Challenges facing agriculture : evaluation of the impact of AgTech, recommendations, and opportunity identification in food waste reduction

Abstract

Global food production faces severe challenges that will test the world's ability to mobilize technology, industry participants, and governments to develop a sustainable response. Feeding a growing population and accommodating for rapidly evolving diets calls for a significant expansion in production. Progress is needed to help produce more with less, limit the environmental impact of chemical inputs, and curb agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The agricultural workforce is facing increasingly challenging economic conditions, a lackluster generation of new producers, and industrywide labor shortages that threaten the continuity of food production. Innovative systems are crucially needed to boost productivity, while protecting natural resources and sustaining a vital workforce. In the past decade, Agriculture has witnessed the rise of a novel proponent of such systems stemming from an unprecedented wave of investments, innovations, and entrepreneurial ventures, referred to as AgTech for the purpose of this work. The aim of this work is initially to analyze the most pressing challenges faced by global food production, communicate on their magnitude, and highlight opportunities for innovation. In parallel, this work aims to increase awareness on the magnitude of food waste and loss, and present opportunities associated with food waste reduction and prevention. Then, this work will briefly define AgTech, present its benefits, and evaluate its impact on the food production industry. Based on this evaluation, limitations of AgTech will be presented, and industrywide recommendations to enhance its impact will be proposed. Finally, this work will propose a concept to reduce food waste in agricultural production.