Future Economy Forum’s Post

The CRISP Rice grant has accomplished much in its first year! The team focused on helping rice growers adopt climate-smart technologies and sustainable practices to build resilience against environmental challenges. Farmers are being surveyed to understand their perspectives and identify barriers to adopting climate-smart technologies, aiming to make sustainable farming more accessible. On the research side, the team has made significant progress in genetics and physiology—identifying salt tolerance genes, improving disease resistance, and enhancing climate resilience in rice varieties. New methods, like sensor-based nitrogen applications, AI-driven crop monitoring, and integrated pest management strategies, are being explored to boost productivity while reducing environmental impact. Together, we’re driving sustainable innovation in rice farming and preparing the next generation of agricultural experts to tackle climate change.

The agriculture sector must leverage technology to meet the 70% increase in global food production needed by 2050. A new World Economic Forum report emphasizes the integration of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and inclusive agritech solutions in emerging economies. Governments and the private sector must work together to scale these solutions and ensure last-mile adoption, especially by smallholders and women farmers. Addressing challenges like climate change and soil degradation requires informed decision-making and public-private partnerships.

Last week Simi Thambi, PhD, Climate Economist at FAIRR, participated in a panel discussion on sustainable #FoodSystems at UKSIF's annual Spring Conference. Simi spoke about the importance of clarity surrounding #RegenerativeAgriculture outcomes and tracking, drawing on FAIRR’s report ‘The Four Labours of Regenerative Agriculture’. The report highlights the areas which still need to be addressed in companies’ regenerative agriculture initiatives, and underlines the need to include farmers in future strategies. Simi also spoke on FAIRR’s Climate Risk Tool, illustrating how #ClimateChange impacts feed crops in different parts of the world. One of the findings of the FAIRR analysis shows that in a business-as-usual scenario, the price of wheat in Europe is expected to increase by 30% by 2030. Finally, the discussion covered the importance of diet shifts and #AlternativeProteins in building a more sustainable food system. The FAIRR Initiative, through its collaborative engagement on alternative proteins, has seen notable progress in companies diversifying their product portfolios. Over half of the protein-producing companies covered in the Benchmark Index now have an alternative protein portfolio. Read FAIRR’s report on regenerative agriculture 👉https://lnkd.in/e6FiMFKU Access FAIRR’s Climate Risk tool 👉https://lnkd.in/eFfJ59QA   Learn more about FAIRR’s protein diversification engagement 👉https://lnkd.in/egZmNqgB

Unveiling the Promise: The Benefits of Perennial Grains USDA recently published about a perennial grain called Kernza® (intermediate wheatgrass). It’s available in some stores, and is being used by brewers and bakers in their products. In the realm of agriculture, innovation isn't just about embracing new technologies; it's also about reimagining traditional practices to meet the challenges of the future sustainably. Perennial grains, a concept gaining momentum in agricultural circles, offer a glimpse into a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future. Unlike their annual counterparts, perennial grains have the potential to revolutionize farming practices, mitigate environmental impact, and ensure food security for generations to come. The potential benefits of perennial grains are clear: sustainable land management, reduced input requirements, enhanced biodiversity, climate resilience, economic viability, and food security. By embracing perennial grains, farmers can pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient agricultural future. However, realizing this potential requires collective action and investment in research, development, and education. Together, we can harness the power of perennial grains to build a more sustainable and equitable food system for generations to come.

Regenerative agriculture as part of a new "Green Revolution" is garnering institutional support, similar to carbon capture and new energies being supported by governments to address climate change due to a lack of business model. - These are practices that improve soil health, reduce water usage and soil runoff and nutrient pollution, and increase biodiversity. - FAO and Nature journal estimated that 25% to 30% of agricultural output will be lost by 2050 via soil degradation. Our current unsustainable monocropping system produces foods of lower nutrition while degrading the soil and contributing to 30% of global GHG emissions (instead of sequestering it). Worse, 60% to 80% of staples feed animals and fuels instead of humans. - A wholesale change requires innovation at scale and business model innovation. This is where climate tech can really support a sustainable transformation in food and agriculture. - Farm-level insights, alternative meat, manure management, carbon accounting are some key commercial opportunities. https://lnkd.in/g3qTsGZJ? #regenerativeagriculture #regenag #soilhealth #carbonaccounting

Food security and sustainability are critical themes in today's era of climate change and economic instability. With around 690 million people worldwide facing hunger, the importance of robust and sustainable agricultural practices cannot be overstated. Cross-border agriculture offers a promising solution – integrating farming practices across countries to collectively combat food scarcity and promote sustainable cultivation. It's more than a concept; it's a beacon of hope and resilience in challenging times. This integration can enhance genetic diversity, provide alternative markets for farmers, and bolster our global food system. However, the path to global implementation is fraught with challenges – from regulatory hurdles to disparate access to technology. Delve into our latest blog post to uncover the integral connection between sustainability and cross-border agriculture, the potential implications for the future, and the vital role of international cooperation in this narrative. Understanding and embracing cross-border agriculture could be the key to building a sustainable and food-secure future for all. Full Article found here : https://lnkd.in/gxsHJRDs

****12days of CSGmas**** #Day8 🌍💧 Fighting drought with innovation! Meet ELICIT PLANT, the French agri-biotech company transforming global agriculture with groundbreaking phytosterol-based solutions that help crops thrive under water stress. 🌱✨ Founded in 2017, Elicit Plant, now led by Jean-Francois Jeff Déchant, has been a leader in sustainable farming, reducing water consumption by nearly 20% for major crops like maize and cereals through its flagship technology, EliTerra®. With €45M in new funding, they're expanding globally—targeting the U.S market in 2025, as well scaling their operations in Europe and Brazil. The funds will also support the development of new bio-based solutions and the expansion of strategic alliances, including ongoing partnerships with Bayer and BASF—and developing new eco-friendly products to tackle climate change. 🏆 Awards: - 2024 Future Unicorns Award for Green Tech Innovation - Best Innovation in Water Management at the Vienna Water Agri Summit Elicit Plant’s journey proves that innovation is key to creating a resilient and sustainable food system. 🚀 Let’s support the change! #sustainableagriculture #elicitplant #aginnovation

Two weeks ago, I had the honor to participate at the #G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting, in Brazil. Alongside Gilberto Tomazoni and the fellow co-chairs from the B20 Task Force on Sustainable Food Systems and Agriculture, we presented to the ministers recommendations on policies to advance a more sustainable, resilient and equitable global food system. It was a privilege to talk about the central role #regenerativeagriculture, enabled by technology and innovation, has to achieve the sustainable transformation towards producing more while restoring more.  Such systems may seem a long way off, but their adoption is already a reality in different parts of the world. For example, In Brazil, the PRO Carbono program, developed with Embrapa, has boosted farm yields by 11% and increased carbon sequestration by 16% in just two years. Meanwhile, India's direct-seeded rice system, which can save up to 40% less water and cuts greenhouse gas emissions by up to 45%, is expanding to 10,000 hectares with a goal of reaching 1 million hectares by 2030. These initiatives illustrate how farming can become more productive and sustainable at the same time! We are confident that the G20 leadership can be instrumental in leveraging international cooperation leading to the development of policies that enables productivity growth facilitating farmers access to innovation, technology and regenerative practices. It was an honor to see that the Ministers' Declaration incorporated the B20 Brasil recommendations in this direction, including clear commitments to foster science-based solutions to enable farmers to produce more while helping to restore the environment. Congratulations to the Minister Carlos Fávaro and the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture team for hosting and leading such important discussions! Roberto Perosa Julio Ramos Constanza Negri Biasutti Francieli Covatti

What will it take to sustainably feed 10 billion people? 👨🏻🌾 That's one of the questions I explored with Adnan Oner, the founder of fermentation startup Farmless, for this article for Maddyness. 🌾 As two fellow Yuval Noah Harari fans, we covered a lot of ground: from the evolution of food to how the Agricultural Revolution shaped society. 🐮 Today, 50% of habitable land is used for agriculture – three-quarters of that for animal proteins. By decoupling food production from agriculture, Farmless could produce an equal amount of protein using 500x less land. 🌳 As a result, Farmless could reforest and rewild 1 gigaton of emissions annually – a significant slice of the 5 gigatons needed to reach net zero. Read it for a 5 min history lesson and a glimpse into the future of food.

🌱 As climate change continues to pose significant threats to our global food supply, innovative solutions are more critical than ever. My latest article in @edie explores how open-source technology can play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges. By leveraging collaborative and transparent tech solutions, we can develop resilient agricultural practices to safeguard our crops and ensure food security. Discover how open-source technology is transforming agriculture and combating the impacts of climate change, and one way PepsiCo is harnessing this opportunity. Let's embrace innovation and work together towards a sustainable future. 🌍💡 Read the full article here: