The future of agriculture is the future of humanity, and vice versa. What agriculture becomes in years from now depends on us. But it is safer and imperative that man decides what the future is than otherwise. However, let us check some statistics.
The 2020 World Population Data Sheet stated that the current world population is 7.8 billion and is projected to reach 9.9 billion by 2050, which is about a 25% increase. Also, according to a report by the United Nations, by 2050, the world will need 70% more food for the global population.
The increase in the human population is not new, so how has this data got to help us? It does in so many ways as we have to prepare not to be hit by hunger and famine. What the world is rapidly coming into are unprecedented. And not just that, we need to develop facilities, infrastructures and advanced technologies through innovation, such that can meet the aggressive future demands for food.
The Present State of Agriculture
Currently, global production is increasing. However, it still has not met up with the demands as more than 800 million people still suffer from hunger worldwide, according to a report. The challenge is, if the current demands cannot be met, the future is coming with more demands, which we might not meet if we fail to prepare.
The future of Agriculture…, What does it hold?
This future poses a major challenge, where we have to consider not only food security but also the sophisticated development that would have taken place and then the environment. At the intersection of these three can we make the future of agriculture work.
Whose role is it to meet these challenges and how?
The combined efforts of governments, investors, innovative agricultural technologies and individuals.
- Government would play a very important role in solving the problem of food scarcity by:
- being more prominent through empowering local production and reducing dependency on import.
- increasing productivity: here, total output should be increased in a way that makes food affordable, meeting the diversified needs of people and granting them access to the produced food, otherwise, it becomes wasted.
- ensuring quality standards are met: as much as the demand for food increases, the demand for quality and healthy food which does not impact the environment negatively (from the planting to the processing stage) has also increased. And this is why we should by all means meet the quality standard required for producing healthy foods, and that ensure a safe environment and climate.
- encouraging the shift towards an innovation and knowledge based economy
- Investors through funds can provide the resources required for sustainable planting and harvesting methods, along with efficient processing and distribution. That is, projects that use best practices to maximize crop production and increase efficiency in the processes involved, from planting, maintenance, harvesting, processing, distribution to even sales.
- Innovative agricultural technology such as sensors, devices, machines and information technology, robots, aerial images, and GPS technology. All these advanced technologies along with precision agriculture will make agriculture more efficient, safe, profitable and environmentally friendly.
- Individuals: The era of solely depending on the government or community to do all we need has passed. Joint effort is the way forward. And, I will rather leave this for you to answer. Do individuals even have any role to play in agriculture? If yes, what are the roles?
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