Food Uncertainty Optimization in the Digital Age
Published on : Tuesday 26-05-2020
Globally, there is a population of more than 800 million on the streets are experiencing hunger, while over 2 billion are facing overweight or obese. According to the UN DESA, there is an estimated that the global population would be 9.7 billion people by 2050, which further expected of food uncertainty from the Agriculture and the worldwide food system are challenged to feed an estimated global population of with diminishing land and water resources.
Considering the growth lifecycle, the successive growth in the industrial revolution is creating the advancement and placement of electrical grids, assembly lines and mass production in the manufacturing sectors to formulate the most effective and efficient line to serve the globe. While such advancement pushes back the agriculture sector through diminishes the job opportunity. In the US, only 2% of people are working under the agriculture sectors in the current scenario, while it was 90% of people were operated in the 19th Century.
The occurrence of the digital revolution, there is an increase in advancement and innovation across information technologies and other technologies, like sensors, robotics, drones, GPS and autonomous vehicles to meet the requirements for the efficient application of providing plant nutrients, pesticides, seeds, and water. In addition, the continuous growth in the digital age, there is an increase in countless possibilities to grow different foods, such as gene-edited plants and animals, yeast-brewed milk, vegan cheese, and lab-grown meat.
Technologies for Digital Agriculture –
| Category | Type of Technology |
|---|---|
| Cross-cutting technologies | Computational decision tools |
| The cloud | |
| Sensors | |
| Robots | |
| Digital communication tools (mobile, broadband, LPWAN) | |
| Field | Geo-location (GPS, RTK) |
| Geographic information systems | |
| Yield monitors | |
| Precision soil sampling | |
| Unmanned aerial systems (UAS, or drones) | |
| Spectral reflectance sensing (proximal and remote) | |
| Auto-steering and guidance | |
| Variable-rate technology | |
| On-board computers | |
| Livestock | Radio frequency ID |
| Automated milking, feeding, and monitoring systems |
"According to the Asia Food Industry - Digital Revolution is a top priority for 54% of consumer good firms and 47% of the respondents cited data security as being very or critically important to their business"
Future and Development
The implementation of agricultural programs and financial support in the food manufacturing sector is expected to create a balance to deal with potential controversies among the operators of food production to minimize the risk of food uncertainty in the current scenario and future. Moreover, the government direct involvement in terms of providing financial aid, observation, and crop information consultancy through engaging farmers in participatory crop improvement, participatory plant breeding and farmers’ field programs, seminars, and webinars.
