonetheless are unable to run their farms efficiently and profitably, which affects their daily lives as well as the development of their communities.

With improved productivity and profitability, agriculture can make a substantial contribution as a locomotive for economic growth and an engine for social development, within the framework of sustainability.

For hundreds of millions of people, agriculture offers an opportunity for employment and income, creating the fundament for families and communities, and in some cases nations. Some countries, especially in Africa, still depend on the export of agricultural produce for their foreign exchange earnings. Agriculture creates jobs directly and indirectly. In terms of returns on investment in economic and social development, investing in agriculture can yield better results than in other sectors, because it stimulates economic activity servicing agriculture or processing agricultural produce. With women dominating agriculture in many societies, investment in farming also can improve the lives of women and children.

Economic difficulties within the agricultural sector affect the individual farmer, but also have an effect on the local community in areas where farming is still an important part of business as well as culture. The loss of predominantly small farms, along with the expansion of larger farms in the developed world, has contributed to the disintegration of rural communities, and even to local economies. The same pattern is seen in some developing areas, mainly caused by the economic non-viability of small-scale farming, contributing to migration and urbanization. The growth of urban areas has itself caused productive farmland to be lost and forced farmers to move, often into the cities.

A health hazard for food producers themselves lies in the proper use of agricultural products, especially chemical implements such as crop protection agents. The hazard can be greater in regions and communities with lower educational levels. Sustainability in agriculture also has to consider the working conditions and safety of farmers and farm workers.

Sustainable agriculture can make a profound positive effect on social development, for individuals and communities, particularly in the developing world, where poverty, hunger and undernourishment are still widespread. In the developed world, other considerations are predominant, often connected to human health and welfare.

Whereas food security is a major concern in the developing regions, food safety is high on the agenda in the economically developed societies. Both are keys to human well-being and intimately related to sustainable agriculture. Food security implies that all people, at all times, have access to adequate food of high nutritional quality and at affordable prices. Food safety mainly implies that the food on offer is of high quality, and does not represent a health risk for the consumer, either in its original or processed form.

Food security is a universal goal requiring improved agricultural productivity and increased food production, but also market access and purchasing power. The issue has been high on the agenda in recent years, partly as an implicit part of the UN Millennium Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, and exacerbated by the global food crisis of 2007/2008.

Food safety is a national or regional requirement regulated by laws and regulations that call for stringent quality-control systems. The issue is high on the agenda in developed countries, with consumer demand for approved quality and assurances of safety. Food safety has received a lot of attention after cases of food poisoning and outbreaks of food-borne diseases, both of which pose a greater peril because of expanding international trade and transport of food.

Mineral fertilizers play a major role within the social dimension of sustainable agriculture. They increase yields, making profitable farming feasible and thereby contributing to the well-being not only of the individual farming family but to the prosperity of local communities. Improved productivity also helps meet the universal goal of food security and the battle against poverty and hunger.

Yara, as the world’s leading producer of mineral fertilizers, is a key player in improving agricultural productivity and securing profitable farming and prosperous communities. This lies at the heart of strategies to combat hunger and poverty, and to reach the goal of global food security. Yara has heeded the call for an African Green Revolution, focusing on the entrepreneurial potential of small-scale farmers.

In addition to facilitating the production of enough food on limited land, plant nutrients are important for the quality of the food from farm to fork. Yara and the fertilizer industry aim to provide plant nutrients that are free from contaminants and satisfy society’s requirements for safe food.