Agriculture is no longer just about feeding a hungry world, says a professor from New Mexico State University.
Lowell Catlett, a keynote speaker at the Agri-Trend Farm Forum in Saskatoon, said the agricultural world is changing into a place where organic food and gluten free manufactured products are in demand.
“The organic (food) in North America 10 years ago was barely measurable,” he said. “It’s now four percent of the (agricultural) market and growing.”
The demand for gluten free products was not measurable five years ago, but is now 1.7 percent and growing, he added.
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Catlett, dean of NMSU’s College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Science, said the changes are ushering in what he called a golden age of agriculture.
“It can be anything we choose it to be,” he said.
“If you take all that technology that has been given to you today…you will have pursuits in agriculture in ways you never thought possible.”
He said one of the most powerful changes in agriculture is the way technology is transforming the industry by allowing farmers to perform crop protection exercises with more precision.
As well, more use is being made of biochemistry to assist with crop production.
His message was one of optimism for the future of agriculture.
He said the world’s growing population and the rising financial means of countries such as China and India are enough to ensure agriculture remains a growing industry for years.
For example, he said meat consumption doubled in India in the last five years.
He urged his audience to embrace the technological advancements in agriculture and consumers’ growing desire to eat healthier food.
There is an undeniable connection between plants,animals and human health, he added.
