The agriculture and food production industry is facing huge challenges: to feed the growing population of our world and to reduce the environmental impact that comes with it. Here we explore key trends, including precision farming, automation, vertical urban farming, as well as meat replacements.

1. THE BIGGEST FUTURE TRENDS IN
AGRICULTURE AND FOOD
PRODUCTION

2. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
THE BIGGEST FUTURE TRENDS IN AGRICULTURE
AND FOOD PRODUCTION
The agriculture and food production industry is facing huge challenges: to feed the
growing population of our world and to reduce the environmental impact that comes
with it. Here we explore key trends, including precision farming, automation, vertical
urban farming, as well as meat replacements.

3. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
To feed the growing global population, estimates suggest we’ll have to increase food
production by as much as 68 percent by 2050. And that’s not the only challenge; there’s
also the fact that the middle-class population is growing, which generally brings with it
increased demand for meat over grains, legumes, and wheat. Satisfying this demand for
more food – and, most likely, more meat – presents a huge challenge for our already
struggling planet, especially when you consider that the food system accounts for 26
percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. (Agriculture, forestry, and land use make
up 18.4 percent of this, while the rest is down to things like packaging, refrigeration, and
transport.)

4. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The obvious, and arguably the simplest, solution is for us all to adopt a plant-based diet.
(Research shows that excluding meat and dairy is the single most impactful way for people
to reduce their environmental impact.) But, if we’re honest, getting billions of people to
switch overnight to a fully vegan diet is, at best, unlikely. After all, meat is deeply ingrained
in many cultures, as is dairy.
With all this in mind, it’s clear that we need urgent new innovations in agriculture and food
production. In this article, I outline the two broad trends that I believe will revolutionize our
food system.

5. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
TREND 1: REIMAGINING FARMING METHODS
Embracing new farming methods could help the agriculture industry reduce its environmental impact
while still increasing productivity. While previous evolutions in farming have largely been driven by
mechanical improvements (namely, bigger, better machinery) or genetic advances (better seed, more
effective fertilizers, etc.), the next big transformation is being driven by digital tools. For example, we
have:
- Automation – including the use of robots, drones, and autonomous tractors to make farming more
efficient.
- Precision farming – which involves applying irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides at variable rates,
depending on the needs of crops, rather than uniformly applying them at set times, quantities, and
frequencies.

6. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
A good example of precision farming comes from a collaboration between Israeli company Phytech and
Swiss agrichemical company Syngenta. Together, they have developed a monitoring system that includes
plant growth sensors and soil moisture sensors to help farmers continually monitor crop growth and soil
health and take action when and where it’s needed.
Other key trends to watch in farming methods include:
- More localized, urban farming – i.e., producing food closer to the people who need it, thereby reducing
food miles.
- Vertical farming (the practice of growing crops in vertical layers) and hydroponics (growing plants in
nutrient-rich water) – are both methods that generally use less water, soil, and space than traditional field
farming methods. If this sounds niche, think again; the world’s largest vertical farm, located in Newark,
New Jersey, shows that vertical farming can be done on a huge scale and with impressive results. Creators
AeroFarm say the vertical farm is 390 times more productive per square foot than a field farm.

7. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
TREND 2: FINDING NEW WAYS TO CREATE FOOD (ESPECIALLY MEAT)
Did you know that one-third of croplands are used to grow feed for livestock rather than
humans? It’s an astonishing statistic. If we could only find innovative new ways to create meat,
more of that land could be given over to growing crops for humans – something that will surely
become more pressing as the global population grows.
This is where cultured (lab-grown) and plant-based meats come into play. Starting with plant-
based meats, it’s clear that the market for meat alternatives is thriving. Chains like Burger King
are routinely stocking plant-based burgers, and plant-based pioneers Beyond Meat became one
of the most successful IPOs in history after going public at $1.5 billion and being valued at $13
billion less than three months later. In fact, estimates suggest meat alternatives could account for
10 percent of the global meat industry by 2029.

8. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
For those who don’t want to make the switch to plant-based meats, cultured meat – which is
genetically the same as real meat but is produced from animal cells – could prove to be a viable
alternative. Real meat without the factory farms and animal slaughter? Sounds pretty good to me.
It's early days for cultured meat, but there are signs that the market – and regulators – are coming
around to the idea. In 2020, Singapore became the first nation to approve cultured meat for sale.
There’s also the potential for 3D printing to play a role in food production. Barcelona-based
startup NovaMeat is leading the way in 3D printing plant-based food and has already successfully
created the world’s first 3D printed piece of “meat” that apparently mimics the fibrous nature of
real meat.

9. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
To learn more about the business and technology trends that are transforming
today's companies, sign up for my newsletter, and check out my book ‘Business
Trends in Practice: The 25+ Trends That are Redefining Organizations’.

10. © 2021 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker,
futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor to governments and
companies. He helps organisations improve their business performance, use data
more intelligently, and understand the implications of new technologies such as
artificial intelligence, big data, blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is
a frequent contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for
Forbes. Every day Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers
and shares content that reaches millions of readers.

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