Climate change is transforming the way we farm. Unpredictable changes in rainfall and temperature patterns are bringing drought, heatwaves and flooding. And as extreme weather becomes more frequent across Australia and around the world, crop failure from climate change is emerging as a real food security threat.
As the global population approaches 10 billion, the demand for sustainable protein is accelerating. Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic plants and animals, now supplies over half the seafood consumed globally, making it the fastest-growing food sector in the world.
But is aquaculture truly sustainable? Let’s unpack the challenges and innovations shaping its future.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming one of the most influential technologies in modern agriculture. As global pressures mount to feed a growing population in a changing climate, farmers and agribusinesses are turning to new solutions to remain competitive and sustainable. Among these, AI has emerged as a valuable tool, reshaping how food is grown, harvested, and distributed.
Feeding a global population projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050 — while facing the realities of a changing climate — is one of the defining challenges of our time.
Farmers will need to increase crop and livestock production with greater efficiency, smarter resource use, and improved system resilience, even as climate change brings more extreme weather and greater variability to growing conditions.
No longer tomorrow’s problem, climate change is already impacting farming and agriculture across the globe. With the global temperature averaging 1.6 °C higher across 2024, surpassing the Paris Agreement's target for the first time, warmer land and sea temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events, and shifting growing seasons are affecting food production at every level – from small family farms to large-scale commercial operations.
Over recent years, the emergence of artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies has begun to transform the agriculture sector, enhancing precision farming, automating labour-intensive tasks, and improving real-time decision-making.
As global challenges grow, so must our approach to food production. Agrifood technology, or agritech, is transforming traditional farming with cutting-edge solutions, digital technologies, and innovative agricultural practices. From precision agriculture to biotechnology, these advancements help farmers boost yields, reduce inputs, and drive a more sustainable, food-secure future.
Sustainable agriculture is more than just a buzzword – it’s a fundamental shift in how we grow food, manage land, and support ecosystems for future generations. While initially driven by environmental concerns, sustainable agriculture is now proving to have significant long-term benefits for farmers, agricultural industries, and the ecosystems and communities they support.
Eighty-eight per cent of agrifood tech and innovation startups inhouse their grant writing. That may work when you’re first starting out, but you’ll likely quickly outgrow the late nights pulling an application together only to find you weren’t competitive. Done poorly, they’re a huge time drain. Camilla Roberts, CEO, SCALE IMPACT, shares how to tackle grant applications efficiently with greater chances of securing money fast.
