How Agtech Will Hep Feed 9 Billion People by 2050
We often discuss the world’s growing population and the demand it’s putting on farmers and the agricultural industry to produce enough food to nourish everyone. Scientists estimate that the world’s population will grow to over 9 billion people by 2050—an increase of over 2 billion people! This population growth, combined with rising incomes and changing diets, will require the world to produce around 60 percent more food by 2050 than it does today. Utilizing technology will be one of the key ways we will be able to meet the swelling population's food requirements.
Innovative technology has always been and will continue to be crucial to the world’s ability to feed itself. Since the earliest days or horse-drawn plows, farmers have been quick to embrace technological advances to increase the efficiency and productivity of their efforts. Experts are developing new machines and outfitting older equipment with global positioning systems, sensors, and data processors that help farmers plant, water, and fertilize more efficiently. Today’s farm equipment is bigger, stronger, and faster than ever, and new technology is always being introduced. According to Reuters, investment in agriculture technology startups grew from $2.36 billion in 2014 to $4.6 billion in 2015.
Producing more food on the same amount of land while minimizing environmental effects is the primary challenge facing today's farmer. While sensor-equipped machines will help drive the era of digital agriculture, the farmers of the future will rely on data captured from satellites to help them monitor crop yields, soil levels, and weather patterns. Data captured from satellites will enable farmers to make better informed decisions, and allocate resources even more effectively.
Hovering between sensors on the ground and the satellites in space, drones are also playing an increasing role in farming. Using drones, farmers can monitor large swaths of land faster than ever before. High-tech drones are being outfitted to look for diseased plants, track livestock, and evaluate when and where to deploy pesticides and fertilizers while reducing the time and man-power required to complete these demanding jobs.
In labs and data centers around the world, software is being used to process all the data collected, higher-yield and more climate-resistant crops are being developed, and innovations in irrigation and seeds technology are being made at a staggering pace. We are working to develop cost-efficient high-performing tires that reduce soil compaction, fuel consumption, and down time, while helping to increase the productivity and efficiency of the machines on which they're used.
With 2 billion more mouths to feed, farmers have a big job in front of them, and we are happy to help them complete the task at hand.
