Food security discussed at the "Inventing the Future" Symposium
The roundtable "Food Security and Food of the Future" took place as part of the International Symposium "Inventing the Future" at the National Centre RUSSIA. Participants discussed how food products will evolve thanks to progress in agricultural technology.
It was noted that agriculture in Russia is experiencing a boom. New enterprises are being created and modernized in the agricultural sector. Agriculture transformed into a high-tech industry driving intensive development. A unique feature of agricultural growth in Russia is not the pursuit of replacing familiar foods, but making their production more accessible while maintaining high quality and naturalness.
"One of the main goals is to develop technologies to a level where agriculture will no longer harm the environment. Given the pace of digital technology development, food production in the future should be high-tech, and products should be safe and beneficial for consumers. Significant changes, in particular, are expected in confectionery and alcoholic products to make them less harmful," said Oksana Kuznetsova, Director of the V.N. Gorbatov Federal Research Centre for Food Systems at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Experts emphasized that progress in the agricultural sector shows several trends — from organic production to using alternatives to traditional animal and plant-based proteins. Professor Mehrdad Chaychi from the Committee on Agricultural Research and Education of Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture noted that to create the food of the future, science must focus not only on development but also on preserving the wisdom of past generations.
"We need to not only use modern technology but also rely on past experience, which is now nearly lost. In our quest for an easier life, we face issues such as air pollution, depletion of water resources, and other challenges. We must look back to traditional farming methods and conduct more research aimed at creating safe and nutritious food," concluded Mehrdad Chaychi.
Milan Kumar Lal, Senior Researcher at the Indian Rice Institute, also highlighted the need for research to help produce sufficient food despite climate changes.
"India, as one of the hottest countries, faces water scarcity, which is essential for growing rice, wheat, and other crops. To address this challenge, we are exploring and implementing genome editing technology. We are also working to reduce food waste, as much of the produce becomes unusable after transportation or improper storage," said Milan Kumar Lal.
John Aggrey, Head of the Ghana-Russia Relations and Commercial Partnership Development Centre in Ghana, drew attention to the fact that to address food security issues territorial, labor, and financial resources are needed, which are often allocated to other sectors in many countries.
"Land, labor, and finances are the most crucial components to elevate food security to a new level. Humanity has been battling hunger for centuries without much success, so Africa, like the entire world, needs intensified and biologically optimized agricultural production," concluded John Aggrey.
Sergei Ivanov, Executive Director and Board Member of EFCO company, expressed the view that producers should aim to create food that is affordable, nutritious, meets quality standards, and whose production does not harm the environment. Dr. Elena Pakina, Director of the Agrarian and Technological Institute at RUDN University and Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, added that agrarian science is currently experiencing a development boom. The trends include organic agriculture, which meets all food safety criteria.
The roundtable also featured Alexander Yanenko, Professor at the Department of the National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute," and Alexei Yevtushenko, a Soviet and Russian science fiction writer and poet.
Dr. Elvira Dovletyarova, Director of the Agrarian and Technological Institute at RUDN University and Doctor of Biological Sciences, served as the event's moderator.
The International Symposium "Inventing the Future" is being held from November 4 to 6. Participants include scientists, researchers, futurists, science fiction writers, and representatives from government bodies from 101 countries, including Russia, India, Italy, Iran, China, the UAE, Serbia, the USA, and France. The program features over 60 sessions across four tracks: "Future of Human," "Future of Technology," "Future of Multipolar World," and "Future of Civilizations." The program and event broadcasts are available at the website future.russia.ru.
The International Symposium "Inventing the Future" is the first event of the National Centre RUSSIA, which was established on July 1, 2024, by the order of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. The Centre aims to preserve the legacy of the International RUSSIA EXPO and showcase the achievements of the country and its citizens. The work of the Centre involves federal authorities, state companies, corporations, and regions.
