This report by A Bigger Conversation as part of its Agroecological Intelligence project explores agroecological farmers’ and growers’ perception of agri-technology. The report finds that farmers and growers are not anti-technology, but they are suspicious of top-down, developer-driven technology. These often fail to consider farmer’s and growers’ interests and do not address wider reforms needed for a more sustainable, fair and resilient food system. The report does find, however, that farmers and growers are enthusiastic about agri-innovations when they have been designed and developed with them, their values and their needs in mind. The report also includes a guide to help practitioners assess agricultural technologies whether they are compatible with the principles and practices of agroecology. It also offers recommendations for how agritech could be better developed, regulated, financed and promoted.

This book reviews the most recent engineering and blockchain technology literature on the status of the sustainable food industry, the next generation of future technology and future technology for sustainable foods, and the policy, social, economic and environmental aspects in the food industry. It is aimed as a reference for students, researchers and professionals interested in future food technologies.

A new study has combined rice grains and animal nutrients using cow cells to produce a hybrid food or “rice-based meat”. The authors contribute to a growing area of future food research exploring scaffolding technology for cell-cultured meat products and suggest rice as an alternative scaffold to more common soy or nut-based scaffolds. 

This paper gives an overview of the prospects for algae production as a source of protein as well as other nutrients including vitamins, beta-carotene and polyunsaturated fatty acids in Europe. The authors examine algae as a source of protein, the current European protein market and challenges and opportunities for production in Europe.