Eugenia Saini is currently FONTAGRO’s Executive Secretary. FONTAGRO is the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology. She leads the investment fund and a portfolio of 70 international operations related to science, technology, and innovation for the Latin America and the Caribbean region. She is from Argentina and is an agronomist by training. She holds a doctorate in agricultural sciences, specializing in total factor productivity analysis. One of her seminal works in this field was the estimation of 120 years of TFP for the agricultural sector in Argentina. She is also a National Public Accountant and holds an MS in Food and Agribusiness and an MS in Applied Economics, both from Universidad de Buenos Aires. She has worked in the private and public sectors, both nationally and internationally, especially in multilateral banks. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship at Cornell University and, more recently, with the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy (AILA) Scholarship at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.
Agri-Pulse: GAP Report pegs necessary production increase at 1.73%
by Spencer Chase
October 16, 2019
“The report also points to ‘widespread adoption of improved agricultural technologies and best farm management practices’ increasing global output by 60% over the last 40 years; global cropland has increased by just 5% over the same time period.”
Food Ingredients First: Increasing crop and livestock outputs critical to future food security
by Benjamin Ferrer
October 17, 2019
“New analysis by Virginia Tech asserts that global agricultural productivity must increase to an average annual rate of 1.73 percent – from the current 1.63 percent – to meet growing demand.”
Feedstuffs: Ag productivity slows in ag powerhouses
by Jacqui Fatka
October 17, 2019
“The report calls for a strong focus on countries with high rates of population growth, persistent low levels of agricultural productivity and significant shifts in consumption patterns — the primary drivers of unsustainable agricultural practices, such as converting forests to cropland and rangeland.”
Progressive Farmer: Ag Productivity Gains Needed to Meet Future Population Demands
by Chris Clayton
October 21, 2019
“The report states that without intervention, current agricultural productivity trends ‘will produce significant negative consequences for environmental sustainability, economic development and human nutrition.’ Farmers will use both more land and water to boost production, which will put more strains on the natural resources already threatened by climate change, the report states.”
ScienceDaily: Accelerating global agricultural productivity growth is critical
October 16, 2019
“The report calls attention to the alarmingly low levels of productivity growth in low-income countries, where there also are high rates of food insecurity, malnutrition, and rural poverty.”