What are the key skills needed for navigating today's trends in the Food Production and Agriculture landscape?

Technology provides vital tools for ensuring security and integrity in our food supply systems. Let’s explore three key trends in food technology that will drive the future of the industry.  

• Precision agriculture 

Farmers need to mitigate environmental hazards and risks to biodiversity while dealing with uncertainty surrounding crop growth. Precision agriculture allows for farmers to use advanced technologies in drone sensing, satellite mapping, and robotic automation to form crop growth and yield models. These models allow farmers to decide on specific localized interventions rather than applying a method to the entire field, which reduces risk to the environment. 

• Industry 4.0 and Food Manufacturing 

The Smart Factory is now connected to the Internet of Things in the 21st century. Intelligent equipment can respond to real world conditions driving productivity, reducing food waste, and increasing profits. Combined with digitally connected food supply chains, data-driven food manufacturing can contribute to goals for a net zero food system.  

• Food Sensing Technologies 

Food quality and safety are essential for forming trust in our food systems. Optical sensors are replacing manual checks for food quality. Food-borne illness and contaminants are decreasing with the use of biosensors and nanotechnology. These technologies allow consumers to access to nutritious food and lead healthier lives.  

The agri-food system is falling behind the curve in adopting digital technologies. The systems are complex and require advanced digital skills to navigate tech solutions. Food systems must upskill and reskill workers to bridge the skills gap and ensure the industry harnesses technology to build sustainable food systems for the future. In the field of agri-food technology, which skills are currently in high demand? 

• Data analysis and predictive analytics 

Food system professionals can use data to create models and improve efficiency at every step in the food system. Combining farmer knowledge with advanced analytics builds trust and a collaborative culture to tackle food system challenges. For example, fish health data analysts create forecasts for fish farms, working together with fish farmers to predict the development of disease. These models help farmers see threats and make changes for more sustainable fish farming.  

• Deep Tech and Applied Food Science 

Food scientists can use big data and artificial intelligence to create new food products based on precision nutrition. Precision nutrition is a personalized nutrition framework based on individual genetic needs. Food scientists link genetic data to food components to provide new foods targeting disease and metabolic health. Combing deep tech with nutrition is the future of sustainable diets and healthier lives through food.  

• Sustainable management practices 

Implementing sustainable practices and upskilling workers on the ground requires agile management with a lens toward sustainability. Arable farming is an agri-food system area that quickly benefits from sustainable management practices. Integrating sensing equipment to vehicles and synchronizing machines across farms allows for improved efficiency and sustainability. Management practices that encourage the use of these technologies and locally upskilling workers to implement solutions based on automated data outputs not only controls costs and increases yields, but also limits damage to the environment by using less pesticides on farmland.  

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