Sustainability must be a part of our modern food production system, which uses a variety of external inputs to maximize production as well as high-tech systems for food storage, transportation, processing and sales.
It is a top priority for food producers and researchers to explore food production systems that take environmental, social and economic factors into account. The advancement of a more sustainable food system can significantly benefit from strategic technological development.
Two-thirds of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050, with developing countries accounting for the majority of this growth. At a time when the availability of land, water and energy is limiting food production on a global scale, technology — particularly the recent advances in digitally enabled devices based on internet connectivity — is essential for creating the necessary and sustainable Urban Food Ecosystems (UFEs).
Sustainable Food Production
In order to address sustainability issues, our food production system needs new and improved technologies. There are many challenges that can be combined into 3 categories:
First, Environmental Sustainability refers to a responsible relationship with the environment that fosters long-term environmental quality while preventing resource depletion or degradation. It is a method that guarantees the needs of the present generation are met without jeopardizing the capacity of future generations to meet their own needs.
Secondly, Social Sustainability and Inclusion focuses on the need to “put people first” in development processes. It fosters social inclusion of the underprivileged and vulnerable by empowering individuals, creating strong, stable societies and opening up institutions to public scrutiny.
Thirdly, in order to build a more livable future, Economic Sustainability entails assessing the environmental impact of economic activity and developing sustainability goals. It refers to methods for a company’s or country's long-term economic growth while also managing the environmental, social and cultural aspects of its operations. It entails balancing economic growth and profit-making with the effects on the community and the environment.
Modern Technology in Food Sector
We currently live in a fast-paced world where every industry appears to evolve overnight. Particularly when you take the food industry into account, the connection between market demands and new technology is obvious.
Industry leaders can respond to consumer demands with technological advancements, satisfying them directly as they become apparent. In this way, food has improved in terms of health, accessibility and consideration.
Robots
A lot of robotic equipment is designed to increase production and make the process faster and safer. These cutting-edge machines can support other line workers, take over risky procedures and do other things to benefit the food industry and its production. For instance, "robot butchers" may be able to assist by handling delicate meat cuts in factories, relieving humans of the risk to injury.
Robots can also expedite production-related tasks like sorting and packaging, enabling businesses to meet their production demands more quickly.
Compared to heavy-duty tractors, robot seeders compact the soil much less when they sow seeds. Poor root development brought on by soil compaction (by the aforementioned heavy-duty tractors) can lead to a plant's intake of water and nutrients being reduced. Robot seeders are an example of ultra-light robots that can solve this specific problem.
Food safety
Restaurants, grocery stores, and other food suppliers can better manage food shelf life with the aid of technology, which, among other applications, can be used to track ingredients and look for ingredient recalls.
To manage their supply distribution, some companies are using blockchain technology. For instance, a grocery store can track a package of chicken to make sure the supplier did not use antibiotics.
Digital sensors
Today's sensor technologies keep an eye on every aspect of agriculture, including the precise pH level of the soil, cattle movement, microclimate data collection and aerial imagery.
The use of sensor technology is just beginning. It will continue to grow and give producers more precise data, allowing them to make better, more informed decisions and ensuring their production is sustainable.
Irrigation sustainability
The use of irrigation is a crucial component of food production, and farmers are constantly looking for ways to use as little water as possible. Due to technology, irrigation practices are now more effective and sustainable.
Wireless crop and irrigation control systems and wireless telemetry are technologies that "enable farmers to gain better control and visibility over the operations of their irrigation systems and to make better decisions regarding water, chemical and electrical usage,” according to one proponent company.
Drones
Drones have already demonstrated their usefulness in the agricultural industry for gathering data on specific land uses (native forests, rivers, villages, etc.), as well as data on plants, including plant number, chlorophyll content (an indicator of the health and nutritional status of the plant), plant height and many other variables.
They are now having a bigger impact on business as consumer interest in sustainability and food traceability grows. In areas as diverse as plantation management, agricultural experimentation, seed production, crop monitoring and product traceability, the raw data is analyzed and transformed into specific recommendations.
Space and airborne observation
Global and reliable real-time digital information on various facets of the agro-food value chain can be obtained from space and airborne observation systems as well.
The Earth observation technology, coupled with deep learning-based advanced analytics and data fusion techniques, provides growing evidence to support this.
Importance of Food Industry Technology
The importance of technology in the food industry is growing, and there are no signs that this trend will slow anytime soon. Businesses and brands in the food industry are utilizing technology to create new products, enhance quality assurance, and strengthen supply chains.
In the years to come, it's likely that the food industry will experience even more advancements as technology advances. In order for food companies to effectively leverage the trends in digital transformation, alternative protein and food safety technologies, they will need to find areas where they can improve their particular business models and processes.
The journey towards a digitally transformed food industry has only just begun, where advanced monitoring and sensors that probe deep to provide insightful data enable precision farming and food processing.
Food production will become more productive and automated as technology advances, increasing the amount of wholesome, sustainable food available to people around the world.
