The deep, almost inherent, adaptability and resilience of the world’s farmers makes them well suited to deal with a changing climate. But they are also dealing with limits to usable land and water, rising populations and the near-insatiable appetites of the world’s fast-expanding middle class.
There’s every reason to think that farmers, along with the companies and institutions that develop crop varieties and agricultural technologies, can meet the challenge, but also evidence that today’s levels of research and development — particularly for advances that can benefit the poorest regions — are grossly insufficient. Other issues simmer, including the global run on farmland by investors and land-starved countries.