The All Party Parliamentary Group on Science & Technology in Agriculture (APPGSTA) has released a report titled “Feeding Britain Sustainably to 2050: the 30:50:50 mission”, calling for a significant shift in the UK’s approach to food production. The report urges the UK Government to adopt a target of 30% greater agricultural output while halving the sector’s environmental footprint by 2050. To achieve this, the APPGSTA recommends developing a National Farm Data initiative, incentivizing real-time data capture, and promoting AI-enabled decision-making tools. The report also advocates for a comprehensive R&D review to boost productivity and reduce resource use.
The APPGSTA’s recommendations align with the growing recognition that technology and innovation are crucial for ensuring global food security. Light Science Technologies Holdings plc (LSTH), a company specializing in agricultural technology, has welcomed the report’s findings. LSTH’s AgTech division offers a range of solutions designed to increase crop yield and health with less input and smarter intervention. These solutions include real-time data control systems, grow lights, sensor technology, venting, and irrigation, alongside AI technology.
Simon Deacon, CEO of LSTH, expressed his support for the report’s recommendations, stating that the UK needs a smarter, modern approach to farming to ensure food security. He emphasized that LSTH is well-positioned to help growers meet emerging challenges and support the government in driving effective change. The company’s products cater to various farming methods, including indoor, vertical, glasshouse, hybrid polytunnel, and broadacre farming, demonstrating its commitment to addressing the diverse needs of the agricultural sector.
The APPGSTA report highlights the need for the UK to catch up with other regions like the US, EU, and OECD-FAO, which have already committed to driving innovation-led productivity growth. The report notes that farming productivity growth has stalled due to fragmented support policies, over-precautionary regulation, and underuse of science. This gap must be closed to ensure that the UK can meet its food security goals.
LSTH’s AgTech division is at the forefront of addressing these challenges. The company’s sensorGRO technology enables real-time monitoring of essential growing factors, empowering farmers to enhance resource management and increase yields. Additionally, the nurturGRO sustainable grow lighting product range addresses a robust market with an anticipated global worth of £9.1 billion by 2030. Through its subsidiary Tomtech, LSTH provides control systems, software, irrigation, lighting, sensors, and venting solutions that optimize and automate cultivation environments, leading to superior crop growth.
The APPGSTA report serves as a wake-up call for the UK to embrace data-driven, technology-enabled agriculture. LSTH’s innovative solutions are well-aligned with the report’s recommendations, positioning the company as a key player in the UK’s journey towards sustainable food production. As the global population continues to grow and climate change poses increasing threats to agriculture, the need for smarter, more efficient farming practices becomes ever more critical. LSTH’s commitment to addressing these challenges places it at the heart of the ongoing efforts to ensure global food security.