Global food security has become a critical topic for competitiveness worldwide. A growing population coupled with the ongoing effects of climate change and rising awareness over the limits of natural resources has pushed academics, policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to address and think innovative solutions in food systems.
On July 16, the GFCC hosted the exclusive Expert Session The Future of Food & Agriculture: A Global Dialogue on Sustainable Solutions surveying the state of today’s food systems and how innovation can help to improve food production, distribution, and consumption worldwide.
The need to invest in research and technologies to create sustainable models of production and consumption was previously highlighted in the 2023 Call to Action Innovate the Sustainable Future and remains a key topic in discussions for this year’s edition.
During the Expert Session, Prof. Ken Sloan, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer at Harper Adams University, a specialist institution for food production and technology, animal health and wellbeing, and Dr. Reneth Mano, Executive Administrator and Policy Expert at the Livestock and Meat Advisory Council (LMAC) in Harare, Zimbabwe, commented on innovative strategies shaping the future of agriculture and the challenges African nations face on their path to become self-sufficient.
Innovative solutions
A study published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2009 stated that food production would need to increase by 60% (considering production levels knew by then) to feed the world population by 2050. Innovation and technology development can play a leading role in building productive food systems with an efficient use of land, water, energy, and all other types of resources that are consumed in food chains.
Harper Adams University has been at the forefront of food and animal research developing solutions in crop sciences, land and water use and management, precision agriculture, blockchain, adaptation techniques for breeding animals and plants among other disciplines tackling the future development of food production, processing, and animal sciences. Their goal is to use technology to sustain soil integrity, enable transparency across the food systems, and connect supply and demand while insuring human and planetary health.
Nevertheless, guaranteeing future food security goes beyond just producing more food. It relies on addressing asymmetries within today’s food systems. While there are parts of the planet where people are overconsuming and overproducing, others are grappling with famine.
“We need behavior change throughout the system. It isn’t just about having innovation and technology. You must shift people along”, states Prof. Sloan.
Additionally, Prof. Sloan highlights an urgent need to improve legislation and regulation to have more transparency over the risks and environmental consequences of certain types of production.
The case of Africa
African farmers produce primarily for subsistence through nature-driven techniques that rely on the quality of the land. They lack access to new technologies that could boost productivity and efficiency and avoid land degradation.
Furthermore, Africa faces induced climate-change risks of great magnitude which can increase the frequency of droughts, floods, and other weather variations. Zimbabwe is currently dealing with the worst El-Niño induced drought in 40 years. To avoid famine, over 7 million people in the country will need international humanitarian assistance.
“The effects of climate change are undermining the capacities of African governments to deliver meaningful development”, says Dr. Mano. “In a way, it is creating a new political risk that puts the concept of stability into question”.
Dr. Mano agrees with Prof. Sloan on the need to better connect supply and demand to improve market distribution, reduce waste, and feed hungry populations where needed.
“We need to interrogate the state of our international agricultural and food marketing system that produces a surplus in one country that cannot be afforded by the majority of the markets that need it for their basic survival”, argues Dr. Mano.
Connecting resources and giving access to new technologies to farmers in Africa could help to improve global food productivity and to tackle distribution challenges.
In the UK, an example of a local initiative that connects supply and demand is Harper Adams University Community Fridge which redistributes food that would become waste to the local community. The project started in January this year and has already delivered seven tons of food.
The discussion about sustainable models for food production and consumption and how to reengineer systems to better connect supply and demand will continue within the GFCC Community this year as members and fellows work on the draft of the 2024 Call to Action. More information will be released shortly.
Comments