Globally, both the public and private sectors are working together to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 2 – ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving well-being and sustainable agriculture by 2030. Dr. Nigel Hughes, SVP Global Innovation and R&D, Kellogg Company & Dr. Pam Henderson, CEO of NewEdge, Inc., share strategies on how innovation and R&D teams can transform our global food system in a new blog post.
The world’s population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and with it will come an increased demand for food. The United Nations estimates that the world will need to produce 60% more food by 2050 to keep up with population growth. However, doing that within the boundaries of what our planet can sustainably grow presents an existential challenge.
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Driving the efficiency of our current food production practices isn’t the answer. The agri-food industry is responsible for around 25% of greenhouse gas emissions and 70% of freshwater consumption and is significantly over-reliant on animal foods.
To sustainably feed the world’s growing population, we must embrace the next agricultural revolution and find new ways to innovate our food system.
The food system’s impact on climate change and biodiversity is just beginning to receive the recognition it deserves and needs. We all must think differently to improve it, working with nature rather than exploiting it. For food companies, this can’t simply be delegated to a sustainability department. These are significant challenges but equally attractive and exciting innovation problems to solve. At its very heart, impacting the food system is an innovation opportunity.
When we apply Opportunity Thinking®, we combine a view of the needs in the market, the value propositions that can be created through technology and business models, and the conditions and trends that bring these together, and we can begin to unlock solutions. The food system is a significant opportunity: the need is profound, the value proposition of food security and independence is worth working towards, and the conditions of climate change and water scarcity are prime for transformational innovation.
SOURCE: PR Newswire