“Sustainable food solutions must recognise environmental, social and economic factors,” says Sagentia Innovation
Technical developments for a sustainable food future must consider the bigger picture to deliver meaningful benefits according to science, technology and sustainability experts at Sagentia Innovation.
The R&D Consultancy, which works with leading players in the food, beverage and Agri-Tech industries, says combining new technologies with training and education is one aspect of this. At a global level, any solutions to boost the sustainability of food production must be accessible and affordable for all communities and this holds true throughout the entire farm-to-fork spectrum.
Sagentia Innovation recently published a whitepaper The Future of Food which claims the current food system is unsustainable. It considers technical innovations with the potential to turn this around, from the production of alternative proteins to technologies that provide better supply chain visibility.
However, one of the paper’s authors, Dr Caroline Potter, VP Sustainability, says technology is just one part of the equation:
“There are some exciting technical developments that could transform agriculture and food production, but to deliver impact they must be sustainable in every sense of the word. Right now, a full consideration of sustainability is the missing link for many otherwise effective solutions. But there is a window of opportunity for organisations to collaborate on this matter, delivering truly sustainable agri-food solutions. Getting it right could turn the tide on our unsustainable global food system, improving food security for future generations.”
The whitepaper identifies four key innovation areas that could deliver holistic sustainability benefits at a global level: crop breeding, robotics and automation, vertical farming, and mobile applications. Emerging developments in these fields hold much promise according to Sagentia Innovation’s CTO Alun James.
“New technologies allow us to reimagine traditional processes,” he explains. “From intelligent application of pesticides and fertilizers to improve crop yields with minimal environmental impact to vertical farming using hydroponics and aeroponics. However, we also need innovative business models and uptake strategies to ensure they can be adopted at scale.”
James and other industry experts will consider these topics in more details during the Climate Smart Food Digital Summit panel discussion Ag tech innovation: From precision agriculture to vertical farms later this month.
Sagentia Innovation’s The Future of Food whitepaper is available to download free of charge at /insights/the-future-of-food-innovations-to-lead-us-on-a-sustainable-path/
For more information or images contact Mary Hamblyn, +44 (0) 7748 848 768, [email protected]
About Sagentia Innovation
Sagentia Innovation provides independent advisory and leading-edge product development services focused on science and technology initiatives. Working across the medical, industrial, chemicals and energy, food and beverage, and consumer sectors, Sagentia Innovation works with a broad range of companies from some of the world’s leading and best-known brands, to start-up disruptors, new to the market. It is part of Science Group (AIM:SAG), which has more than ten offices globally, two UK-based dedicated R&D innovation centres and more than 400 employees. Other Science Group companies include Leatherhead Food Research, TSG Consulting and Frontier Smart Technologies.
About Science Group plc
Science Group plc (AIM:SAG) is a science-led advisory and product development organisation. The Group has three divisions:
- R&D Consultancy: providing advisory, applied science and product development services cross-sector helping clients derive maximum return on their R&D investments.
- Regulatory & Compliance: helping clients in highly regulated markets to launch, market and defend products internationally, navigating the frequently complex and fragmented regulatory ecosystems.
- Frontier Smart Technologies: designing and manufacturing chips and modules for the DAB/DAB+ radio markets with 80% market share (excluding the automotive market)
With more than 400 employees worldwide, primarily scientists and engineers and speaking more than 30 languages collectively, the Group has R&D centres in Cambridge and Epsom with more than ten additional offices in Europe, Asia and North America.
