Interview: Agtech identified as a critical piece in food systems transformation puzzle

At the end of each year, AgroPages conducts a survey of our columnists, asking them to review the major trends in the agricultural industry over the past year and make predictions for the year ahead. Based on the responses we received from many experts for our 2023 survey, we produced this article: ‘Climate, Biologicals, Policy, Supply Chain, Agtech, AI’ - Key Words Frequently Mentioned in Year-End Interviews with 17 Industry Experts. Due to space constraints, this article is not exhaustive. Each expert response contains more valuable information, and we'd like to reorganize it and present their views in more detail.

Krishna Kumar, Founder & CEO of Cropin

In your view, what was the most impactful industry event or trend in 2023?

Krishna Kumar: I'd like to highlight overarching macro-economic, societal, and environmental trends that influenced the agri-food sectors last year.

Firstly, 2023 witnessed a series of extreme climate change events that reflected across the globe, significantly impacting agricultural landscapes. Unprecedented heatwaves, floods, and droughts affected regions such as the US, Europe, China, India, and beyond. This emphasized the urgency for technology-driven solutions such as climate-smart agriculture to secure food supplies. Recognizing the vulnerabilities faced by farmers, world leaders, governments, and agribusinesses have underscored the need to transform food systems, identifying Agtech as a critical piece in this puzzle.

Secondly, a host of positive policy developments favored the Agtech sector in 2023, with governments globally acknowledging the imperative shift towards sustainable agriculture. Initiatives like the European Green Deal, Deforestation Law, and the FOREST Act bill in the US align with the global push for responsible sourcing and climate neutrality. On the other hand, COP28 held in UAE further marked historic moments, mobilizing $2.5 billion for food security and integrating agriculture into climate plans, underscoring the pivotal role of agri-food transformation in achieving global climate goals.

The growing global food insecurity crisis, highlighted by the UN's 'State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World' report, is a pressing concern. With 735 million people facing hunger, technology emerges as a key solution to enhance agri productivity, increase overall yield, and bring transparency to food systems, aiming to address the rising hunger crisis worldwide.

Another notable trend in 2023 is the increasing focus of countries on achieving self-sufficiency in domestic food production. This trend, initiated during the pandemic, is gaining momentum as governments worldwide intensify their efforts to establish robust and self-reliant domestic food systems. Additionally, there is a noteworthy surge in the adoption of environmentally friendly agricultural practices, including regenerative farming and the evolution of controlled environment agriculture. While these practices are still in their early stages of adoption, the trajectory indicates significant potential for widespread acceptance and growth in the coming years.

Looking ahead, what changes and trends in the industry should we pay attention to or look forward to in 2024?

Krishna Kumar: In the coming years, Agtech is set to become a crucial tool in the global fight against climate change. The momentum from 2023 underscores the industry's commitment to building a sustainable agri-food ecosystem, realizing agriculture's role in greenhouse gas emissions. The transition to a zero-emission industry, possibly transforming agriculture into a carbon sink, marks a significant shift towards sustainability.

Another notable development is the convergence of health demands and Agtech innovations in 2024 and beyond, acting as a significant industry driver. Agtech's potential to offer transparency in food production processes aligns with health-conscious consumer demands and aids governments in ensuring citizen health.

On the other hand, Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) practices, including vertical farming, polyhouse farming, and hydroponics are gaining momentum. While these innovations may take time to become mainstream, they present solutions to many pressing challenges. I expect agribusinesses will lead transformative initiatives in these areas in the coming years. 

An imperative facet worth noting is the imminent revolution fueled by AI in agriculture. A real-life scenario exemplifying this transformation is the application of 'Generative AI' in farm monitoring. Satellite monitoring for farmlands often faces challenges from cloud cover, impeding accurate observations. Cropin's pioneering innovations harness Generative AI to overcome this hurdle, effectively masking cloud cover and reconstructing or 'generating' field images. Leveraging extensive historical and current datasets, this approach guarantees precise insights throughout the cultivation cycle. This example underscores the pivotal role of AI, particularly Generative AI, in advancing agriculture, with numerous other innovations poised to make significant contributions to the industry.

These innovations, among others, highlight the Agtech sector's commitment to pushing the boundaries of science and technology, ultimately shaping a futuristic food system that is predictable, traceable, and sustainable. 

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