Biosecurity and Yield Improvement Technologies Are Strategic Complements in the Fight against Food Insecurity

David C. Cook; Rob W. Fraser; Dean R. Paini; Andrew C. Warden; W. Mark Lonsdale; Paul J. De Barro

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026084

Back

Biosecurity and Yield Improvement Technologies Are Strategic Complements in the Fight against Food Insecurity

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Biosecurity and Yield Improvement Technologies Are Strategic Complements in the Fight against Food Insecurity

David C. Cook, Rob W. Fraser, Dean R. Paini, Andrew C. Warden, W. Mark Lonsdale and Paul J. De Barro

PloS one, Vol.6(10), e26084

2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026084

PMCID: PMC3192155

PMID: 22022517

Files and links (1)

pdf

Published218.42 kBDownload View

Published (Version of Record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access

Abstract

The delivery of food security via continued crop yield improvement alone is not an effective food security strategy, and must be supported by pre- and post-border biosecurity policies to guard against perverse outcomes. In the wake of the green revolution, yield gains have been in steady decline, while post-harvest crop losses have increased as a result of insufficiently resourced and uncoordinated efforts to control spoilage throughout global transport and storage networks. This paper focuses on the role that biosecurity is set to play in future food security by preventing both pre- and post-harvest losses, thereby protecting crop yield. We model biosecurity as a food security technology that may complement conventional yield improvement policies if the gains in global farm profits are sufficient to offset the costs of implementation and maintenance. Using phytosanitary measures that slow global spread of the Ug99 strain of wheat stem rust as an example of pre-border biosecurity risk mitigation and combining it with post-border surveillance and invasive alien species control efforts, we estimate global farm profitability may be improved by over US$4.5 billion per annum.

Details

Title: Biosecurity and Yield Improvement Technologies Are Strategic Complements in the Fight against Food Insecurity
Authors/Creators: David C. Cook - Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre
Rob W. Fraser - University of Kent
Dean R. Paini - Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre
Andrew C. Warden - Ecosystem Sciences
W. Mark Lonsdale - Ecosystem Sciences
Paul J. De Barro - Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre
Publication Details: PloS one, Vol.6(10), e26084
Publisher: Public Library Science
Number of pages: 7
Grant note: Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres; Australian Government; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Programme CRC10162 / Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity; Australian Government; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Programme
Identifiers: 991005578656807891
Copyright: © 2011 Cook et al.
Murdoch Affiliation: Harry Butler Institute; Centre for Biosecurity and One Health
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: InCites

Metrics

21 Record Views

40 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.40 Forestry; 3.40.86 Plant Communities
Web Of Science research areas: Ecology
ESI research areas: Multidisciplinary