The first meeting of “Science Breakthroughs 2030” just convened to discuss the key advances essential for revolutionizing food and agriculture in the next decade. The resounding theme: What’s needed is akin to a moonshot. Or as committee co-chair John D. Floros put it, a “green revolution 2.0.”
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Half a century ago, scientists similarly asked how to feed a growing population. Their answer: “invest more in agricultural technology,” recounted Floros. That investment kick-started what became known as the green revolution. During it, new crop varieties, technological advances, changes in agricultural practices and shifts in the storage and transport of food all contributed to a dramatic increase in agricultural output.
But according to some experts, that investment and the growth it fueled has begun to stagnate. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s budget for agricultural research “has been flat for a decade,” noted Robert A. Easter of SoAR.
Related on the SLP
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Genomic data is being used to breed new crops and satellite data to identify water and nutrient needs within a field. “There will be data behind every seed we plant,” committee co-chair Susan Wessler said.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: This quiet agricultural ‘moonshot’ could change the future of food
