There is a big challenge not just to produce food in a more sustainable way for the sake of our planet, but to keep up with feeding a global population predicted to grow to around 9 billion by 2050.
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Although it is increasingly recognized that technology can make a big difference to agriculture, the contribution of the ‘Fourth Agricultural Revolution’ has to date been much more muted than for other sectors …. Agricultural technology is a multi-faceted subject, and the [World Economic Forum] has identified 12 major areas that could revolutionize global food production:
Alternative proteins: Partially replacing traditional sources of protein such as livestock, which today account for 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, with novel alternatives derived from insects, aquacultures, plants or cell cultures. One example is the burgers developed by California’s Impossible Foods which look and taste like meat but are wholly plant-based.
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Food sensors: This combines spectroscopy with computer vision to analyse food with respect to quality, safety and authenticity. The data this presents could if it became widely available improve on existing sell-by and use-by dates and so dramatically reduce household waste, as well as preventing food fraud such as the European horsemeat scandal of 2013 and identifying any harmful bacteria and viruses.
Read full, original article: Building Sustainable Agriculture Through Technology
