Agribusiness, Food & Drink
Billions of research and develeopment dollars have gone in to the sophisticated technologies which define modern food production.
But as scientific research continues, and the environmental cost in terms of producing, packaging and transporting produce from around the world to supermarket shelves in first world countries is just becoming understood. Innovative technology is no longer just geared to increasing yields and lengthening shelf life, but about tackling the global and ethical concerns posed by GM crops, climate change and third world development. These new challenges are setting a higher bar for food production – one where technology serves not only the economics of large scale agribusiness but the needs of small scale low cost production and subsistance farming.
Biotechnology is driving a significant ammount of change in areas as diverse as food processing, plant breeding and agrichemicals, while it’s hard to find areas where innovative technology does not have a direct impact on the food industry. Advances in food science are only half the story as developments in computer networks and bespoke software systems allow global movement of ingredients, raw materials and finished products.