by
Matthew Margetts, Director, Smarter Technologies, UK
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our food supply has come under consumer scrutiny. The limitations of our food systems are multi-faceted.
On the one hand, the World Food Programme has warned that some 130 million people could face food insecurity by the end of the year.
Following COVID restrictions, it has been reported that purchasing decisions are increasingly driven by sustainability, as well as food transparency, local sourcing and nutrition and consumer interest around a green economy have been accelerated.
From farms to food markets, traceability, safe farming practices and a concentrated effort to incorporate forward-thinking green transformation are more important than ever.
On the other hand, against the backdrop of a global health emergency, food safety is equally important.
Around one million people in the UK suffer from a foodborne illness every year. In anticipation of Brexit, the National Audit Office voiced concerns about the UK’s food safety systems last year. It issued recommendations around ways to maintain high standards of food hygiene to ensure consumer confidence.
Food safety regulations are far from stagnant. For instance, pre-packed for direct sale foods will face more rigorous allergen labelling requirements as of October 2021. While these labelling obligations may place an additional burden on businesses, the statutory shift aims to prevent avoidable allergy-related deaths. With growing consumer interest around food safety and sustainability, it is fair to expect the UK government to continue regulating the industry with this in mind.
Smarter sustainable farming
The food concerns following the COVID-19 pandemic have seen calls for healthy, sustainably produced food at affordable prices.
This growth in consumer interest needs to be balanced with affordability and cost.
At a farm level, this has furthered the need for smart, precision farming methods, which have the potential to increase yields, reduce overheads and provide early disease detection.
Smart technologies give farmers the rare ability to monitor their farming operations on a granular level, no matter where they are, counteracting the traditional challenges of remoteness and the labour intensiveness of manual checks.
This dynamic view is powered by a system of tags and sensors, transmitting data over secure data networks for cloud-based reporting and real-time, actionable alerts.
Enhanced farm security means enhanced profitability, a key component in keeping food affordable. These technologies can report on everything from perimeter breaches to movement of assets and altered storage tank levels.
Read more HERE.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our food supply has come under consumer scrutiny. The limitations of our food systems are multi-faceted.
On the one hand, the World Food Programme has warned that some 130 million people could face food insecurity by the end of the year.
Following COVID restrictions, it has been reported that purchasing decisions are increasingly driven by sustainability, as well as food transparency, local sourcing and nutrition and consumer interest around a green economy have been accelerated.
From farms to food markets, traceability, safe farming practices and a concentrated effort to incorporate forward-thinking green transformation are more important than ever.
On the other hand, against the backdrop of a global health emergency, food safety is equally important.
Around one million people in the UK suffer from a foodborne illness every year. In anticipation of Brexit, the National Audit Office voiced concerns about the UK’s food safety systems last year. It issued recommendations around ways to maintain high standards of food hygiene to ensure consumer confidence.
Food safety regulations are far from stagnant. For instance, pre-packed for direct sale foods will face more rigorous allergen labelling requirements as of October 2021. While these labelling obligations may place an additional burden on businesses, the statutory shift aims to prevent avoidable allergy-related deaths. With growing consumer interest around food safety and sustainability, it is fair to expect the UK government to continue regulating the industry with this in mind.
Smarter sustainable farming
The food concerns following the COVID-19 pandemic have seen calls for healthy, sustainably produced food at affordable prices.
This growth in consumer interest needs to be balanced with affordability and cost.
At a farm level, this has furthered the need for smart, precision farming methods, which have the potential to increase yields, reduce overheads and provide early disease detection.
Smart technologies give farmers the rare ability to monitor their farming operations on a granular level, no matter where they are, counteracting the traditional challenges of remoteness and the labour intensiveness of manual checks.
This dynamic view is powered by a system of tags and sensors, transmitting data over secure data networks for cloud-based reporting and real-time, actionable alerts.
Enhanced farm security means enhanced profitability, a key component in keeping food affordable. These technologies can report on everything from perimeter breaches to movement of assets and altered storage tank levels.
Read more HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
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