“Foresight is helping design a better future for all.”
Ismahane Elouafi, Chief Scientist, FAO
“How are we going to feed the world?”
Batters, President, NFU
Evolution is inevitable with the passing of time, but equally innovation has been a constant in the agriculture and food industry, and today is no different.
We are a world entirely dependent on food and equally interdependent on each other’s ability to grow and produce it so that we have enough all year round. We must use this interdependency and our ability to innovate and solve problems to take us on the next step in the evolution of the food journey.
The production of fresh food has gone through a rapid evolution in the last 30 years, with innovation and the hunger for real solutions at its core. The passion, dedication and ingenuity in the agrifood sector, from all its corners has been remarkable, aided by and embracing advances in technology, science, data and communication.
A central part of this is the innovation and development of contained agriculture concepts like controlled environment agriculture (CEA), which allow for local, high-quality production and remove seasonality. Operations with indoor environments unavoidably have requirements of energy use, in some cases significant use. There is no denying that the evolution of agriculture comes with implications for sustainability, but it does not mean that we can’t find the right solutions if we approach it in the right way.
For future agrifood success the production and distribution of renewable energy is paramount, the reduction of water usage essential and the need to grow and supply in a more localised area inevitable. This is not a wish list; this is the reality of science and continued human nutrition.
We are proving that this is possible, but it absolutely requires a whole systems approach and collaboration from government, industry, agriculture and science.
The future of farming has begun its evolution already. We have the solutions within our grasp and an extraordinary ability to innovate. We cannot do this in siloes however, it should, and has to be, a collective effort to get us where we all need to be.
Imagine a world that is diverse, sustainable and equitable. A world where our current disconnect from nature is a distant memory. A world where listening to nature’s voice is not only normalised but championed.
The growing scale and compounded impact of human behaviour has put life in all its forms everywhere at risk in irreversible ways. Of the many challenges in the world today, biodiversity loss, conflict and dwindling natural resources are increasingly ones that threaten the livelihoods, health, and wellbeing of all species as well as agrifood systems.
The computer scientist, Alan Kay famously said: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it!” Futures studies, what we call foresight, is the systematic study of possible, probable and preferable futures. It is also a challenging practice. This is because when the mind searches for the future, it very often sees the past. Our past and current efforts in facing challenges have tended to rely on a standard toolbox that enacts regulations, provides financial incentives or disincentives and raises awareness about the dire consequences of our bad behaviour.
Foresight presents a new paradigm. Following a rigorous use of methods and tools, a new set of insights are revealed that can help us design solutions that solve the issues of tomorrow as well as those of today. How it works is we let our minds
run loose imagining the impossible, then work backwards adding milestones that build on each other. This turns an ‘impossibility’ into a reality and would work for everyday people from farmers to fishers, to businesses, to government officials, everywhere in the world.
Creating a better life, leaving no-one behind Foresight is not new. Governments, private sector and non-profit organisations have been using foresight approaches for many decades. What is new is to apply these tools on a global scale, transforming all life on the planet for the better, leaving no one behind. This is the vision encapsulated in FAO’s Strategic Framework.
We only have eight years left until 2030 and we are woefully off track from reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. @GlobalCauseUK
For the next decade, FAO is focused on the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life. We only have eight years left until 2030 and we are woefully off track from reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.
With foresight, FAO and its partners are taking on this daunting task together to design a paradigm shift to create a better future for our children and our children’s children. We cannot do this alone. Will you join us?
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Farmers are being supported in more eco-friendly approaches to food production by being encouraged to adopt regenerative agriculture practices on their land.
In an approach that encourages greater care of the soil, considered crop rotation, and restoration of woodland and hedgerow planting, farmers and communities are finding social and environmental benefits, such as increased productivity and reduced flood risk.
Regenerative lead at Nestlé UK & Ireland, Matt Ryan, says: “Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming – primarily focused on enhancing soil health – that aims to serve and restore nature, rather than conventional systems which have a significant impact on natural resources.”
Measures include having a deep-rooted cover crop over the soil in wintertime – like forage crops that sheep and cattle can graze on – to keep as much carbon in the ground as possible and minimise disturbance of the soil to keep the natural systems as intact as possible.
“We want diversity in the rotation, with roots in the ground at different depths throughout the year to improve soil structure, retain water and avoid erosion. This also sequesters carbon, so it’s a win-win.”
Adopting a regenerative approach to farming is increasingly important to food manufacturers such as Nestlé, with more than 70% of its carbon footprint coming from sourcing ingredients from farmers.
“If we are going to get anywhere near net zero, we need to collaborate more with our farmers within our supply chain to find the best practices to reduce carbon and benefit the farmer and biodiversity,” says Ryan, who is responsible for driving regenerative agriculture aligned with the company’s net zero climate ambition.
“We are looking to ensure that in the future, our operations are having a positive impact on ecosystems to benefit farmers, the environment and society.”
Ryan explains that regenerative agriculture is important in tackling the climate crisis, particularly in areas such as considered use of fertilisation, a carbon intensive product. “We look to apply fertilisers only where and when it is needed,” adds Ryan, “to reduce phosphate and nitrogen, and prevent them entering our rivers and streams.”
As a global food manufacturer, Nestlé has committed to sourcing 20% of ingredients through regenerative practices by 2025, and 50% by 2030, through a concept that looks at the landscape and the different ecosystems – biodiversity, water quality, carbon sequestration and flood risk mitigation – as a whole.
“In focusing on resilience of our supply chain and carbon reduction, quite often we will see examples where the same types of measures are of interest to other beneficiaries of the landscape. For example, in terms of improving water quality and mitigating flood risk,” he says.
Partnerships and collaboration with other organisations operating in the same landscape enables scaling of these opportunities.
One approach that supports this are landscape enterprise networks (LENs), which connect groups of place-based buyers of nature-based outcomes and land managers into regional, self-governing, trading networks. LENs programmes are often centred around water quality, flooding, management of carbon, biodiversity and air quality, and have collaboration at their core.
In East Anglia, where Nestlé sources a wide range of its key ingredients including wheat, the company has funded land managers and farmers to improve the landscape by implementing practices like sowing cover crops in winter and reducing cultivations.
Another initiative is the Milk Plan. In partnership with First Milk, dairy farmers in Cumbria and Ayrshire, who provide fresh milk for Nestlé’s confectionery and beverage products, receive a sustainability bonus for taking practical measures to protect and enhance their natural assets.
It is also supporting young people in the dairy sector to get the best out of their businesses through an education programme which coaches young farmers on a number of areas such as business management, increasing efficiencies and regenerative farming methods. This provides a benefit to the farmers and their business and creates a more resilient supply of locally sourced milk for the company’s operations in the region.
Just like the climate crisis, global feeding presents us with a challenge which every nation needs to play its part in solving.
Just three months ago, Ukraine was a key cog in keeping the world fed. It provided food for over 400 million people internationally. Now, if farming wasn’t challenging enough, many of those farmers face the unimaginable situation of trying to farm through a conflict. Where productive wheat fields are now littered with land mines, where cattle are bombed and where even on farms which have escaped the worst ravages of the war, it’s very difficult to get hold of seed and fuel.
As the rest of the world watches in horror at what is unfolding, we are forced to answer a question we have avoided for far too long. How are we going to feed the world?
The climate crisis, a rising global population and political instability are not going to go away. Suddenly, hunger has come into sharp focus and while richer nations may manage to avoid the ‘apocalyptic’ (to quote the Governor of the Bank of England) crisis that is looming, we still have a global moral responsibility to play our part in focusing on food production.
If we don’t place importance on the production of food at home, then we import more food from the rest of the world. This would worsen the global situation.
Impacts of cost of living increasing
Like many others, British farmers are facing dramatic cost increases, exacerbated by the war, which threaten our ability to produce food.
On my own beef, sheep and arable farm in Wiltshire, our fertiliser bill this year will increase by around £26,000. The cost of fuel, feed and labour have also all increased. Now more than ever, the importance of national and international food supply has been put into perspective. If we are to tackle the global feeding challenge, the UK government needs to take food production and the resilience of our supply chains seriously and commit to ensuring that our own food production does not decline, something which government has so far refused to do.
The need for national food strategy
The nation needs a food strategy that puts sustainable food production at its heart. A strategy that enshrines in law the need for our government to ensure the resilience of UK agriculture and domestic food production, to maintain long-term food security both here and for the rest of the world. I believe we all have a moral obligation to do just that.
Insect and hydroponic farming have the potential to increase access to nutritious food, feed and fertilisers whilst creating millions of jobs, improving the environment and climate crisis, and strengthening national economies.
WRITTEN BY Dorte Verner Lead Agriculture Economist, World Bank
What if there’s a way to feed everyone on our planet with a nutrient-rich diet and not drain our planet’s forests and biodiversity? A World Bank report makes a strong case on the role of insect and hydroponic farming.
The consumption of insects is not new, with an estimated 2 billion people globally consuming insects that are collected in the wild. The challenge with wild insects is that they are seasonal and may not be safe to consume – for instance, they may have eaten plants sprayed with pesticides.
In addition, farming insects specifically for human and animal consumption can provide a year-round supply of highquality animal proteins to meet the growing demand. Insects can be raised like livestock, making them available all year round. Combining hydroponic crops, which also use very little water and require no arable land, with insect farming is novel and provides benefits ranging from improved nutrition to climate-resilient food production synergies.
Insect and hydroponic crop farming, for both human food and animal feed, not only improves food and nutrition security but also helps the environment. Farming insects reduces waste, takes the pressure off land and water resources and helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Insect and hydroponic farming are cost effective and cheaper to run than conventional farming. They are especially suitable in vulnerable communities or areas that don’t support conventional farming, such as cities and arid climates.
Both insect and hydroponic farming fit within a circular economic model that can supplement conventional farming.
Insects can be fed organic waste to quickly produce nutritious and protein-rich foods for humans, fish and livestock. The waste from insects can also be fed back into the soil as organic fertiliser creating a circular economy.
Africa’s potential
African insect farming using agriculture waste as feed could annually generate crude protein worth up to USD 2.6 billion and biofertilisers worth up to USD 19.4 billion. According to the report, that is enough protein to meet up to 14% of the crude protein needed to rear all the pigs, goats, fish and poultry in Africa.
The world needs a food production system that can feed everyone with nutritious food while providing economic benefits and protecting the environment. A circular food economy focused on farming insects and hydroponic crop production can help deliver on this promise.
The climate crisis, a rising global population and political instability are not going to go away.
Digital solutions are changing how farmers operate. The increasing amount of data that is ‘harvested’ from farms allows for improved management and optimised production.
This data can help to increase efficiency and lead to more sustainable farming, but experts recognise that agricultural digital transformation requires adequate connectivity and knowledge. It also must be managed wisely and farmers should be treated as equal participants.
The agricultural sector already uses technology, but, as Maria Tunberg explains, “we now have a push for increased digitalisation to enable farmers to share much more data and use a range of new digital technologies.”
Digitalisation at farms involves autonomous machinery, connected animals, virtual fencing and the use of drones and satellites to collect data.
“We know more about what is happening at a farm level today,” Tunberg adds. This provides opportunities, but also poses challenges in terms of integrating different systems, ensuring adequate connectivity and security, and managing the legal and ethical aspects of big data management.
Nonetheless, the increase in the amount of digital information acquired can help farmers to become more efficient, profitable and sustainable.
“Margins within agriculture are generally slim,” explains
Tunberg, “so anything that can improve profitability at the farm level is important. There are clear benefits of digitalisation from a sustainability and climate point of view, including the ability to use resources more efficiently when producing food.”
Tunberg works at Analysys Mason, a global telecoms, media and technology (TMT) specialist that supports customers in a range of sectors, such as the food and farming sectors, to facilitate digitalisation and drive innovation.
Analysys Mason is working with national and international bodies to facilitate the digital transformation that is reshaping the agricultural sector. Together, they support the creation of precision farming techniques and study new developments such as smart urban agriculture. Analysys Mason also analyses the costs and benefits of connectivity solutions that enable advanced machine autonomy, AI, drones and other use cases, including the extension of 5G rural connectivity in Europe.
Tunberg emphasises the need for dialogue when building smart and sustainable food and farming systems given the range of stakeholders in the agricultural ecosystem, including farmers, policymakers, regulators and equipment manufacturers. “We work to ensure that all stakeholders are included in the ongoing transformation and that farms of the future have the connectivity, equipment and knowledge required to benefit from digital solutions.”
The world is facing unprecedented challenges to global food security. Between a supply chain already stretched thin due to COVID-19, the increasing effects of the climate crisis and the tragic war in Ukraine, food supply is in real danger in many countries.
With farmers around the world struggling to access – or afford – the inputs and technologies they need to ensure reliable food production, it is imperative we look toward global solutions and innovative approaches to meet these challenges.
We believe innovation in agriculture is key to allowing farmers to produce diverse, affordable and nutritious food while at the same time reducing emissions, halting biodiversity loss and improving rural community livelihoods.
Our members – the world’s leading agricultural innovation companies – are pioneering new seed treatments and varieties that increase drought tolerance, reduce the use of water and positively contribute to soil health. By combining new products with digital technologies, we can support much more accurate, efficient and safe farm management.
We also work with local communities to ensure traditional methods are respected and improved through solutions tailored to each environment and food system.
If we look at the scope of the challenges facing us –providing safe, nutritious food to 9 billion people by 2050 –it is clear we must be open to new ideas, conversations and voices. The challenge is too big for any one actor or sector to solve; a collaborative approach is required if we’re to
achieve sustainable food systems.
These challenges require significant investment and commitment from both the public and private sectors. We should embrace new partnership opportunities that can drive us forward on global goals such as zero hunger, naturepositive, carbon neutrality and respect for human rights. We must also ensure all our activities are grounded in sound science and good stewardship practices.
CropLife International is proud to lead the way in promoting responsible use of plant science solutions, training millions of farmers annually in integrated pest management, safe disposal of obsolete stocks and empty container management.
Of course, these developments will not mean anything without prioritising an open trade and regulatory environment that ensures access and availability across the value chain. To address our global challenges, we must use all solutions available.
With the UN Secretary-General warning tens of millions of people are at risk of famine, it’s clear we must act together now to prioritise global actions that stimulate new innovations and new partnerships and ensure equitable access to critical technologies that move us toward more sustainable food systems.
Digital transformation requires adequate connectivity and knowledge. It also must be managed wisely and farmers should be treated as equal participants.
The invasion of Ukraine has shown us the importance of ensuring food security at all times, within the EU and worldwide. This objective, enshrined in our founding Treaties some 65 years ago, is today as important as ever.
For the global food system, the loss of grain exports from Ukraine means that up to 25 million tonnes of wheat must be substituted in the current and the next season. This is indispensable for overall world food needs, which are also affected by a likely reduction of Russian exports. Combined, Ukraine and Russia are responsible for over 30% of world wheat exports.
WRITTEN BY Janusz Wojciechowski Commissioner for Agriculture, European Union
The strong price increase on cereal markets puts global food security at risk, affecting vulnerable people in food deficit countries. We must shield vulnerable countries, notably in Africa, the Middle East and in the European Neighbourhood region from pressures on food availability and prices. This is why we have adopted the Communication on “Safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food systems.”
The communication sets out actions in three areas:
• First, it presents our immediate actions to safeguard food security in Ukraine and around the world.
• Second, we have addressed the challenge of food stability in the EU’s food system, with a range of measures to support our farmers and maintain affordability for our citizens.
• Finally, we confirm our agenda to make our food system sustainable and resilient in the years to come.
Farmer-centric, systemic innovation can generate a tremendous impact on the sustainability of our planet, providing new options for resilient and thriving food systems, in the interest of humankind.
Acting together to tackle challenges Security, stability and sustainability are the words that define our response. I am confident that while we face a significant challenge, we can overcome it. We have been challenged before, most recently during the COVID pandemic. That is why we are not waiting; we are acting. But we need to act together, within the European Union and with our international partners. We need to face this crisis together, to address the challenges we are confronted with and to persevere with our long-term strategy of making our food systems more sustainable and resilient. If we act together, we can meet our challenges.
I recall the words of Professor Walter Hallstein, our first Commission President. When he worked to bring European farmers together under the Common Agricultural Policy, he said: “The links we are forging here today will never again be broken.”
These links have lasted us and for 60 years. They were not broken during the Cold War, they were not broken during COVID pandemic; and let me say, in no uncertain terms: they will not be broken now.
WRITTEN BY Arianna Giuliodori Secretary General, World Farmers’ Organisation
These are times of significant challenges and great concerns. The conflict in Ukraine, in all its dimensions, arrives at a time when the world is already severely affected by the combination of climate emergency, food insecurity and the two-year COVID-19 pandemic.
Farming has stood out as a central piece of crisis responses, regaining a prominent role in the global strategies both in the global South and global North. Farmers have proved to be crucial actors in tackling present and future challenges, particularly regarding the sustainable transformation of food systems.
Innovation as a way for farmers to achieve sustainability Innovation in agriculture is a
fundamental process that goes beyond technology and embraces business models, social inclusion, ecosystem services and agricultural practices. It should serve as a way for farmers to improve their production patterns and support them in achieving sustainability in its three dimensions, i.e., environmental, social and economic.
Far from being a one-size-fits-all solution, innovation is fundamental to enhancing farmers’ incredible diversity, valuing their unique knowledge and specific needs. We have to invest in impactful innovation that is not homologating.
Recognising farmers as co-creators of process
In a food systems dimension, fostering innovation in agriculture
means recognising farmers’ identity and shifting to a value chain approach, with a spirit of authentic partnership, collaborating as economic actors in a system. That implies first, recognising farmers as co-creators of the innovation process. Second, creating bridges between farmers and the other actors, from academia to consumers. And third, shaping a conducive policy environment that allows all farmers, youth and women to be “agripreneurs” and drive their communities’ economic and social growth, while caring about our people and planet.
It is time to stand by farmers
The impacts of the current crisis on the farming activity, suffering from disruptions in the world markets and the food emergency that is threatening, remind us how urgent it is to accelerate innovation to unlock the ability of agriculture to withstand and the capacity of farmers to recover from shocks.
At the World Farmers’ Organisation, we believe that farmer-centric, systemic innovation can generate a tremendous impact on the sustainability of our planet, providing new options for resilient and thriving food systems.
We call on all policy makers, stakeholders and financial institutions to stand by the farmers and work together to unlock this potential now.
hydrocarbons reduced by 90%, particulate matter by 98%, nitrous oxide by 62%, and CO2 by 11%. Yet, the tractor produces the same 175hp maximum boosted power and the same torque as its diesel cousin.
While methane-fuelled tractors are a recent commercial innovation, the industry has been using technology to minimise wastage and its environmental footprint for much longer. Precision farming tech, such as the Precision Land Management system, makes use of ultra-accurate signals from GPS and other satellite systems to ensure pass-to-pass parallel accuracy, enabling seed, fertilisers and crop protection products to be applied without misses or overlaps. As well as minimising wastage by progressively switching off and on machines.
Farmers can also collect detailed agronomic data as crops are harvested, with these figures then used to make input calculations for the following season. For example, the NutriSense system can monitor crop moisture data in real time to help make decisions on storage to guard against spoilage in both forage and grain crops.
The industry is facing these challenges with energy and optimism, supported by businesses playing their part by giving farmers the tools they require to produce food in the most efficient and environmentfriendly way possible.
Developing sustainable solutions
Among those businesses are some of the industry’s leading farm machinery manufacturers. New Holland, for example, is no newcomer to innovating in order to help farmers farm in an environmentally responsible manner. The business, part of CNH Industrial, launched its Clean Energy Leader strategy in 2006, committing to renewable fuels, emissions reduction systems and sustainable agricultural technology.
Seven years later, New Holland underlined this commitment by unveiling its first methane-fuelled tractor prototype, providing a route to energy-independent, carbon-neutral
farming via the production of methane gas fuel from animal and organic waste which produce the gas as they break down naturally in on-farm lagoons and digesters.
Using this abundant fuel source not only reduces the reliance on fossil fuel, but also makes use of a gas that has a greenhouse gas potency equal 86x to that of CO2. The T6.180 Methane Power debuted in 2017 and was launched officially two years later. It uses largely standard components, retaining the core components of the six-cylinder FPT Industrial NEF engine used in the conventional diesel-powered T6.180 tractor, save for the gas injectors and spark plugs that replace the diesel injection unit.
This further underlines the machine’s environmental credentials, with no need for complex engineering and components, especially in the exhaust gas clean-up. As a result, there is an overall reduction in emissions of 80% comparable diesel-powered model. Carbon monoxide emissions are reduced by 75%, non-methane
More recent developments of precision technology include connected systems, such as PLM Connect. Via smart devices a PC, farmers can receive/send data from/ to machines in real time, creating instant field records. Further examples of efficiency benefits include the ability to remotely monitor fuel levels and make just-in-time deliveries, removing the need for the tractor to return to base for refuelling, minimising on-road time. Owners can also monitor issues such as fuel consumption during work, to ensure drivers are operating the tractor and implementing combinations in the most efficient way.
Protecting the environment
“These technologies represent the farm equipment industry’s response to the need to become more sustainable in how we produce our food and look after our planet,” says Carlo Lambro, Brand President of New Holland.
“This sector is connected directly to the needs of nature as well as those of the human population. These advances we’ve made in recent decades show this industry is serious about its role in protecting the environment as well as producing food.”
A growing population, finite resources and the need for sustainable production that feeds the world in a responsible way all contribute significantly to the pressures placed on modern farming.
Into this mix, the markets for ‘natural capital’ are gaining momentum. The idea is that landholders can more directly enhance and monetise those natural ‘assets’ that provide humanity the ‘services’ on which our lives depend.
WRITTEN BY Ed Asseily Chief Executive Officer, Zulu Forest Sciences
Nature is the backbone of our food systems and our health. Yet, trends in soil degradation and erosion, loss of insect pollinators, increased flood and fire risks suggest our natural assets are rapidly degrading.
The good news is that governments and markets are waking up to the essential role of landholders in responding to the climate and biodiversity crises. This creates tangible financial opportunities through rapidly growing markets for carbon, biodiversity and other ecosystem services.
Restoration projects on marginal sites can increase and diversify returns for landholders, while enhancing the longterm value and resilience of their properties. Examples include woodland creation, peatland restoration and other habitat improvements. Regenerative farming practices can reduce costs and risks while improving the value of produce to buyers.
The challenge is to understand which natural capital opportunities are most relevant to you and what are the cost-benefit trade-offs of each.
Start with the big picture
Before investing in detailed ecological surveys, you can learn a lot from technology-based assessments of your landholding, using existing data and scientific best practice. These can give you actionable insights on the natural capital opportunities and risks on your property. Forecasts of project costs, funding grants and financial returns can help you plan.
This same approach can be quickly and easily replicated across clusters of neighbouring properties. Landscape-based projects generally have lower costs and better financing terms, while delivering more benefits to nature and the community.
Having a good overview of your natural capital opportunities will help you focus your scarce time and resources where they will have most impact.
Farmers have proved to be crucial actors in tackling present and future challenges, particularly regarding the sustainable transformation of food systems.
~Arianna Giuliodori, Secretary General, World Farmers’ Organisation
Landholders play an essential role in responding to the climate and biodiversity crises.