By Luc Henry, Business Area Head at Syngenta South Africa
Food security is not simply a question of producing more food. It is a question of whether we can continue producing it tomorrow – despite climate pressures, rising costs, resource constraints and growing threats to agricultural productivity.
This makes World Food Day, observed on 16 October, more than an opportunity to reflect on what is on our plates. It is a reminder that the resilience of our food systems depends on how we farm today.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations notes that the world already produces enough food to nourish everyone. Yet 645 million people still face hunger, while 2.69 billion cannot afford a healthy diet. Conflict, economic instability and climate shocks are placing further pressure on agrifood systems.
The challenge, therefore, is not simply to produce more. It is to find innovative ways of producing food that are productive, economically viable and sustainable over the long term.
For farmers, that challenge is immediate and practical. Every season brings decisions shaped by changing weather, water and soil constraints, pest and disease pressure, rising input costs and the need to protect natural resources. Farmers must balance productivity and profitability with responsible stewardship of the land on which their businesses – and our food supply – depend.
This makes the 2026 World Food Day theme, “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow,” particularly relevant. Innovation in agriculture is not simply about adopting the latest technology. It is about finding better ways to farm by combining science, data and sound agronomic practices with the knowledge and experience of farmers.
Growing enough food in the right way means making better use of the resources already available. Using inputs more precisely, monitoring crops and making decisions based on data can improve efficiency. Crop rotation, integrated crop management and practices that protect soil health and water resources can help maintain the productive capacity of farms over time.
Effective crop protection also has an important role to play. Used responsibly and as part of an integrated approach, it can help farmers protect yield potential, manage pest and disease threats and produce more consistently. Targeted decision-making and resistance-management strategies can also help preserve the effectiveness of crop protection tools for the future.
No single approach will secure the future of food production. Progress will depend on bringing different forms of innovation together – from improved seed technologies, digital and precision agriculture and biological approaches to better data, agronomic practices and crop protection.
Technology should support farmers rather than replace their knowledge and judgement. The most effective innovations are those that work with farmers’ experience, helping them make better-informed decisions in increasingly complex production environments.
Governments, the private sector, farmers, academia, civil society and individuals need to work together to ensure access to nutritious, affordable, safe, and sustainable foods in order to achieve food security and healthy diets for all.
Together, our efforts to foster innovation can build food systems that are more stable, more inclusive and more resilient – capable of nourishing people today while protecting the resources future generations depend on.
