Food systems worldwide are facing a multitude of development challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and inequality. If unaddressed, these could threaten the world’s ability to produce enough food for a growing global population. A recent wave of technological innovation holds promise for revolutionising conventional agriculture and food production. Termed ‘novel agrifood technologies’, these encompass innovative technologies and technology-driven methods for producing agrifood products, which can be leveraged to improve the efficiency and productivity of conventional farms. Novel agrifood technologies can also enable the primary production of food in unconventional settings such as crowded urban environments or arid desert regions.

The UNDP Singapore Global Centre, with the support of Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, has produced this Article to examine how novel agrifood technologies can contribute to ensuring food security, preserving livelihoods, alleviating poverty, and addressing climate change. The article also provides policy-making guidance on optimising these advancements and encouraging their adoption in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs).