Maintenance of food security is a major concern worldwide and will be for decades to come.
There is a growing necessity to implement efficient strategies to uphold worldwide food security. We have witnessed the contrasting effects on hunger and food insecurity over the last few years, particularly when the war in Ukraine disrupted global commodity and energy markets as the world was still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The investment in Agrifood technology has seen a substantial rise, growing from US$3 billion in 2012 to nearly US$30 billion in 2022.
Innovation in the Agrifood sector plays a pivotal role in advancing progress towards the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as discussed in WIPO’s recent analytical publication Mapping Innovations: Patents and the SDGs.
A contrasted worldwide situation for food security
The current worldwide sentiment about food security is mainly steered by the inequality in accessing food, food waste and the impact of global trade policies on food prices and availability.
Since 2019, FAO’s Data Lab (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) has been monitoring indicators of food security,
According to FAO, over the past two decades, the global prevalence of undernourishment has decreased by 3.7%, from 2000 to 2022. However, recent data indicates a concerning trend with a 1.5% increase in barriers to food access over the past decade. This resurgence is particularly evident when examining global food security trends. In the last ten years, there has been a noticeable increase in the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in Africa (16.4%), Latin America (13%), and Asia (6.5%). Of particular concern is the significant rise in food insecurity among female adults, with a 36% increase compared to males.
Additionally, FAO’s analysis of global national press coverage in 2024 reveals that the overall sentiment regarding food security is somewhat positive, with a sentiment score of 58%.
Concerns have also been raised in European countries such as Poland, Finland, Estonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Hungary, as well as in Southern African nations such as Botswana and Zambia, and locations in Latin America and the Caribbean such as Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba and French Guiana.
Countries around the world are taking proactive steps to tackle food security issues by enacting policies and launching programs aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, enhancing access to nutritious food, and advocating for sustainable farming practices. International organizations, governments, and non-profit entities are collaborating on initiatives such as the SDGs and the World Food Program to address these challenges.
Diversity of regional policies as a prerequisite of an integrated food system
Understanding the complex interactions between agriculture, food systems and the environment is crucial in ultimately ensuring sustainable practices which support relevant food system transformations that respond to local challenges. The World Intellectual Property Report 2024 underscores the importance of adapting agricultural innovation to local agroecological conditions, highlighting how regional specificities play a pivotal role in shaping effective policies.
Intense efforts from FAO and the United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub
Nourish all people
Boost nature-based solutions of production
Advance equitable livelihoods, decent work and empowered communities
Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses.
Globally ‘nourish all people’ is the most embodied group of policies for each continent. Solving hunger as well as developing sustainable and healthy food are the two main themes worldwide related to this group. The second predominant initiatives relate to ‘boost nature-based solutions,’ with major representation in Oceania. It includes sustainable productivity growth worldwide, with marked regional specificities including aquatic foods in Oceania, Asia and Africa, and sustainable livestock and agro-ecology in North America and Europe.
Remaining action areas (i.e. equitability, climate change resilience) are contrastingly represented depending on continents. It represents 50% of the total initiatives in North America, mostly due to ‘indigenous peoples food systems’ and ‘climate and disasters resilient development’ segments.
Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Oceania share the same profile with close to 40% of the overall policies dedicated to equitability and resilience, mostly for women-dedicated food systems and climate-resilient developments. Europe and Asia only dedicate 30% of their policies to climate change themes and the improvement of work conditions.
The multicentric innovative sector of Agrifood
By exploring innovative technologies, policies and practices of Agrifood, the goal is to promote useful, efficient, sustainable and resilient initiatives supporting food security for future generations. Agrifood is a multifaceted and dynamic area of innovation that requires interdisciplinary collaboration and a holistic approach to address the opportunities, strengthening the production, processing and distribution of food and agricultural products.
This WIPO Patent Landscape Report provides observations on patenting activity in the field of Agrifood technologies.
Agrifood is depicted as the conjunction of AgriTech and FoodTech domains, both harnessing the power of data analytics, biotechnology and automation.
AgriTech involves the application of cutting-edge technologies such as drones, sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance crop yields, optimize water usage and improve soil health.
FoodTech focuses on developing new and innovative solutions for food production, processing and delivery, with a particular emphasis on sustainability, food safety and nutrition.
The AgriTech domain is the convergence of the following seventeen sub-domains:
Automation in agriculture is IT-related methods helping farmers to make data-driven decisions by providing real-time information on crop conditions, weather patterns and other factors that affect crop growth and yield.
Carbon farming is a system of agricultural management that helps the land accumulate and store more greenhouse gases instead of releasing those gases into the atmosphere.
Compliance/trackability refers to the ability to trace and track products or processes within the agricultural supply chain to ensure they meet regulatory requirements and industry standards.
Connectivity/sensors/smart farming is built upon the foundation of interconnected devices and IoT sensors that synergize to usher in a transformational change in how farms are managed and operated.
Crop adaptation and genetics support the heightened production of nutritional food and the reduction of crop losses imposed by extreme events like droughts, high temperatures, floods, diseases and pests.
Planting/harvesting/storage relates to agricultural processes and machineries dedicated to crop management.
Education and training is the instruction, teaching and training surrounding agriculture as well as the management of land and natural resources.
Economic management/whole farm management software is used to optimize and manage farm operations and production activities, including forecasting and measuring profits, developing crop plans, measurement of field activities, and risk management: erratic weather conditions, diseases, pests and unpredictable market demands.
Investment/exchange platform is a type of financial service that provides opportunities for investors to support sustainable farming practices, agribusinesses or agricultural technologies. Investors can typically browse through different projects, select ones that align with their investment goals and contribute funds towards the development and growth of the chosen projects.
Livestock management involves the management of farm animals and supervision of farm workers.
Mapping/imagery services refers to the use of aerial or satellite imagery to gather data and create detailed maps of agricultural fields. These maps can provide valuable information about the health, size and composition of crops, as well as identify areas of stress or disease. By analyzing this data, farmers can make more informed decisions about irrigation, fertilization and pest control, ultimately leading to improved crop yields and more sustainable farming practices.
Pest/disease management through chemical pesticides, and biocontrol methods: environmentally friendly approaches involving the introduction of natural enemies, such as predators, parasites or pathogens, to control the population of harmful organisms.
Precision agriculture encompasses auto steer, wireless telematics, variable rate technology, indoor agriculture, remote sensing and data collection as well as predictive yield analytics and monitoring.
Robotics and drones automate slow, repetitive and dull tasks for farmers, allowing them to focus more on improving overall production yields.
Soil and fertilizer management refers to solutions improving the health and fertility of soil, including crop rotation, cover cropping, organic fertilizers, with minimized use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Waste management refers to solutions that minimize negative environmental impacts and promote resource conservation. It includes composting and recycling of crop residues, animal manure and agricultural chemicals.
Water management embodies installations for producing fresh water, for the treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge, but also technics to improve land water use or availability as well as to control erosion.
On the other hand, FoodTech can be split into the following six sub-domains:
Consumer technology includes kitchen equipment for personal use and services, apps and devices that help users identify and access the best foods, along with providing background information such as recipes, nutrigenomics and food discovery.
Delivery services are continually evolving to offer convenient options for ordering and delivering groceries and ready-to-eat meals to consumers or businesses, utilizing e-commerce, quick commerce (q-commerce) and delivery robotics.
Food technology encompasses equipment and processes for food production, excluding waste management, animal feed and consumer technology.
Food chemistry involves the development of new ingredients and food products, such as alternative proteins, functional foods, beverages and ready-to-eat meals.
Food services are revolutionizing the hospitality industry by incorporating smart equipment and technologies like robotics and cloud kitchens.
Supply chain solutions are being developed to optimize the food supply chain and food retail industry, with a focus on packaging, traceability and food waste management.
Additional details and related search strategies can be found in Appendix B.