Food production that took in the emerging innovations would shift to the cities, Cribb said.
For the new systems to succeed, all of the freshwater and wasted nutrients dumped into the ocean via urban sewage and wastewater would have be captured and used in the new food production.
This was where dairy industry expertise would be critical, he said.
«Dairy farmers have a lot of knowledge in this space, they know how to do it on their own farm and reduce the flow of nutrients into the river or the creek.»
«The industry as a whole can scale this up to help cities such as Auckland or Shanghai or Mumbai or New York rethink how they deal with water.»
Vertical farming will have food produced in vertically stacked layers in buildings to increase production and reduce run-off.
Cribb is a speaker at the coming Farmer’s Forum at Mystery Creek along with cabinet ministers, dairy industry leaders and economists.
The biennial event on May 8-9 brings together political and economic experts to talk about sustainable farming, future food and farm practices and is expected to attract more than 700 farmers.
Cribb said new production systems were needed because today’s agricultural system would not feed the planet by the middle of the century.
Soil and freshwater levels were failing to keep up with population growth and food demand.
Pastoral farming would survive but not in its current form. Consumers would also have to pay for the full environmental cost of food produced by farmers.
«You’ll still have angus steak, but you’ll pay through the nose for it because at the moment we are not paying farmers to look after their landscape.
«There is going to be a place for specialist, high quality producers whether they are dairy producers or meat producers. There is always going to be a place for farm produced food but its going to get a much better price than the rotten prices that world supermarket chains are paying.»
«We have to start paying farmers better if they are going to be able to manage their resources sustainably.»
This transformation had not really hit Australia and New Zealand yet because both countries had plenty of land.
«People are realising that they cannot go on with this colossal waste of nutrients and water that is the present urban system. If we are going feed 10 billion people come 2060, we have to recycle nutrients and water.»
If half of the food production moved to cities where the bulk of food commodities would be made, the rest of the population should pay farmers who remain to regenerate the landscape as well as a huge premium for the produce they make.
«We have to pay farmers to look after the landscape because at the moment, they are doing it for free. If you want them not to pollute the Waikato River then you have to give them some money to put in place the earthworks to prevent in happening.»
The transformation did not mean farming was a sunset industry. Agriculture went through evolutions and this was the latest one, he said.
«Farmers can actually become the owners, shareholders and investors in this new urban agriculture. This new urban agriculture is going to need expertise in plant and animal management.»
By: GERALD PIDDOCK
Source: Stuff
Link: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/103357364/nz-dairy-farmers-expertise-key-to-urban-food-production-evolution