Listen: Jesus Madrazo on how farmers feed the world

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Jesus Madrazo says when it comes to sustainability in agriculture - size matters.

The Head of Agricultural Affairs and Sustainability for the Crop Science Division of Bayer, spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay at the Future of Farming Dialogue 2018 in Germany.

"The challenge with that word [sustainable] ... is that the diversity of views on agriculture makes sustainability in the eyes of farmers very different, depending on if you're a smallholder farmer or a large farmer."

Madrazo explains that to a smallholder farmer, sustainability may mean being able to provide food for their family, community and having a disposable additional income, "to take care of the primary needs of the family."

Listen below:

To a large scale farming operation, sustainability could mean having access to the latest technologies to improve productivity whilst preserving biodiversity and therefore, "preventing the expansion of the footprint of agriculture."

Certain agricultural technologies are considered controversial in New Zealand, such as the use of genetically modified grasses to fight climate change. Madrazo says the science is something New Zealand farmers should consider to, "fulfill their mission of feeding the world."

"Farmers face challenges that are different today to the challenges that they're going to be facing in the future ... they need to stay ahead of their surroundings to be able to succeed."

Madrazo believes that farmers need access to innovation to help profitability and environmental stability.

Also in today's interview: Jesus Madrazo ponders whether the world is on track to be able to feed 10 billion people by 2050.