Edmond de Rothschild Megatrends - Farming 4.0 - November 2022

With record-breaking temperatures, droughts, poor harvests as highlighted by the recent statement of the US Department of Agriculture on expected US winter wheat crops, climate change is becoming increasingly visible.

In order to cope with these challenges, agriculture must adapt. While, in the immediate future, it is important to adapt current practices to the new climatic conditions (sowing and harvesting dates, selection of varieties, drip-irrigated crops), agriculture must also in the longer term evolve significantly, particularly in order to mitigate its impact on the environment.

From agro-ecology, which aims to improve the interplay of biological cycles (plants/soils/animals), to precision farming aimed at minimising the use of inputs, such as water or fertilizers, to less waste through better packaging or crops closer to the consumer- ideally in vertical farms, which can be located close to large cities and require less transportation while are less exposed to weather hazards-, the agriculture of the future will have to rely on a range of initiatives to continue to feed the planet while becoming an asset in the fight against climate change.