Global food issues and the role of technology

Food and agriculture are global businesses. In addition to having international reach, they are also users of technology and advanced methods, materials and processes. Growing, processing and transporting food has to be underpinned by fundamental disciplines and discoveries in physics, chemistry and biology as well as transport, storage, logistics, packaging and many others. In addition to the traditionally accepted skills bases, there are a plethora of new technologies adapted from other areas. For example, precision agriculture makes use of advanced artificial intelligence global positioning systems. In future the development of autonomous vehicles is likely to offer great opportunities in growing and harvesting crops as well as in transporting raw materials and finished products. Pressure on the use of pesticides and other plant protection products has encouraged research on insect physiology so as to enable the development of precisely targeted products for pests that have no effect on beneficial insects. Greater knowledge of taste receptors, GCPRs, neurology, psychology and sensory assessment underpinned by advances in machine learning, sensor technology and neural processing will continue to impact upon food choice, consumption and liking. In many cases the crucial interaction between molecules and chemistry is the key discipline that underlies advances in these areas.