The KIN Forum on Innovation in Agriculture and Food, sponsored by John Deere and Intel, was an invitation-only gathering of 40 industry and non-industry leaders to discuss the future of the food and agriculture industry.
Through a combination of expert speakers and participant dialogue, the group explored the key challenges around hunger, food waste, and AgTech, among others, along the entire industry value chain from farmer to end consumer.
Although the forum was originally designed to focus on the future of innovation, especially around crop and digital innovation, to provide the growing world population with affordable, accessible, and nutritious food, it quickly became clear that overcoming larger hurdles around the declining social license to operate, growing consumer activism enabled by social media, breakdown of trust, incentives, education, and access were as important, if not more so, to achieving that goal.
This paper summarizes the key insights that emerged from the keynote speaker, industry experts, and the participants. The keynote address presented seven fundamental themes shaping the agriculture market in the 21st century and was followed by five experts from diverse backgrounds along the food and agriculture value chain. Afterwards, all participants engaged in small group dialogues about the insights and implications of the conversation, as well as the highest priority areas of innovation in the sector.
