Anyone looking at global markets today is confronted with a new reality. The era in which trade relations functioned purely on the basis of rules is increasingly giving way to a power-based order, making supply chains more vulnerable. For agriculture, this means it must become more resilient. The focus is no longer solely on increasing yields, but on securing production under volatile conditions. Climate change in particular is putting traditional farming methods under pressure. Without technological adaptation, significant production losses – for example in wheat – are looming, affecting not only Europe but also parts of Africa. Europe is therefore called upon to draw on its technological strengths in order not to lose ground in global competition.

Artificial intelligence as an agricultural adviser

In Davos, one term dominated the discussions: artificial intelligence. Beyond the hype, however, concrete applications are emerging in the agricultural sector under the concept of “agricultural intelligence”. The aim is not to replace farmers with robots, but to support them with deep agronomic expertise that is massively accelerated through data analysis. This is urgently needed, as the world’s population continues to grow while fewer and fewer people are willing to work in agriculture. Only through machines can resource efficiency be increased and the food supply secured. At the same time, digital tools are making agriculture more attractive again for younger, technology-oriented generations.

Modern AI tools help simplify complex decisions in the field. They analyse weather data, soil conditions and plant health in real time. The goal is precision agriculture that uses inputs more efficiently, reconciling ecology and economics. The industry is working intensively to ensure that these technologies can be used without requiring farmers to be IT specialists. Partnerships between agricultural companies and software giants are accelerating this trend, enabling digital solutions to be scaled across the entire value chain.

Hope in biotechnology

However, technology is not limited to the digital realm. To increase the climate resilience of crops, new breeding methods are once again moving into focus. Compared to the early 2000s, the public debate around technologies such as genome editing has become noticeably more pragmatic. Concerns about stable food prices and food security now outweigh ideological disputes for many consumers.

Experts warn, however, that if regulatory hurdles in Europe remain so high that new breeding methods are not economically viable, this will seriously endanger the competitiveness of European agriculture. Innovation requires reliable framework conditions. Only if Europe allows technologies that make crops more resistant to heat and drought can adaptation to climate change succeed.

The message from Davos is clear: the tools to sustainably ensure food security are available – from AI-based data analysis to modern plant breeding. It is now up to politics and society to adopt a holistic perspective and allow these tools to be put into practice.