Low food prices, high energy use: The pros and cons of emerging technology in our food system

New technology and innovation, be it the tractor or the freezer, have transformed the ways we grow, process, and consume food time and time again. Yet, producing more and healthier food more sustainably will not, on its own, ensure human well-being. Other crucial social and environmental challenges must also be addressed such as reducing poverty, providing education and healthcare for all, and conserving biodiversity. These interlinked challenges are embodied in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, aiming to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

New technology can help…but at what cost?

In a study recently published in the Lancet Planetary Health, an international team of scientists identified the potential impacts and interactions of emerging food system technologies in relation to the SDGs.

“We identified that while new technologies can help fix some issues with the food system, they also have far-reaching impacts that cause disruption and unintended consequences, some beneficial and some not, for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals” said Professor Mario Herrero, lead author of the paper and Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO in Australia.

For example, the study considered potential impacts of increased automation in food production on society and the environment. While automation may reduce the labour and agrochemical costs of food production and processing, it may increase energy costs. Similarly, automation may reduce human exposure to harmful agrochemicals and dangerous equipment, but it may also decrease the number of jobs in agricultural production, resulting in more urban migration and greater urban unemployment and poverty, and ultimately in social conflict in the absence of adequate social support.

The study also highlights the interlinkages associated with innovation.  A host of socio-cultural, behavioural, economic, and political factors can either enable or inhibit the uptake of new technology and direct its use towards or away from more socially and environmentally acceptable outcomes.

The authors explored the potential impacts of emerging technologies, identified by a companion study by Herrero et al. (2020) published in Nature Food, with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Our analysis found that that while new technologies may help achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals, such as SDGs 2 (Zero hunger), 3 (Good health and wellbeing) and 15 (Life on land), they could compromise other goals, such as SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth) and 10 (Reduced inequality)”, said Dr Philip Thornton, co-author and flagship leader for the CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.

The authors make clear that these results are indicative only, but they highlight that change and innovation have always come with trade-offs that that need to be managed.

"We face a challenge of accelerating and scaling a global transition to sustainable food systems. This is nothing less than a new agricultural revolution. Food system innovations will be key to succeed. But they need to be guided by science-based targets to avoid negative trade-offs and rebound effects," said Johan Rockström, co-author and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK. "Now is the time to start scaling the great spectrum of existing sustainable food innovations around the world, and learn by doing, to rapidly establish what works and what doesn't."