Food safety, genetics, water management and digitisation

The world population could exceed 9.7 billion by 2050: global food security, therefore, can no longer depend solely on one season's harvest, but is critically linked to the collective ability to pool knowledge, innovation and international cooperation.

With an average temperature increase of more than 1.2°C, and extreme weather events compromising 30% of global harvests, applied genetics is becoming a tool for adaptation rather than progress, necessary to keep the productive capacity of agricultural systems constant. Techniques such as DNA-cutting (Crispr-Cas9), and next-generation 'prime' gene editing, allow for rice, wheat and maize varieties that are more resistant to drought, heat and salinity.

Scuba rice, developed by the International Rice Research Institute (Irri) in the Philippines, survives up to two weeks of submersion, while millet and sorghum varieties adapted to arid soils show stable yields even with 40% less rainfall. In East Africa, iron- and zinc-rich biofortified beans are improving the nutrition of millions of people, while the study of the soil microbiome makes it possible to reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers by up to 50%, while maintaining productivity. Contemporary agronomy combines genetics, microorganism biology and economic sustainability, turning the agricultural field into a laboratory.

Water management is the second pillar: every year about 70 per cent of global freshwater is used for agriculture, but more than half is lost through evaporation or inefficiency. Micro-irrigation technologies and low-consumption solar pumps make it possible to reduce waste and ensure constant harvests even in the driest months. Water harvesting systems - rainwater collection and storage - combined with resilient crops have increased productivity by 60 per cent in several regions of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Smart water networks, sensors and real-time monitoring software make it possible to optimise water distribution, detect leaks and improve maintenance. Water thus becomes an invisible infrastructure, managed with efficiency logics similar to those of energy.

The digitisation of food supply chains completes the technological landscape: blockchain makes it possible to trace every step of the product, from the field to the table, guaranteeing transparency, authenticity and, above all, access to credit for small producers. In Africa and Latin America, digital supply chain platforms based on distributed registers have reduced food fraud by 15% and improved the quality of exported products. At the same time, traceability reduces waste and strengthens trust between producers, distributors and consumers. And again, smart contracts automate agricultural payments and insurance, triggering immediate compensation in the event of adverse weather events.