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Australia has signed off on a global deal to restrain global warming to two degrees which could mean Australia must do more to slash greenhouse gas emissions.
The 'Green Revolution' of the 50s and 60s that helped increase food production and kept prices low may have stalled, said sustainable agriculture expert with Queensland's Department of Primary Industries, Brett De Hayr (De Hayr).
Australian farmers face a new set of pressures to increase food production, he said.
'The Green Revolution was largely responsible for keeping up with the population growth from the 50s when the world population basically trebled,' Mr De Hayr said.
Mr de Hayr was addressing a Queensland Farmers' Federation forum on sustainable agriculture.
The world will need to double its production of food by 2050 but there are a variety of factors that agriculture needs to consider if demand is to be met, Mr De Hayr said.
These include halving the land available to the world's agriculture over the past 30 years as a result of urban expansion and land degradation.
'We could conceivably have reached our maximum threshold for arable agriculture,' Mr De Hayr said.
'Climate change will bring with it further constraints.'
Increased oil prices continue to drive demand for biofuels and this is flowing into increased demand for traditional food crops.
Oil is also the source of many agricultural fertilisers and herbicides. Their increasing demand will increase the cost to farmers.
Mr De Hayr said climate change and resultant natural disasters will also affect food production.
'Global food production could decrease by as much as 16 per cent by 2020,' he said.
Large agricultural areas of China and India, reliant on glacial melts and underground water, face major problems maintaining production.
As Asia becomes more prosperous its growing middle classes will change dietary habits, affecting the availability of cereals which will be diverted to stockfeed.
National governments will also be tempted to interfere in world trade as they seek to preserve food, water and fertiliser for their own populations, Mr De Hayr said.
