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SINGAPORE, Feb. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With Asia and the world preparing to usher in the 'Year of the Monkey' and celebrate the Lunar New Year, CropLife Asia took the opportunity to raise awareness of the critical role regional farmers play in ensuring Asia's food security and sustainability -- as well as ensuring the delicious and auspicious foods we enjoy during this festive time of the year are available for everyone.
The Lunar New Year, also known in Chinese culture as the Spring Festival, is celebrated through a variety of traditions across Asia. The history of the festival is deeply rooted in the cyclical pattern of agriculture in ancient China, with farmers relying on the lunar calendar to predict seasonal changes for crops.
"While the customs, practices and way we celebrate the Lunar New Year vary across Asia, this is a very special season across all cultures and borders in our part of the world," said Dr. Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director of CropLife Asia.
"At the center of the celebrations are the food and special dishes we prepare, share with friends and family, and look forward to enjoying all year long. Whether it's the lo hei of Singapore, banh chung during Tet in Vietnam, the mandarin oranges of China, or a host of other culinary treats synonymous with the season -- the importance of food in marking the festive season is the cultural common denominator.
"This Lunar New Year, we at CropLife Asia express our genuine gratitude to Asia's farmers who not only grow the crops essential for the food we enjoy during Lunar New Year -- but help ensure our region's food security every day of the year as well. The plant science industry remains committed to providing our farmers with the agricultural tools and technology to meet the demands of a changing world, growing population, and diminishing resources."
Estimates indicate the world's population will exceed nine billion inhabitants by the year 2050. Asia alone is projected to have roughly one billion more people calling it home.[1] The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has also estimated that roughly two-thirds of the world's hungry presently live in Asia and the Pacific.
According to the FAO, growers around the world will need to produce as much as 70% more food than today to meet the expected needs of our population in 2050. The innovations of plant biotechnology and crop protection continue to drive greater production globally towards the realization of this goal in the years ahead.
Crop protection products prevent nearly 40% of global rice and maize harvests from being lost every year.[2] Meanwhile, plant biotechnology increased crop yields 22% and increased farmer profits 68% during the 20-year period of 1995 to 2014.[3] Over the past 50 years, plant science technologies have helped farmers realize a 283% increase on production levels.
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[1] United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision, medium variant (2011) |
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[2] Oerke, E.C., 2006, "Crop losses to pests", Journal of Agricultural Science, vol. 144 |
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[3] International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), Brief 49 - 2014 |
About CropLife Asia
CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by nine member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.
For more information please contact:
Duke Hipp
Director, Communications and Outreach
CropLife Asia
Tel: +65-6221-1615
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org
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