Two billion people in the world currently suffer from malnutrition and according to some estimates, we need 60% more food to feed the global population by 2050. Yet the agricultural sector is ill-equipped to meet this demand: 700 million of its workers currently live in poverty, and it is already responsible for 70% of the world’s water consumption and 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

New technologies could help our food systems become more sustainable and efficient, but unfortunately the agricultural sector has fallen behind other sectors in terms of technology adoption.

Some applicable examples include autonomous farming machines, blockchain, drones, robots, and smart apps that can improve all aspects of production, distribution, and consumption and usher in the fourth industrial revolution.

Here are four of the potential advantages:

• Enhancing agricultural productivity and output with less labour, which could bolster food security and stabilize prices by improving forecasts of supply and demand for agrifood.
• Effectively coping with global warming by achieving sustainable agriculture through optimal resource use, which can help prevent disasters and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Developing new distribution platforms […] promoting the growth of agri-food businesses while ensuring food safety through standardization.
• Broadening the scope of agriculture to include biotechnology and microbial treatment technology in order to produce new drugs and energy sources.

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