An Unprecedented Global Cooperation in Agriculture Will Create Our Future Farm
By: Swati Suman
Tags: Science, Education, Agriculture, Future, Technology

The Need For Future Farms

Agriculture remains central to economic development. Reports suggest that more than 60% of the world’s population depends on agriculture for survival. Henceforth, to feed the world in 2050, the next 30 years must be dedicated to producing the same amount of food as we did over the previous 10000 years.

It is, therefore, clearly an indication of the pressure on the food system.

Meeting the goal of providing a healthy diet to a large population requires the second round of agricultural revolution. The initial agricultural revolution outlined expansion and exploitation, fed people at the expanse of forests, wildlife, and through overconsumption of natural resources that eventually, in the process has destabilized the climate.

The next revolution in agriculture should be based on maximizing our existent farmland’s output for the prolonged-term. It should be dedicated to protecting biodiversity, reduce pollution and emission of poisonous gases, and establish ecological harmony.

Our traditional farmlands need to be designed futuristically because the pre-existing ones are already burdened with food production’s unbearable pressure. Future farms will indicate their production capacity by utilizing minimum resources and render maximum benefit that supports the carrying capacity and is attuned with the environment.

Therefore, the secret to secure food production depends on sustainable production.

Future Food Farms can help in achieving sustainability. It should be designed to require fewer inputs, involves less use of fertilizers and pesticides, reduced water requirement, and more. Precisely, farms need to be sustainable. Otherwise, by overconsuming the resources, we will end up damaging our planet.

Revolutionizing Food Farms

The security of the food system is one of the world’s pre-dominant challenges. With the help of Future Farms, one can examine and determine the food for the future.

To construct future farms, the existing farms will be engineered to intertwine crops and livestock with wild habitats. By placing the drones, one can monitor the safety of crops from insects and pests. Certain teams of robots get deployed that spray fertilizer in targeted dozes. Furthermore, hundreds of sensors will be placed beneath the soil to gather data on nutrients and water levels. The farmers can use these data to reduce unnecessary water usage and understand the plants’ nutrient requirements by collecting the information.

However, the farms of the future aren’t meant to be wholly governed by sensors and robots. Instead, the aim is to create a relentless drive toward technological innovation so that more efficient food production techniques can be generated that work with the environment rather than against it.

In regards to sustainable agriculture, the Netherlands has cracked the code to produce so much out of so little. It has produced twice the amount of food with half the resources and has turned into the world’s second-most food exporters. From testing LED lights to increase pest resistance, improve soil chemistry, and using moth killing drones for better plant growth, the country has applied innovation to bring in food security.

The country also has eliminated the use of chemicals on plants in greenhouses and has created climate-controlled farms so that the crops can grow and flourish in every weather.

The United States ranchers have been raising cattle on the grasslands comprised of native species to ensure a more sustainable food system and protect biodiversity. Similarly, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Cambodia have experimented with new rice production strains that consume less water, are less labour-intensive, and that reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

In India, farmers have installed solar-powered cold storage capsules to store the post-harvest food that increases the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. And which also helps thousands of rural farmers preserve their agricultural produce, contribute to the supply chain, and maximize productivity. The most remarkable aspect is that these installations require negligible operating costs and are manufactured at a low price.

Another example is from the country of Costa Rica. Here, the intertwining of the farmlands has significantly doubled the country’s forest cover. It has increased food production and provided habitat for wildlife, has contributed to pollination and pest control from the birds and insects. It, therefore, produces food that helps in restoring the planet Earth.

Combinedly, through global efforts in combating deforestation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, humankind can move towards a resilient, climate-centered agricultural sector.

Final Thoughts

Revolutionizing farming requires efforts to expand from hi-tech innovations to low-cost production. With significant technological innovation, we can establish climate and conservation-oriented farming practices that support sustainable development. Meanwhile, the demands of the small-scale farmers should also be met with lower-cost farming methods.

A prosperous future encompassing sustainable farming and food security will require mindset shifts and global cooperation. People have to be mindful of food wastes, change dietary patterns, and avoid overconsumption. Not only it will help reduce pressure on the land to produce more but also farmers can expand farming activity proactively.

Therefore, if we mindfully optimize food production on land and sea, no human species will end up starving, and humanity can be fed within the environment’s optimal limits. The change can only happen through global cooperation and unconditional support because — Farming is a way of life, and Unity is Strength.