Smart Agriculture: Disruption with New Technologies
In 2015, the UN 2030 sustainable development agenda and international community committed itself to ending hunger (Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development). How close are we to reaching the objective? The short answer: Not close at all—roughly 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. And under a business as - usual scenario, 8 percent of the world’s population (or 650 million) will still be undernourished by 2030.
Agriculture 4.0 will no longer depend on applying water, fertilizers, and pesticides uniformly across entire fields. Instead, farmers will use the minimum quantities required and target very specific areas. It will be possible to grow crops in arid areas, making use of abundant and clean resources such as the sun and seawater. Other innovations—3D printing of foods, cultured meat, genetic modification, and seawater agriculture—are still in the early stages but could all be game changers in the next decade.
Farms and agricultural operations will have to be run very differently, primarily due to advancements in technology such as sensors, devices, machines, and information technology. Future agriculture will use sophisticated technologies such as robots, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial images, and GPS technology. These advanced devices and precision agriculture and robotic systems will allow farms to be more profitable, efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly.
Agriculture 4.0 will need to look at both the demand side and the value chain/supply side of the food-scarcity equation, using technology not simply for the sake of innovation but to improve and address the real needs of consumers and reengineer the value chain.
The good news is that these digital and technological advancements are taking over the industry, enhancing the entire food value chain. Agricultural technology start-ups, according to Agfunder, have grown more than 80 percent per year since 2012. Agritech startups are booming, with entrepreneurs and investors showing a voracious appetite for the agriculture sector.
Session Overview
The pace of advancement in science of agriculture has increased exponentially in recent decades. Several concurrent innovation pathways have the potential for significant improvements in both the efficiency and sustainability of production agriculture. These same digital farming tools also have the potential for use in the more effective protection of natural resources. One of the critical pieces to any new innovation in agricultural technology is gaining regulatory acceptance. Regulatory testing and approval for new products such as a new pesticide or genetically modified plant may cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take decades to bring from discovery to market. While innovation in more sustainable agricultural technologies combined with an effective science-based regulatory system will lead to improvements in agricultural production overall, these advancements will not truly be successful without effective engagement of stakeholders throughout the entire process in order to facilitate acceptance as well as transparency of the regulatory decision-making processes. As a result there is a need for a more open forum that brings together stakeholders from multiple sectors including state regulatory bodies, scientists, producers, commodity grounds, and non-governmental organizations to more effectively engage on issues of regulatory science in agriculture.
Registration
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Panel Discussion On 'Regulatory Regime In Smart Agriculture' |
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| Chair: Alok Adholeya, Senior Director, TERI Co-Chair: Amit Dinda, Professor-Incharge, Division of Renal & Transplant Pathology Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) |
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| 02.15-02.30 PM | Welcome Address and Opening Remarks Alok Adholeya, Senior Director, TERI |
| 02:30-03:00 PM | Setting the Theme Amit Dinda, Professor-Incharge, Division of Renal & Transplant Pathology Department of Pathology, AIIMS |
| 03.00-03:20 PM | S K Sharma, FSSAI Neutraceuticals and health supplements |
| 03.20-03:40 PM | Swarup Sarkar*, Former Director Communicable Diseases, WHO Regulatory Needs: National and International Perspective |
| 03:40–04:00 PM | S Eswara Reddy, Joint Drugs Controller (India) Key translational challenges for developing and evaluating health products |
| 04:00-04:20 PM | Tea Break |
| 04:20-05:00 PM | Interaction between the panelists and the audience |
| 05:00-05:30 PM | Closing Remarks by the panelists |
| (*): To be confirmed | |