New Agricultural Demands Will Require New Solutions
A Global Futurist shares his insights on how new technologies could help feed us in the future
MINNEAPOLIS, August 14, 2019 (Newswire.com) - With the increasing effects of climate change being felt worldwide, Global Futurist Jack Uldrich believes that we must take new approaches — powered by new technologies — to feed a growing global population. Although he has long been speaking and writing about the topic, Uldrich is now increasing his focus and research on agricultural trends and technologies to help leaders around the world be better prepared for the future.
Most estimates show continued growth in world population until at least 2050, with the total number of humans on earth likely peaking between nine to 10 billion. Current practices and technologies will not be able to feed that many people, especially with climate change straining fresh water supplies in many regions and making crops more difficult to cultivate. Additionally, if global meat consumption trends continue, growing land and other resource requirements for raising livestock will rapidly outpace our ability to keep up.
But, according to Uldrich, emerging technologies and trends promise significant advancements in agriculture in the coming years, improvements that could allow us to feed the planet without destroying it in the process.
"I'm confident," says Uldrich, "that innovative farmers and agri-businesses will step up to the plate (no pun intended) and meet the rising global challenges of feeding the growing world population."
To that point, he has identified key trends and technologies he believes will continue to transform the future of agriculture. These include recent advancements in artificial intelligence, satellites, robotics, sensors, drones, and the internet of things, as well improvements in predictive analytics and new platforms to efficiently manage today's connected devices.
Often, advancements also come from unexpected places. Take the explosive growth in plant-based meats for example. Just a few years ago, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods were small companies working on new methods to make plants more "meat-like" to attract non-vegetarians to meat alternatives. Today, their products are sold in tens of thousands of locations, including grocery stores and major fast-food chains including Burger King and Del Taco. Uldrich believes that the convergence of separate advancements, like new alternatives to animal-derived protein, will continue to create unexpected developments in agriculture.
He also says emerging satellite technology will continue to drive advances in prescriptive planting, precision agriculture, global food supply chain management, and water usage monitoring.
"Alone," Uldrich says, "each advance is only a part of the solution. Together, however, they constitute a formidable path to meeting the dietary needs of a burgeoning world."
A regular speaker for agriculture audiences across the U.S. and internationally, Uldrich firmly has his finger on the pulse of the rapid shifts affecting the world of agriculture. His many agricultural clients include Bayer, CropScience, Northwest Farm Credit Services, the Minnesota Dairy Council, Land O’Lakes, Case IH, The Agricultural Adaptation Council of Ontario, AgGateway, the California Ag Summit, Midwest Dairy Association, South Dakota Wheat Growers, Colorado Wheat Growers, Agricultural Production Executives Association the Canola Council of Canada, the Indiana Farm Bureau Agricultural Production Executives Association, Ag Partners, AgGateway, and the California Ag Summit.
Uldrich specializes in delivering thought-provoking speeches on future trends, emerging technologies, innovation, change management and leadership both nationally and internationally. To learn more about Uldrich, his work in agriculture, or his speaking availability, please visit JackUldrich.com.
Source: Jack Uldrich & The School of Unlearning
