The agriculture and food production sector is Ireland's largest indigenous manufacturing industry and it has a vital part to play in our economic recovery, particularly in the context of our exports. The role of agriculture in Europe's economic recovery has also been recognised in the contribution it makes to all three priorities of the EU 2020 strategy of smart, green and inclusive growth.
I have raised the issue of the need to ensure global food security at every opportunity including at both EU and international level. The issues I have raised include the fact that the international community is committed to reducing by half the number of malnourished people in the world by 2015, but the latest estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations show that the number of hungry people currently stands at 925 million. I support the actions that must be taken to reduce and eradicate hunger and believe that we must intensify our efforts in this regard. United Nations projections suggest that the world population will rise from the current 6.8 billion to 9.2 billion by 2050, with an associated 70% increase in demand for food. At the same time, more than ever, food production is facing competition for land and water resources from a variety of sources including the impacts of climate change, which pose further risks to food output.
Earlier this year, I launched the Food Harvest 2020 report — a vision for Irish agri-food and fisheries. This sets out the strategic vision for the sector, the actions to be taken, and the targets which the agri-food and fishing sector should achieve to assist the national export led recovery. Food Harvest 2020 is the Government's comprehensive roadmap for the sector. It was developed by an industry-led committee and its content reflects their wide ranging expertise underpinned by comprehensive analysis from my Department, relevant State Bodies, the input of the Harvard Business School and senior farming and food industry figures.
The key focus of Food Harvest 2020 is to show how the industry can capitalise on the expanding market opportunities. These opportunities arise from the actual and projected increase in food demand due to rising world population and increasing wealth. Growth in demand for dairy produce is likely to be particularly strong and our supply chain response will be assisted by the ending of EU milk quotas in 2015. These combined supply and demand elements will allow us capitalise on the significant cost advantage we have in our environmentally sustainable grass-based production system.
The future CAP will determine the policy framework for the successful delivery of our Food Harvest 2020 strategy and it will be of vital importance to ensure that it underpins that strategy. We must maintain a strong agricultural production base in the European Union in the future to take account of the challenges ahead in meeting increased demands for food. Any reduction in food production in the EU would be taken up elsewhere, where less efficient production systems exist, and would result in a heavier carbon footprint. We must also undertake food production and distribution in a manner that is sustainable in all its dimensions — economically, socially and environmentally. My priority and that of this Government is to ensure that the proposed reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy results in a strong and properly resourced policy in the years ahead which will continue to nurture the strong economic growth in our agriculture and food production sector.
