Public Policy : Future of Food and Agribusinesses– Can we deliver?
Future
of Agriculture and Food Systems – Can we deliver?
By:
Vijay Sardana[1]
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Traditional Markets for Perishables in India (Photo by Vijay Sardana)
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With
increasing awareness and competition, consumers are becoming very demanding about
their health and performance oriented. “Right Food” is becoming a major item to
ensure good health and high performance Keeping leadership in food and food
processing industry, one will have to work with advance concepts and
technologies like molecular biology, nanotechnology and nano-bio-info in the
future. The markets are changing already. Conventional wisdom will be of little
help. Consumers will experience product which never existed earlier. Market
leaders with knowledge based research and development capability will define
the consumer choices.
Soon,
companies will design food by shaping molecules and atoms. Molecular biology,
Nano-scale-biotech and Nano-bio-info will have big impacts on the food and
food-processing industries. The future
belongs to new products, new processes with the goal to customize and
personalize the products. Commodities and mass produced product may act as
carrier of high performance molecule based systems.
Focus
will be on improving the functionality, shelf-life, safety and quality of food.
More than 200 applications are in different developing stages and a few of them
are on the market already.
The
Nano-food market is expected to surge from current USD 10 billion to USD 50
Billion in 2020 or earlier. More than 200 Companies around the world are
today active in research and development. USA is the leader followed by Japan
and China. By 2010, Asian with more than 50 percent of the world population
will be the biggest market for Nano-food with the leading market in China.
Where
India will stand? We have no idea because out food laws and policy planners are
still trying to accommodate developments of 1970s into the production system. Weak
government R&D systems also delays in giving approval to new concepts. Indian
Entrepreneurs are still focused on commodities. R&D investment by private
sector in food processing is negligible.
On
the one side, further breakthroughs in crop DNA decoding, analyzing and
modification enable the industries to predict, control and improve the
agricultural production. On the other side, with technology of manipulating the
molecules and the atoms of food, the future food industry has a powerful method
to design food with much more capability and precision, lower costs,
performance and sustainability.
Meanwhile,
the combination of DNA and nanotechnology research will generate the new
nutrition delivery system, which will bring the active agents more precisely
and efficiently to the wanted and targeted parts of the human bodies and cells.
Functional food will benefit firstly from the new technologies, followed by
standard food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and others.
Some
companies are already aware of the impact of nanotechnology in food industry.
Research facilities are established, potential applications are under study,
whereas only a handful of Nano-food products are in the market available for
sale. Nevertheless, the tremendous potential will attract more and more companies
and competitors into this still unexplored but hugely attractive field.
The
number of the companies involved in this field will increase from a few in to
several thousand in years to come.
Who
is afraid of advance technologies in Agri-Food systems?
Molecular
technologies are disruptive technologies and change the conventional method of production
faster than most scientists and NGOs expect. Many convention systems and their
leaders will shake and fall. Many existing leaders may face tough challenges. It can make the products cheaper, the
production more efficient, more safe and more sustainable using less water and
chemicals. Precision will be the key word. Producing less waste and using less
energy. The change will be dramatic, the potentials are immense and the
risky too.
The
main driver for increasing the speed for these technologies within the next few
years are climate change, limited natural resources, cost efficiency and
population growth. New food systems may also either replace or supplement new
applications using food as drugs and nutrition.
What to expect in coming
years?
Future
will be for multi-dimensional and multi-impact approach with precision. In
coming years, there will be close interaction within the field of life science,
pharma, food, cosmetics, bioinformatics, information technology, environmental technology
for environmental protection, energy and renewable energy, biotechnology and
brain science, neural technologies, medicine technology and water, drinking
water and waste water will increase.
Convergence
of nanotechnology – bio-technology - cosmetic – information - neural technology
will define the future path. The converging nano – bio - neural - information technology
will be the overall revolution in the 21st century in the area of
nutrition, cosmetic and health sciences. It will open new windows for human
beings, new developments and innovations change the society and human beings
will live with smaller footprints and realize sustainable developments. Neural
technologies and the decoding of the brain-function, DNA-based technologies and
processes will determine the Molecular Future.
As
we know that the DNA is the information and has the instructions for every
cell. The cell will be the basic and prototype for nanotechnology. The RNA's
are the components for the interactions. This opens a new understanding of
human being and functions, and the 'Molecular Nature'. A new window is opened.
This
will focus on the impacts and applications of nanotechnology in the different
fields, scientifically examine, collect and evaluate all companies, markets,
branches, applications, developments, state of science and expected
developments worldwide, and provide projections for the next decade. Laws
and legal frame work will be required to deal with these powerful technologies
to ensure safe deliveries. These “Dreamliner” must not ground due to lack
credible data and legal framework.
Big question:
Are we
ready to face the technology on revolution in food to meet our nutrition
problem and poor productivity challenges? Critics of technology and development
will create resistance in the name of bio-diversity and environment issues. Do they
have alternate plan to feed India. If yes, why it is not working and
delivering. Why these issues are not fixed so far.
Do we have
alternate plan to feed India by ensuring food security for poor consumers and
to meet consumer health aspirations?
Who will lead the development in India?
No amount
of management skill can fill the leadership gap.
The bigger
question is who will take lead the development in India for the welfare of 1.25
billion population or we will continue to fight battles in market with outdated
concepts and certain NGOs with no real stake in development will continue to
act as roadblocks based on fear, perceptions and threats, to satisfy their own
agenda or agenda of their donors at the cost of national development.
No
scientific development can be perfect from the day one. That is why constant
R&D is required. No system, no institution or individual can talk of
development without going through a process of learning by mistakes. Those who
don’t want to make mistakes and dream of perfect solution from the day one, can
never be part of development process.
Can we
think of India without Hunger without modern technology and without adding
pressure on land and natural resources?
Let the
critics have the objective plan with facts and figures to address the problems
on ground and to feed hungry before we discourage modern science.
It is high
time all right thinking people in industry, media and policy system must express
their views with objective assessment. While doing so, let us be clear, we
can’t please everyone. Still, you have to do it for your future generation.
“If you are not part
of the solution, you are part of the problem in fight against hunger and health.”
Do send your suggestions, how to
deliver low cost food to 1,250 million Indians on sustainable basis.
Dear Vijay,
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice thought provoking article looking at the future of India wherein the key question is ‘are we gearing up anywhere near the competition – U.S. / Japan / China’. However, one question to be asked is if our ‘ Semi-Urban & Rural consumers have changed their food habits like the Urban (Ready to cook, Pizzas, Burgers) ’ Also, Unlike China where 50% of people live in urban set-up in India it is estimated to be around 30% and in such situation, does modern technologies really make things different for India? :
a) Awareness – This is virtually non-existent in India and whatever little that exists possibly on papers is hardly understood by the public. Unless we make the common public aware that our current food standards are poor, it is difficult to make them embrace modern technologies which would definitely be at premium price. This lack of awareness amongst public (even educated) makes it easier for the Policy makers to turn a deaf ear / blind eye towards food safety. In turn, the domestic producers who still work aggressively on low cost inputs / output continue to survive. During Bird flu days, the semi-urban / rural population never had any inhibition to have chicken despite undue attention from the media.
b) Enforcement of Law – Though some Policy makers inspired by western world, try to bring umpteen number of regulations, G.O.s, notifications, amendments …etc with regard to Food Safety, hardly it is implemented. One classical example is the one that was brought forward in April 2012 with regard to antibiotic residues in food derived from animal origin. As a Vet working with reputed companies all through my 2 decades of career, I hardly seen anyone aware about this and even if they are aware they openly say ‘Nothing will happen’.
c) Cost Effectiveness – Most of our experiences in the Livestock sector as far as products & services are concerned, we always prefer the cheaper option. I can quote atleast some examples – 1) Infertility in Buffaloes is a major topic in India and unfortunately western world hardly have any experience of Buffaloes to provide validated data. Still, there are excellent hormonal products / solutions available which are hardly used by Vets / farmers due to cost. They waste 6-9 months of the animal to make it conceive rather trying out a solution at a premium – Rs.2000/- Reality is 6 months of delay in conception is definitely more than Rs.12000/- while they hesitate to spend Rs.2000/-. 2) Antimicrobial resistance is a burning issue in human as well as Animal health – Yet you will see that many Animal health companies have Ceftrixaone (3rd generation Cepahlosporin never meant for animals) being promoted for Mastitis – reason is Ceftriaxone is very cheap as compared to number of other Veterinary antibiotics. 3.) Processed chicken – Clean, hygienic at definitely a affordable premium – You might have seen venkys, Godrej and number of others trying since 15 years (may be marketing is inadequate) and yet making some inroad only in cities. 4.) Tetrapack milk – convenient, longer shelf-life with a premium and targetted only at urban market – Yet you will see that the vast majority of urban population relies only on morning doodhwala. 5.) Even Mcdonald had to change his approach totally towards Indian consumers (Urban India) and it is doubtful if at all he can afford to meet the demands of semi-urban / rural India.
Overall, the vast majority of Indian consumers (Semi-urban / rural) are very very RIGID as far as FOOD is concerned in terms of cost, though they have changed themselves in mobiles,Apparels….etc
I am leaving for U.S. Atlanta show during this weekend and will catch up on return (busy in preparation for our internal meetings).
Regards,
Dr.V.K.Shankar
Very good website, thank you.
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