Future of Food: Technology fostering the road to global food security. Every day, over 800 million people go to bed hungry, 1.2 billion are food insecure, over two billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, and over 200 million children are either stunted or wasted, according to estimates by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Extreme hunger and malnutrition also hinder the progress of sustainable development goals (SDGs) intended to be achieved by the year 2030. The Sustainable Development Goal 2 of the United Nations also recognizes the urgent need to end global hunger and malnutrition and ensure access to safe and nutritious food. Technological innovation can help address most of the pressing issues facing the world today including food security by enhancing productivity, improving financial services, managing resources, addressing environmental concerns, etc. Here is how technology-led approaches are fostering the road to food security around the world. Enhancing agricultural productivity and profitability Mosabi WaPOR. Awesome Greenhouse Cucumber Farm and Harvest - Vegetable Agriculture Technology in Greenhouse. The Rise of High-Tech Indoor Farming In 2020 Is Gaining Popularity Worldwide.
Technology, a solution to food security? Top 5 food tech innovations – The New Economy. Innovation is desperately needed to overcome the colossal challenge of producing more food in a more sustainable manner.
Lab-grown meat and genetically modified crops could be part of the solution The food industry is undergoing a new wave of technological disruption. This is largely due to a recent spike in global investment activity. In 2018, SoftBank’s Vision Fund led a $200m investment round in agricultural technology. The year before, total investment was over $1.5bn – a record-breaking amount for the sector. There is a unique sense of urgency behind this disruption. Lab-grown meatPreviously the stuff of science fiction, lab-grown or ‘cultured’ meat is soon to arrive on our dinner tables.
Around the world, demand for meat is expected to increase by 70 percent by the year 2025. The meat industry has increasingly come under fire for its contribution to global warming. Biodegradable packagingWe know that our addiction to plastic is unsustainable. Innovations in Food Technology – Future of Food Production. Global food security: the role of science and technology. Summary: key points emerging from the discussion: A convergence of issues including climate change, population growth, energy supply and water scarcity are putting pressures on global food systems on a scale previously unencountered.
Biotechnology and food security. Agricultural technologies for food security. By Vanessa Meadu In a world that is becoming increasingly food-insecure, due to population growth, climate change, volatile food prices, unequal food access, and inefficient supply chains, what solutions exist to feed 9 billion people by the year 2050?
The problem we face is by its nature very complex, so it stands to reason that solutions will need to address a range of issues, often several at once. Where do we begin? As agricultural researchers, it’s easy to start by looking at the biophysical world. Hundreds of existing agricultural technologies and practices have the potential to boost agricultural yields in the developing world, and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) of the CGIAR has undertaken a massive effort to evaluate which of these technologies and practices are most appropriate for different places facing different conditions. "Agricultural technologies are really at the heart of food productivity growth,” said Ringler. But technology isn’t everything.
Technology needed to meet climate change and food security challenges. More technological innovation is needed in agriculture to help combat climate change and ensure sustainability of world food production, according to experts at the Alltech Ideas Conference.
“There has to be a way to digitize farms,” said science writer Ramez Naam, co-chair of energy and environment systems at Singularity University. “[We need] better seeds, smarter practices, more precise farming with inputs, better animal nutrition, better monitoring of yields. All of these would allow us to grow more food with the same land and less water.” Such innovations are critically needed to support agriculture at a time when the world’s population is increasing, but natural resources like land and water remain limited. The introduction of technology and innovation is reducing the impact of agriculture on the environment already, but more needs to be done, Naam said, noting that yield per acre for corn and other crops has nearly tripled over the last 70 years.
Dr. How Technology Is Transforming The Food Industry. When it comes to food, tech isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind.
However, technology over the years has changed how we produce and find our food through applications, robotics, data and processing techniques. According to a recent report from ING, technology helps food manufacturers produce more efficiently for a growing world population. There are 7.5 billion people in the world right now and that means a higher demand for food each year. By using tech to improve processing and packaging, it can improve the shelf life and safety of food.
Robotics and Machines The use of machines in the food industry also ensures quality and affordability. Robotic machines can help to eliminate safety issues for the more dangerous jobs in the food industry. 3D Printing In the past few years, 3D printing has really taken off across many industries and the food industry is one of them. Drones Precision agriculture is a major player when it comes to how technology can make a difference.