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  • Publication | 2024
Shaping sustainable agrifood futures: pre-emerging and emerging technologies and innovations for impact
Global Food and Nutrition Security

This foresight study on pre-emerging and emerging technologies and innovations in agrifood systems was conducted by FAO and CIRAD in response to the increasing frequency of economic, social, political, and environmental upheavals and rising uncertainties faced by agrifood systems.

The report emphasizes the benefits of using foresight as a new, transformative approach to inform policies through forward-thinking applied to technologies and innovations for the future of agrifood systems.

The study identifies 32 promising pre-emerging and emerging technologies and innovations, of which 20 are most capable of addressing agrifood systems challenges.

Two important cross-cutting highlights are Artificial Intelligence (AI) and policy and organizational innovations, which have the potential to address multiple challenges and drive innovation processes.

The report concludes that no single technology can adequately address future challenges, and that sustainable and inclusive solutions will typically emerge from packages of technologies and innovations that target multiple challenges.

The report provides practical and analytical results, including a foresight-informed and typology-based toolkit, a monitoring and evaluation framework, and actionable recommendations for key stakeholders.