evokeAG: The Future of Food
Together with Agrifutures Australia, Future Farmers Network offered one member a complimentary ticket and $500 travel bursary to the upcoming evokeAG. Conference in Melbourne.
evokeAG. allows delegates to explore what’s next in the agrifood tech space, covering three main themes; Food – Farm – Future. evokeAG. is an immersive experience delivering diverse topics and cutting edge innovation from across the region and around the world. It is the only event of its type where people come together to connect, collaborate and evolve all things agriculture.
We asked those keen to attend what they thought the Future of Food was, and NSW farm technologist Alice Clarke gave the following response, and will be heading along next week. Stay tuned for more form Alice!
What is the future of food?
Food has always been big as it is something that involves absolutely everyone but with the growing education and awareness around food, its growth, its nutrient makeup, its sustainability, its distribution it’s becoming so much bigger! Food consumption is no longer driven purely by price & availability it’s driven by convenience, social trends, health and the food story. The producers no longer plant a seed or join stock to then send to market. Development is occurring all along the supply chain and new exciting industries are growing rapidly. Currently the future of food appears limitless with horticulture being grown intensively in unassuming suburban areas, robots that can determine ripeness to then pick fruit, alternative protein sources. I see these advancements continuing and becoming more mainstream as the technology develops and growers develop. The future of food is merging the gaps between everyone in the supply chain through the use of information and technology. Having information and data that flows both ways involving the producer, consumer and everyone in between. It is using that data captured on farm to form the beginning of the story on how the product was produced. It is the ease of movement of feedback back up the chain from consumers or processors back to growers to allow for improvements to meet the markets. It is providing technology to adopt automation on farms to increase efficiencies. It is people not from a traditional agricultural back ground developing left field solutions for protein alternatives. It is researchers developing varieties or breeds to thrive in unpredictable climates. It is those refining the way we store and transport food to drive produce into new markets. It is those finding ways to turn by-products into useful fuels or foods. This is all happening right now and the future of food globally is exciting.
