Agri-TechE emphasises the need to build upon and enhance the foundations laid by the first government AgriTech strategy a decade ago. In its 10th-anniversary report, titled Back to the Future, the organisation provides a comprehensive analysis of what is required to sustain the progress initiated by the 2013 strategy.
The report is based on input from over 70 contributors, including pioneering farming businesses, researchers, technology developers, investors, and service providers. While optimism remains high for the sector’s next decade, contributors also flagged significant hurdles, such as a shifting investment environment, challenges in scaling solutions, insufficient revenue streams, and regulatory frameworks struggling to keep pace with innovation.
Dr Belinda Clarke, director of Agri-TechE, highlights the pressing need for a renewed government strategy to address these challenges. “The 2013 strategy engendered a lot of fresh thinking, energy, external investment and innovation in the agricultural and horticultural sectors,” she explains. “But the industry is now in a very different place and needs new government focus to shape the future of AgriTech to enable it to help the sector meet new priorities.”
Among these priorities, Dr Clarke stresses the importance of climate-smart agriculture to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and aligning productivity with environmental stewardship to protect biodiversity and maintain clean air and water. She also calls for broader recognition of the sector’s contributions beyond food production, pointing to its role in providing ecosystem services, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and materials for textiles and construction.
“We need the new government to deliver a strategy for agriculture and horticulture that recognises the industry as a key component of our bioeconomy,” Dr Clarke asserts. “This, in turn, will inform a refreshed agri-tech strategy as one of the key enablers of unlocking the industry’s potential.”
Dr Clarke also underlines the importance of clear, long-term government policies, which she believes can drive private investment and guide innovation. “Well-defined, long-term sector strategies can lever private investment and provide a roadmap for innovation success. A new strategy for the next decade is needed,” she says.
One of the report’s key findings is the gap between regulation and innovation, with unclear frameworks for emerging technologies like biological products creating barriers for developers. Early engagement between regulators and AgriTech innovators is crucial, the report suggests, to address this issue.
The challenge of scaling solutions is another prominent theme. The report suggests that greater government support, including contracts or subsidies, could help bolster early-stage industries. Without secure revenue streams, market entry remains a daunting task for many businesses.
Furthermore, the report notes that farmers are increasingly hesitant to adopt new technologies due to uncertainty around return on investment. This scepticism, combined with unmet expectations from some innovations, has led to “on-farm fatigue.” Dr Clarke urges caution in overpromising: “We need to stop promising farmers that a technology is going to change the world tomorrow. While some farmers are happy to be beta-testers, the majority want reliability and seek solutions that will work the first time.”
The report also highlights promising technologies poised to address future challenges. These include conversational artificial intelligence, advanced sensors for optimising plant nutrition, and genetic tools for breeding crops and livestock with desirable traits. Such innovations, alongside advancements like satellite imaging, clean energy systems, and livestock wearables, could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reverse biodiversity loss, and maintain water quality.
Reflecting on the progress of the last decade, Dr Clarke notes the transformative impact of technologies like GPS navigation, ground-source heat pumps, and metagenomic sequencing. She concludes that, with the right strategy and support, AgriTech is well-positioned to tackle the challenges of the coming decade.