Feeding The World, A Medley Of Challenges

Demographic the root cause

The need to feed a growing global population whose consumption habits are converging towards western standards, is increasing pressure on limited resources.

• By 2050, global population should grow by 26%, and food demand surge by 60%.
• Food production occupies 45% of the globe, contributes to >1/4 of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and consumes ~70% of available freshwater.

Changing climate

Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are making more difficult for farmers to obtain good crops and ensure the health of their livestock.

• Longer dry spells, irregular weather patterns, and floods, all appear to be related to global warming – farmers cannot rely anymore on known weather patterns.
• Warmer climates may also lead to more problems from pests and diseases, both for crops and for livestock, as climate leads to shifts in the geographical distribution of certain pests.

Ruined harvest and sick livestoc

Loss of crop and livestock is becoming more common due to diseases that can be prevented, or cured if spotted early enough.

• Poor growth conditions also lead to poorer health for both crops and livestock, making them vulnerable to diseases.
• About 1.3bn tons of food, or ~33% of annual global food production is lost or wasted before it is actually consumed.

Carbon footprint

Intensive farming, and the general food value chain has a very significant environmental impact. With the global drive to a more sustainable lifestyle, the sector is under huge pressure to reduce waste and energy consumption.

• The food sector as a whole is directly responsible for about 25% of global greenhouse gases emissions.
• The food transformation industry is among the top-5 sectors in terms of industrial electricity consumption.

An issue spanning beyond simply producing more

The expected growth in food demand implies more than increasing production capacity across the value chain. There is a growing shift in public opinion demanding environmental and resources sustainability, ethical behavior and healthier products.

• Food products’ health impact is now as important as taste or affordability.
• Unhealthy diets account for up to one in five premature deaths every year.
• Regulations include animal welfare, biodiversity and similar ethical issues.

The only viable solution is technology

To solve this issue the only viable option is to improve efficiency and develop alternatives – in both cases, technology is crucial. Reducing population, or radically changing consumption habits are either unethical or unpracticable.

• Food production is still one of the least digitalized industry, with 0.3% digital penetration vs. 2.5% for financials and 12% for retail.
• Technology-led innovation is reshaping the whole value chain, from agricultural production through transformation and preparation to consumer supply and consumption patterns.

Innovation Getting Traction

Producing food – the shift to agriculture 4.0

Technological innovation in agriculture focuses on optimizing scarce resources, and avoid waste by increasing available land surface, maximizing crop yields, and mini - mizing water usage. But it is the convergence of IoT, AI and edge computing that are finally enabling agriculture to turn digital, and farms to become smart.

• Satellite imagery, agricultural robots, drones, and sensors’ data are supporting better decision-making and -implementation at the individual farm level.
• 5G will provide connectivity in rural areas, and cloud- and edge-based AI real-time analysis of ever growing datasets.

Transforming food – providing the next-gen food

Technological advancement coming from other sectors, like biotech, have made fea - sible from both a technical and economical standpoint to provide alternative foods with equivalent (if not better) nutritional qualities to the consumers.

• Cellular agriculture and gene editing tools are being developed for food production.
• Plants-based proteins are already sustainable alternatives to meat.
• 3D food printing, nutrition apps and wearables help adjust habits.

Consuming food – connecting the dots

Technology is creating a seamless and connected digital chain for food that allows information to flow in both ways, from producer to consumer and viceversa. This results in optimized choices and greater adaptability, reducing waste and optimizing resource utilization.

• Digital tracking, smart packaging and food apps all contribute to integrate the consumer into the digital food ecosystem.