Technology in Food production is known to be progressing rapidly. It is of utmost importance that the planet needs to invest in agriculture know-how to bolster food yield, curb rural poverty and combat climate changc.1 This is according to a consensus reached by a global panel of farming technology leaders last week Thursday in China.2 Technological innovation is the essential driving force for transforming the agri-food systems of the world, according to the Sanya Declaration of the 7th Global Forum of leaders for Agricultural Science and Technology.3 Progress in this area of research plays a pivotal role in enhancing the agricultural production of the planet, revolutionizing the agricultural sectors, and promoting rural development, the declaration said.4(CD China Daily)
Experts at the forum as usual called upon the governments of nations – particularly those in the developing world and possibly facing dire food supply issues (due to climate change) – and agricultural enterprises worldwide to step up funding for agricultural research and technological dissemination, such as by training those with the talents and skills to perform the tasks.5 (China Daily)
Rasulullah ﷺ said, ” Whoever relieves a believer’s distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will rescue him from a difficulty of the difficulties of the Hereafter.”
The main goal of this forum is to discuss ways to implement reforms to prevent famine and draught due to climate change. This stems from the fact that famine in draught-stricken parts of the world leads to hunger, and then starvation, which is followed by malnutrition. For the people living in these regions disease is another serious problem and the decline in their dietary needs will lead to a weakening of their immune systems. This is due to the decline in rain in these regions due to draught. Draught in turn is caused by climate change, which is caused by an increase in carbon dioxide in the air. This forum that was set up to discuss improvement in agriculture technology development should also focus on growing and protecting trees and rainforests. Trees absorb Carbon Dioxide and give us oxygen; they should be protected.
Renewable energy such as wind and solar need to be used instead of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. This use of electric cars is already becoming imminent but the materials used to build their engines should not be at the expense of destroying the natural environment. Collecting data based on information from the evidence found from the agricultural areas in the targeted countries will play a huge role.
Meanwhile nutrition and the food supply chain also factor into the equation. The food supply chain for its part is under stress.6 This is due to an overexpanding population, intensified by a climate that is unpredictable.7 This ever-changing climate that’s squeezing producers to maximized production under increasingly challenging circumstances.8 Another matter that links this would agriculture is the impact that agriculture itself is having, with livestock rearing fingered as an important contributor feeding into a major problem that is cyclical.9 It is therefore no surprise that the research into and appetite for alternative protein sources has exploded in the last few years.10 Multiple avenues are being explored, some more novel and ambitious than others, which included microbial fermentation, cellular agriculture, Microproteins, insects, algae, and plant-based proteins.11 While the production of cellular agriculture are still providing the consumer with animal cells and the nutritional value they convey, the same cannot necessarily be said concerning their plant-based counterparts.12 (Technology Networks)
Agriculture like industry needs to adapt to change. It is the main source of substance for any nation. The growth of the world’s population is worrying and raises many ethical concerns about the sustainability of the current order as regards as to producing food, be it fruit, vegetables, and meat. However, this varies from place to place and depending on the social norms and whether population of some countries, like the United States and Japan or increasing slowly like India. The growth of genetically engineered meat would raise ethical question such as if its permissible for some religious groups such as Jews and Muslims to consume such foods? Another issue is if it is good to eat such foods concerning what impact they can have on your health? More research needs to be done on these genetically grown foods. Another issue is are they serious about consumers eating insects and algae?
The need to innovate is essential to improving how intake of food and drink. But to what extent will this impact our humanity? How healthy are these new cellular structured foods for children to eat? What happens to tradition-based techniques in agriculture? In a time when climate change is gaining momentum what can we learn to prevent it? Protecting the rainforest of the world should be of paramount importance.
Sources
China Daily6h
Technology adoption a key driver of greater global food production
Technological innovation is the crucial driver for transforming the global agri-food systems, according to the Sanya … 1 2 3 4 5
Addressing the Question of Nutritional Equivalence in Future Foods
There is no denying that our food supply chain is a system under stress with our ever-expanding population, compounded by a … 6 7 8 9 10 11 12