Norman Borlaug Centennial Q&A's with Experts:
If Norman Borlaug posed the following questions to you... what would you tell him?
"On the one hand 1 million people are suffering from hunger, and on the other hand one third of food is wasted in developing countries."
Kurt Weinberger, Ph.D., President
International Association of Agricultural Production Insurers, Austria
Q: What’s the one thing – the single most important – that we need to address to solve food insecurity?
A: Initiatives against land consumption and for a sustainable soil management
Q: Do you think we can feed 9 billion people by the year 2050? If so, why? If not, why not?
A: Yes we can, but we need a financial support for the farmers all over the world and a private public partnership for crop insurance programs to reduce the consequences of climate change. Because only the farmers are feeding the world’s population.
Q: Where are the biggest gaps right now in the food system?
A: The biggest gap is that on the one hand 1 million people are suffering from hunger and on the other hand one third of food is wasted in developed countries.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give to young people?
A: Save and protect our land and therefore the agriculture – agriculture was, is and will be the most important sector in the world.
Q: How would you explain what you do, and why it’s important, to a 10-year-old?
A: We provide crop insurance due to weather extremes like hail, drought etc.. It is like a safety net for a wire walker in a circus. Also the farmers need a safety net if crops are destroyed by hail or other weather extremes. In this case they get money from their insurance and are able to produce food in the future.
Q: Within your area of expertise, what is one misunderstood or neglected topic you could shed some light on for readers?
A: Soil protection – Soil plays a central role as a basis for food security and their provision of key ecosystem services, including climate change adaptation and mitigation. Healthy soils are required for feeding the growing population of the world.
Q: What is the most interesting project going on right now – yours or someone else’s - that more people should know about?
A: More awareness for land consumption and soil. Soil protection.
Q: What’s one thing the general population could do to make an impact on global food security?
A: Don’t waste food! One-third of all food is wasted!
Q: What is one of your favorite quotes or words to live by?
A: The earth is only lent to us. It is our responsibility to return it to our children and grandchildren in a neat condition!
Q: Share with us one of your most unique life experiences and what it taught you.
A: In my homeland Austria, 0.5 percent of the arable land is destroyed every year- so I started a widespread promotion campaign against land consumption.