Breakthrough Science Primer: Agriculture

Photo Courtesy of Upward Farms

Food production is the bedrock technology of human civilization. Food is, at its heart, the energy source humanity needs to sustain life. Over the coming decades, global food demand will rise by as much as 70%. Demand for meat and protein around the world, in particular, will continue to surge. At the same time, humanity must meet this growing food demand while reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture. And increasingly we wish to do so while reducing the suffering we inflict on animals. Over the coming decades, new technologies and scientific breakthroughs will allow us to produce more food while giving us the tools to reduce the amount of land and water we use — and just possibly, to produce the food humanity craves with less animal suffering.

Blogs

• The Future of Seafood
• The “Dirt” on Soil
• Agricultural Automation and Food Processing — Part 1 of 2
• Agricultural Automation and Food Processing — Part 2 of 2
• Prime Movers Lab Webinar Series: Precision Agriculture
• Webinar Recap: The Future of Seafood
• Featured Founder: Pyka’s Michael Norcia
• Featured Founder: Upward Farms Co-Founder and CEO Jason Green

Roadmap Predictions

• 2023: Plant-based proteins at parity with processed animal products
• 2023: Vertical farming is cost-competitive for greens and produce
• 2023: Genetically modified insects reduce human and plant diseases
• 2024: Low methane beef and pork production
• 2027: First cell-grown meat on sale
• 2027: Precision agriculture reduces farm inputs and increases food production
• 2029: Soil microbiome engineering
• 2033: Self-fertilizing crops reduce need for synthetic fertilizer
• 2033: Bio-manufacturing advances
• 2035: Cellular agriculture reaches mainstream costs
• 2043: Next-generation crops for higher yield
• 2043: Genetic technologies restore lost species and ecosystems

Webinars

• The Future of Seafood
• Fungi and Food Tech
• Cell-Based Meat
• Precision Agriculture

Thought Paper

• Agricultural Automation and Food Processing

What We’re Reading

• Topsoil: Get the lay of the land with the Ag Value Chain
• iGrowNews: USDA Announces $7.5 Million in Grants for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
• World Economic Forum: 5 reasons why forest carbon credits are an important part of climate action

Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture.

Sign up here to subscribe to our blog