Growing global food insecurity is sparking innovation in digital agriculture to unite stakeholders and facilitate access to healthy, affordable food. Despite approximately 2.4 billion people experiencing food insecurity, the UN reports a staggering 931 million tons of wasted food annually.
Climate change, geopolitical conflict, rising commodity prices, and inflation are exacerbating food supply challenges. Analysts predict food prices could increase by 80% by 2050, while crop yields decline by up to 30% by 2080. In response, agriculture experts and policymakers convened recently at SAP’s New York office to explore a collaborative, tech-driven approach to a sustainable food supply.
“SAP continues to co-innovate with agribusiness leaders to digitalize the farm-to-consumer value chain,” said Anja Strothkamper, global vice president of Agribusiness and Commodity Management at SAP.
Data Insights for Sustainable Farming
SAP’s partnership with VISTA, a subsidiary of Germany’s BayWa, exemplifies this approach. Satellite imagery and AI-fueled algorithms create digital twins enabling predictive forecasts to optimize agricultural decision-making.
“The technology simulates yield predictions, factoring in soil quality, crop variety, weather, and farming practices,” explained Tobias Fausch, BayWa’s CIO. “Farmers can automate processes for sustainable efficiency and high yields. These models demonstrate our ability to manage global farming for food production despite climate change.”
Digital Platform Secures Supply Chains
The SAP-VISTA collaboration provides a platform accessible even to smallholder farms, integrating with SAP Intelligent Agriculture. This digital twin technology can trigger actions throughout the value chain, benefiting the public and private sectors alike.
AI’s Role in the Future
SAP’s agriculture solutions continue to incorporate technologies like AI. One African sugar manufacturer utilizes SAP Intelligent Agriculture to aid smallholder farmers, yielding improved crop harvests.
“Generative AI can democratize intelligent agriculture with data-driven insights,” said Strothkamper. “This is the vision for the sustainable food value chain of the future.”
