Key drivers for digital health in personalized nutrition and wellbeing by 2035

I think that we will witness significant developments in personalized nutrition and wellbeing in the future years. This means that we have to consider digital transformation in the agrifood industry to create a sustainable growth and internationalization.

So what should we focus on? Let’s look at the most important drivers:

· Technology advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics

· Genomic research in human genomics and agrigenomics

· Wearable devices and sensors

· Health data integration and interoperability

· Personalized gut microbiome analysis

· Telemedicine and virtual health

· Digital biomarkers

· Social determinants of health

· Personalized mobile applications

· Policy and regulatory support

All these drivers will positively affect the human nutrition and wellbeing and this should be considered by the agrifood industry in the strategic business growth action plans.

On the other hand, I believe that we have to consider healthy active lifestyle and continue to make healthy physical activities (2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity) each week. This will contributes to our wellbeing, and preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases.

Have questions?

Impact of Human Factors in Food Safety Management Systems

I know that people’s experience, knowledge and skills are crucial factors in the food safety management system effectiveness. You have to work with the competent people. In this sense, top management support and prioritization about the identification of the risks, making laboratory tests and taking preventive measures will add value added impact on the safety, traceability, and transparency. You have to design and develop a food safety risk management system from the farm to the fork. You have to create a clear job description and there should be an alignment between their responsibility and their authority. You have to protect the staff who report the non-compliance. Of course, you have to provide necessary resources, including infrastructure, laboratory equipment, supplies and consumables, clear procedures and training and apply cGMPs so that you can get the right information with the right results on time with high confidence.

A fear or cost saving culture may create failures in today’s internet world. Do you have food safety gaps/issues from the farm to the fork? How is your experience?

Create Sustainable Changes in Agribusiness Operations?

One of the pillars is to use CSA (Climate Smart Agriculture) practices and technologies. I have to say that farmers' priorities for the CSA are linked with prevailing climatic conditions of a particular location, socio-economic characteristics and willingness to pay for available CSA technologies. Of course, they will evaluate the potential benefits and costs of the CSA practices and technologies. Therefore, we have to consider and apply appropriate policies and programs that are site specific and relevant to the needs of the local farmers when we promote CSA practices and technologies.

The climate-friendly agricultural technologies, practices and services are the adaptation options and they sustainably increase agricultural productivity, enhance resilience to climatic stresses, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We have to consider many factors to achieve agricultural growth, productivity, ecosystem conservation, reducing carbon emission and increasing food quality and safety. This is a complex process and it needs great experience and know-how.

Now, let’s look at the options of the CSA management practices and/or technologies to be applied at farm-level:

· Smart water management

· Rainwater harvesting

· Smart drip irrigation

· Laser land levelling

· Furrow irrigated bed planting

· Drainage management

· Cover crops method

· Smart energy management

· Zero tillage/minimum tillage

· Smart nutrient management

· Site specific integrated nutrient management

· Green manuring

· Leaf color chart

· Intercropping with legumes

· Smart carbon management

· Agro forestry

· Concentrate feeding for livestock

· Hydroponic fodder

· Integrated pest management

· Smart whether management

· Climate smart housing for livestock

· Weather based crop agro-advisory

· Crop insurance

· Smart knowledge management

· Contingent crop planning

Did you design, develop and implement such drivers in your agribusiness operations? What are the results you achieved? Do yo need an Agribusiness Expert to develop and internationalize your agribusiness operations? Contact today.

Yusuf Tokdemir Senior Agriculture and Food Industry Expert