The main advances and innovation in agriculture for 2023

Year after year the innovation in agriculture brings new updates that improve this item in every way. After all, it has become necessary to optimize the systems that are already implemented in agricultural companies. This is what increases competition and therefore the quality of the product.

Each year brings new challenges, new opportunities for innovate and evolve. 2022 brought us important advances that have made the agricultural industry a much more solid sector. However, stagnation is not acceptable and so we prepare for what the new year will bring us.

What can we expect in 2023? Of course, it is important to highlight everything that has been achieved in 2022 in order to project new trends. How will fields such as robotics and new technologies affect what will be agricultural development? We will make a synthesis regarding this topic.

Innovation in agriculture from the Global Innovation Index

A good way to highlight what has been the innovation in agriculture in 2022 it is through the Global Innovation Index. This is a report produced by INSEAD to know the new updates in business around the world. The key to this is the importance of innovation for the growth of economies.

It is clear that economic strength is clearly the main objective of any company and of nations. However, what are large organizations around the world doing to achieve this? Referring to a sector as important as agriculture and other businesses, we can learn more about it.

What has been achieved with innovation in agriculture?

Speaking very generally, the so-called supersectors confirmed a growth trend during 2022. Science and technology are always prominent fields, but they are not the only ones to highlight. Agriculture has grown with respect to the general average, although no major changes have been seen in the general economic outlook:

• USA and the United Kingdom They have been the main leaders of the agricultural sector. They far exceed the average established by countries such as Canada, Germany, France or Japan. In addition, agriculture is one of the most important fields of innovation, only behind information and communication.

• Information and Communication Technology is one of the flags of the innovation in agriculture. After all, it is part of the research tools and R&D. It has been seen that the growth of the digital age has forever changed the rules of the game for companies in this area.
• The convergences They have helped the agricultural sector grow. That is, the union with other fields such as biology, digitization, robotics and ecology. After all, this is how companies can collaborate and share solutions.
• It is evident that the big data and automation in planting are the main advances to be highlighted in 2022. Especially data, as it enables agribusinesses to make better decisions for development and growth.

In a nutshell...

In short, innovation in agriculture is not possible without inter-industry cooperation. The old-fashioned and rudimentary approach has been increasingly abandoned in favor of technology. Now, what were the main objectives for 2022?

Organic and efficient agriculture

It is not possible to speak of development and innovation without establishing the objectives to be achieved. In the case of agriculture, and summarizing the progress that has been made, we can mention two main goals:

• Improve delivery timesThis is one of the main demands made by customers. After all, it is becoming increasingly important to have the products that will be part of the process in other companies and in the markets.
• Reducing carbon footprintGiven that many procedures within the industry are highly polluting. Given the concern that pollution generates in the world panorama, agriculture and other industries seek to reduce this fact.
• The sustainability is also one of the main objectives to be highlighted. Especially due to the fact that it seeks to maintain over time any progress made in the agricultural sector.

In general, what is sought is an impact that is environmentally friendly without sacrificing productivity. This has been represented by the growth in the United States and the United Kingdom as highlighted above.

The role of governments in innovation in agriculture

One of the most sensitive issues regarding innovation in agriculture is funding. After all, it is very difficult to achieve major advances in such a complex sector without the necessary resources. In this regard, government involvement takes on greater importance:

• The importance of growth and development The business world is based on social challenges. This makes it necessary to involve governments as guarantors of the well-being of their countries.
• One of the methods that governments around the world have used is to create specialized institutions development and research. In this way, it is possible to count on professionals who dedicate all their efforts to this work.
• The agricultural sector has always been one of the main concerns of governments. Proof of this is the importance given to it in the Global Innovation Index 2017. This has been the case up to the current year.

The government support through its different mechanisms has allowed tangible changes to take place. Not only the institutions within each country, but also everything related to international partnerships. As we have already described, collaboration is the key to innovation in agriculture.

The wave of innovation in agriculture and other businesses

We cannot only talk about agriculture, since innovation has not been described as an isolated event. Cooperation and convergence between sectors and companies has meant that it has to be analyzed in general. In fact, this is how it appears in the Global Innovation Index:

• Promoting companies through funds and incentives. We have already described that the government must be the guarantor of the research and innovation in agriculture. Incentives are important to get more people aligned with the work.
• Translation and adoptionThe reason why they are united is because they are united. It is not only a matter of adopting the advances generated in certain areas. It is also necessary to disseminate based on the understanding of those who attend to the shared data.
• Establish specialized research infrastructure. As the waves of innovation continue to increase, there is a need for spaces that improve results. This is why research institutions have their own buildings.

Less inequality, more competition

Indeed, many countries look out for their own interests while ignoring the potential for cooperation. Competition between companies and governments is what helps to feed the innovation in agriculture and business.

• Addressing the skills gap. It is very important to have qualified researchers in the technologies that today drive all business areas. Such is the case of ICT and big data. We could also talk about artificial intelligence, which is making its way into the business world.
• Data management at the business level. Nowadays, data valorization is a highly useful tool for the innovation in agriculture and in any field. Of course, always taking into consideration the possibility of a data monopoly.

We can see how the wave of innovation brings new challenges but also solutions for them. As long as there is collaboration on the part of governments and qualified personnel, the objectives can be achieved. Of course, always establishing an order of priorities that companies have.

What can we expect in 2023?

Going into what we can expect for 2023, we can define some developments of interest. These have been determined according to what has been done during 2022 and the interests of the agricultural sector.

Main developments:

• Total recyclingThis is the reuse of the waste that has been generated in the process. Of course, this will depend especially on the type of crops being produced. After all, the waste varies accordingly.
• Advanced packagingThe environmental factor is also taken into account here, as it is important for storage procedures. At this point we must emphasize that the ecological factor is also taken into account, understanding that the containers become waste.
• Smart fertilizerswhich stand out for their food safety benefits. This involves precision technology that makes it possible to develop capsules that are released progressively. Thus, there is greater certainty of the effect of the product.
• Precision agricultureOne of the trends that has been implemented the most in the agricultural context. Here, a simple management of data and information is carried out, which helps to generate improvements in the production process.
• Self-fertilization of cropsmaking this process much easier to accomplish. Saving time and labor is becoming more and more essential as competition increases.
• Laboratory cultureThis allows greater emphasis to be placed on product performance and quality. The aim is for the food to have a higher nutritional load and thus contribute to the customer's wellbeing.
• Installation of systems for the production of synthetic foods. For this purpose, bioreactors are used, which more precisely control the cultivation conditions.

Expecting major advances in agriculture in 2023

All the trends and advances that are expected for 2023 obey the same goal. Incorporate the new scientific advances that have been presented and thus improve productivity. This is where we can affirm that the coming year promises much in the agricultural sector.

Certainly agriculture has become the focus of scientific development and research. After all, companies are facing problems for which short-term solutions are not yet in sight. An example of this are the following:

• High costs to be able to maintain the operating process. Inputs, labor, infrastructure, machinery, it is increasingly difficult to sustain agricultural activity.
• Poorly trained personnelespecially when it comes to agricultural technology. Many still see this sector as rudimentary when in fact the advances have not been fully implemented.
• Pests and climatic changes that threaten crops. This translates into losses for which methods must be sought to protect agricultural activity.
• Soil conditions which are making it increasingly difficult to grow crops. After all, the loss of soil fertility is having an increasing impact.

And many other problems that need to be addressed. After all, the agricultural sector is one of the most fundamental because it is part of the basic needs of human beings. Technology has ceased to be an alternative and is now a necessary measure.

2023, the year of challenges for innovation in agriculture

There is no doubt that the innovation in agriculture will become increasingly important in the coming years. After all, research and government efforts are helping to find more solutions. In addition, with important developments such as convergence between items and international cooperation.

Of course, what we have mentioned so far are only projections. In the course of the new year we will be able to see what happens with innovation in this area. Of course, this will depend especially on the socio-political context in the coming months. Although there are some very important concerns, this does not mean that there are no solutions. The important thing is to bet on research and to continue supporting the institutions that are in charge of this work.