PHOTO: ANP
GLOBAL VIEW ▶▶▶
Should agricultural innovation focus on taste fi rst?
W BY MATT MCINTOSH
ill the next (Canadian) ag- ricultural technological revolu- tion focus on yield, or taste?
This question was posed at a February confer- ence for field-vegetable growers in Ontario, Canada. According to the speaker posing the question – the leader of a non-profit organisa- tion focused on accelerating technological de- velopment in food and agriculture – Canada’s farm and food sector needs to consider more than just yield, stress tolerance, and other pro- duction factors to stay both competitive and relevant to market demands. Technology has to address processing and consumer needs, not just agronomic issues. Genetics was identified as taking the top spot. Why? Because it is the best tool available to de- liver food products oriented around end-user demands, when used properly. The example of Roundup Ready grains was cited. Those prod- ucts might have had enormous consumer ben- efits in terms of lower prices (thanks to better crop productivity) but the average non-farming Joe and Jane didn’t see it that way. In a sense, technological advance devised by people who see agricultural products as “commodities” that need to be grown rather than “food” that is consumed, does not resonate with most people.
Reducing food waste On the other hand, genetic improvements in nutrition, shelf life, flavour, and other traits would resonate, or have at least have a better chance of doing so. Developing agricultural products with greater longevity, like the non-browning Innate Potato, is an example of something which can reduce waste at the pre-consumer level. This is all to say genetic technology, controversial as it might be, can and should be used to create products people actually want – in tandem with solving in-field issues experienced by farmers.
Regulatory efficiency Also touched on was the need for an efficient and clear regulatory system. It needs to work in a way that allows access to – and the dissemi- nation of – new technologies. Clear and consist- ent pathways are necessary. But currently the Canadian system is not the most efficient beast. Take for example what happened to research- ers trying to develop nitrogen-fixing bacteria to colonise the cells of a plant and fix nitrogen di- rectly from the atmosphere – as a replacement for nitrogen fertiliser. Despite years of testing and the availability of the technology in 33 American states, Canadian plots where the bac- teria are being further tested have to be de- stroyed – according to current regulations.
Bt-corn is being harvested. Bt-corn is a GMO crop that offers growers an alternative to spraying an insecticide.
Canada’s system might be very rigorous, but it’s very slow moving. This is a clear issue.
Change is necessary One of the key themes discussed at the confer- ence was change – not just how technology could revolutionise food production, but how social and cultural changes among farmers and the general public will affect the success of those technologies. On the farm side, that means embracing technology, new markets, and ultimately bringing agricultural produc- tion from reactive, to predictive. This might be an uncomfortable process, but it’s necessary for the longevity of most farm businesses. For the general public, that might mean accepting what technology can actually do for them, and just maybe, paying enough to support everyone in the value chain.
Gaining minutes during potato planting
H 44 BY LEO THOLHUIJSEN
Wodka, a club of innovating arable
farmers in the Netherlands, has set up a programme to take a closer
look at routing during the potato planting process. Geo-Akker-Optimalisatie-Service (Gaos, in English Geo-Field-Optimi sation- Service) has been developed together with Wageningen University & Research. Arable farmers at large and specialised compa-
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 24 May 2019
nies in particular experience the problem of a limited number of workable days, mostly limit- ed by temperature. Planting potatoes in soil that is too cold causes problems with diseases and uniformity. However, waiting too long for better temperatures limits the number of
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