Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Re: From Foresight to Field: Exploring regional and multistakeholder perspectives to implement a foresight on emerging technologies and innovations in agrifood systems

Kind Attention:

  • Dr Nevena Alexandrova-Stefanova, Agricultural Extension Officer, Office of Innovation (OIN), FAO
  • Ms ZofiaKrystyna Mroczek, Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Specialist, OIN, FAO

Greetings of the day. Please note following are the observations made on the subject under discussion.

 

One of the transboundary and emerging agrifood systems threats is in the form of water resource which is life line of agrifood systems is 

Out of a total of 193 countries in the world 77% (148) of them share two rivers, 15 % (30) three rivers 0.047% (9) through four and 0.067% (13) through five or more countries. Contaminated waters, untreated effluents in the form of rivers transmit number of diseases is serious negative externality the countries have to deal with (Hayward et al., 2022).  In the absence of proper containment procedures that are pragmatic in nature the economic loss due to microbial infections from the environment and foods coupled with antimicrobial resistance is enormous (Nadella et al., 2023). 

Since, most of the nations are sharing the aquatic resources, it is important it is responsibility of all nations that water pollution of all kinds (physical; plastics, metals); biological: microbial and macrobial and chemical (industrial, municipal etc,) pollutants. This comes under policy and governance 

  1. Hayward, C., Brown, M. H., & Whiley, H. (2022). Hospital water as the source of healthcare-associated infection and antimicrobial-resistant organisms. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases, 35(4), 339–345. https://doi.org/10.1097/QCO.0000000000000842
  2. Nadella, R. K., Ezhil Nilavan, S., & Mothadaka, M. P. (2023). Economic Impact of Antimicrobial Resistance and Projected Future Trends. In Handbook on Antimicrobial Resistance (pp. 1–16). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9723-4_45-
    1. In global ranking of agrifood systems drivers based on a real-time Delphi 

II. Migratory nature of animals and human that can transmit diseases of crops, animals and human health hazard needs proper address and foremost here is assessment of threats clearly, in unequivocal terms sans any kind of ambiguity. 

2. Complete shift from analyses to “synthesis” orientation in monitoring food productivity and production can yield sustainable outcome.

Among the selected emerging agrifood technologies and innovations: The following can be prioritized in view of relative advantage and shorter period of decade and above of Estimated time to Maturity.

1.Agriculture innovation Policy La with relative advantage (RA) of 6.48 and Estimated time to Mature (ETM) of 2035.

2. Energy storage technologies with RA;6.46 &ETM 2036

3.Nature Based and ecosystems innovations RA 6.76 & ETM 2036

4.Societal Impact Bonds RA 6.26 & ETM 2036 

5. Real Time Satellites imagery, positioning, systems and autonomous GIS RA 6.20 & ETM 2036

Points to ponder:

1.In global ranking of agrifood systems drivers based on a real-time Delphi Question Climate Change is ranking top and Geopolitical instability and increasing conflicts ranked eighth.  If not handled properly this may reach top from eighth position. As far as Climate change is concerned what we are in immediate need is Disruptive Weather Engineering Technologies to reduce the local impact if not controlling the same.  

2. In the agrifood system challenges next to national and international governance we need add geopolitical instability and increasing levels of conflicts as one of the challenges to facilitate drawing attention from leaders and policy makers.

3. However, “Exacerbating of global conflicts and mass casualties” ranked top in the wildcards with potential for high impact on emerging technologies and innovations in the agrifood systems.