This is one of the Conclusions of the Agrifood Trends Report 2022, carried out by the INtec European Foundation, which has Presentado this Tuesday on the second day of the world gastronomy congress Madrid Fusion.

The document, which is part of a larger investigation, analyzes what have been the latest trends and the most important projections for both the primary sector, as in the transformation industries, distribution, logistics, restaurants and even in consumer behavior.

Participated in the presentation the director for southern Europe of EIT Food, Begoña Pérez Villareal, the executive vice president of the Intec Foundation, Juan Francisco Delgado, the general director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa of SVG Partners, Danny O'Brian and the director of Efeagro Laura Christopher.

Delgado has shown his concern about the difference in future prospects in the primary sector depending on the place of residence, so that, for example, in the United States there are twice as many options to prosper in the primary sector than in Spain.

«Investors are not betting on this sector in Spain, which is the fourth largest economy in the European Union, the fourth largest exporter of agri-food, which accounts for 11% of the Gross Domestic Product", he lamented.

In his speech, he also called for a country pact to give agri-food the place it deserves at the current crossroads of change in the Spanish agri-food system that "He is asking now what he should have done 40 years ago."

The conclusions 

between the challenges, the report highlights the increase in production costs -energy and transport-, scarcity of resources and the extreme episodes derived from climate change that threaten agricultural production.

For all this, innovation and technology are the most useful tools and, in fact, it is expected that the sector continues to increase its investment in R+D+i.

Before him increase in fertilizer and energy pricesIt's a trend look for alternatives optimization of production with "solutions" such as genetic editing of species more resistant to drought and disease, the report says.

To save on energy costs, renewables -especially wind and photovoltaic solar- are two of the tools for use in irrigation systems and in the transformation industry, as well as electric vehicles in agriculture and livestock.

El climate change fully affects to a sector that works outdoors and suffers the consequences of its most immediate effect such as drought.

Smart irrigation or precise forecasting, for its part, of climate control and crop prevention are and will be, according to the report, "a priority" together with policies related to the greenhouse gas control by agriculture.

The scarcity of water will also make "absolutely necessary" a new model in water management, with the help of sensorization, the Internet of things and big data.

In matters such as animal health and welfare, a "key issue" for consumers can be move forward with the use of "big data" from farms or technologies for traceability, such as the «blockchain».

In the social field, the report focuses on the serious problem of generational change in Spain, a country that has a proportion of young farmers and farmers one of the lowest in the entire European Union (EU).

For this reason, the report includes the recommendations of international organizations and of the Common Agricultural Policy to reverse this reality.

In general terms and as detailed in the report, Spain is the third country in investment in startups and is at the forefront of innovation in the agri-food chain in Europe, after the Netherlands and Germany.

It is expected that with the introduction of the eco-schemes of the Common Agricultural Policy promote the still "timid" investments in the agrotech sector.