Finding ways to avoid a world-wide food shortage is the subject of a conference being held in Brisbane.

International agriculture experts have gathered to address the looming problem.

Rebecca George reports.

TRANSCRIPT

It’s estimated the international demand for food will double in the next 30 to 50 years.

The fear is, unless all countries pull together, the world will run out.

But experts are saying the situation is not hopeless, if we learn to manage our land resources better quickly.

Theodor Friedrich, United Nations: “I do think it’s realistic that we can do much better than we do right now and I’m afraid we have no choice.”

Some believe rising food demand is already having an effect.

Dr Dennis Garrity, World Agroforestry Centre: “You’ve seen the reality already happen, food prices have spiked again and in many areas are double of what they were a couple of years ago.”

Dr Garrity says research is happening here, to find a longer-term solution.

But whilst Australia is leading the way towards sustainable agriculture, there’s still a long way to go to ensure this country’s famers have a long term future.

Dr Theodor Friedrich, United Nations: “Whether we are successful or not is mainly a question of how fast we change our agriculture into this new way of doing agriculture, because it’s a lot of learning involved and there’s a time scale.”

The conference will run until Thursday.

Rebecca George, QUT News.