Today’s food and agriculture systems are becoming more productive to meet demand, along with a focus on sustainability thanks to the pioneering work of agricultural scientists and innovators, dedicated farmers, and forward thinking governments working with the private sector to make critical investments.  As a result, over the last century, global agriculture and food prices have declined, on average, one percent per year, even while global population has grown from 2 billion in the early 1900s to just over 7 billion today.   

Yet political, environmental and economic headwinds arise, creating volatile and unpredictable swings that impact agricultural producers and consumers. Today, productivity in agriculture is beginning to stagnate in some countries and regions, and challenges are also arising from long-term climate change and shorter-term weather and pest impacts. Conflict within fragile states has created significant threats to peace and food security.  Geopolitical forces are threatening the coherence of political institutions and economic alliances, giving rise to investment uncertainty. And globally, nearly 800 million people experience hunger, with two billion people suffering from malnutrition and poor health – many of these are farmers themselves. 

How can we continue to build sustainable breadbaskets, manage the current storms and foster more inclusive growth, both now and in the years ahead? 

Precision agriculture can play an increasingly important role in the global effort to improve the lives of agriculture producers and consumers while conserving resources and must be tailored and extended more widely to those who can benefit the most.