My brother called me to remind me our dad would have been 100 years old this past Canada Day. Imagine that -- a century old. Like most people, Earnest Arthur Roberts didn't make it to that milestone, by a long shot. And, realistically, I don't plan to either. But should some medical miracle happen and I'm rereading this particular column in 2059, I know one thing for sure -- I'll be feasting on crow. That's because this column is dedicated to the top technolog
ical developments in agriculture likely to emerge in the next 50 years. Given how technology advances in ways no one can foresee, I can't imagine being right. However, who -- including me -- will remember if I'm wrong? So here goes. In many ways, futuristic technology has already arrived. Robot harvesters, satellite-housed disease sensors for crops, and remote internal temperature monitors for livestock aren't exactly commonplace, but they're here. Plus, we have the ability to make what was once called space-age food -- cloned meat, for example, and nutraceutical crops loaded with health-related traits. It's almost Orwellian. Some people consider this scenario frightening, and that could spell trouble for agriculture. Scarce venture capital, uptight regulations and the fear of science-based advancement thwart innovation more than anything else. Nonetheless, technology will evolve. It must. Here's why. Effective technologies leading into the middle of this century will be needed to continue feeding the soaring population and providing food security. We won't be able to ignore the unfortunate fact that one out of every six people in the world is hungry. Last month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization predicted the world's hungry will reach 1.02 billion this year, mostly in Africa, with a population marching toward eight billion by 2030.
ical developments in agriculture likely to emerge in the next 50 years. Given how technology advances in ways no one can foresee, I can't imagine being right. However, who -- including me -- will remember if I'm wrong? So here goes. In many ways, futuristic technology has already arrived. Robot harvesters, satellite-housed disease sensors for crops, and remote internal temperature monitors for livestock aren't exactly commonplace, but they're here. Plus, we have the ability to make what was once called space-age food -- cloned meat, for example, and nutraceutical crops loaded with health-related traits. It's almost Orwellian. Some people consider this scenario frightening, and that could spell trouble for agriculture. Scarce venture capital, uptight regulations and the fear of science-based advancement thwart innovation more than anything else. Nonetheless, technology will evolve. It must. Here's why. Effective technologies leading into the middle of this century will be needed to continue feeding the soaring population and providing food security. We won't be able to ignore the unfortunate fact that one out of every six people in the world is hungry. Last month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization predicted the world's hungry will reach 1.02 billion this year, mostly in Africa, with a population marching toward eight billion by 2030.For further details visit as : http://news.guelphmercury.com/Opinions/article/508152
