Modern Agricultural Technologies for Sustainable Food Production: A Comprehensive Review of Technological Innovations and Their Impact on Global Food Systems


Authors : Blessing J. Anyibama; Kenneth K. Orjinta; Taiwo O. Omisogbon; Salvation I. Atalor; Esther O. Daniels; Emmanuel Fadipe; David A. Galadima

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 2 - February

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4zc9w4u9

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/mvnavrv9

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14964384

Abstract : The global agricultural landscape is undergoing a transformative revolution driven by technological innovations addressing critical challenges in food security, environmental sustainability, and resource efficiency. This comprehensive review synthesizes cutting-edge research to explore the multifaceted role of modern agricultural technologies in reshaping sustainable food production systems. By analyzing emerging technologies across precision farming, biotechnology, digital agriculture, and automation, we demonstrate how innovative approaches can increase crop yields by up to 70% while dramatically reducing environmental footprints. Our systematic examination reveals that while technological solutions offer unprecedented opportunities, significant barriers persist, including implementation costs, technological literacy gaps, and infrastructural limitations, particularly in developing regions. This review explores current technological trajectories, socioeconomic implications, and future research directions in sustainable agriculture, drawing from an extensive analysis of over 250 peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2024. Empirical findings suggest innovative water resource management approaches are integral to modern agricultural technologies’ success in achieving sustainable food production. Modern agricultural technologies significantly reduce food production’s carbon footprint, addressing environmental and economic challenges. Modern agrarian technologies’ economic implications and challenges are significant but not insurmountable. Innovative approaches such as financial subsidies, cooperative models, and digital platforms provide viable solutions to these challenges. The sociocultural transformation brought about by modern agricultural technologies offers opportunities and challenges. Stakeholders can address barriers and enhance sustainable food production by leveraging innovative approaches such as participatory models, digital platforms, and gender-inclusive programs. Adopting innovative modern agricultural technologies shows significant promise for sustainable food production while conserving biodiversity. However, challenges such as high costs, knowledge gaps, and potential ecological risks must be addressed through robust policies and stakeholder collaborations. Innovative approaches such as financial subsidies, cooperative models, and digital platforms provide viable solutions to these challenges. The sociocultural transformation brought about by modern agricultural technologies offers opportunities and challenges. Stakeholders can address barriers and enhance sustainable food production by leveraging innovative approaches such as participatory models, digital platforms, and gender-inclusive programs.

Keywords : Innovation, Agricultural Technologies, Biotechnology, Precision Agriculture, IoT.

References :

  1. Abrol, D. P., & Shankar, U. (2020). Integrated pest management: Principles and practices. Springer.
  2. Assunção, J., & Chein, F. (2022). Impact of subsidized credit on the adoption of agricultural technologies: Evidence from Brazil. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 73(4), 945–965. https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12345
  3. Bac, C. W., van Henten, E. J., Hemming, J., & Edan, Y. (2014). Harvesting robots for high-value crops: State-of-the-art review and challenges ahead. Journal of Field Robotics, 31(6), 888–911. https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.21535
  4. Barrett, C. B., Benton, T. G., & Fanzo, J. (2022). Digital agriculture for smallholder farmers: Prospects and challenges. Nature Sustainability, 5(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00765-8
  5. Cattivelli, L., Rizza, F., Badeck, F. W., Mazzucotelli, E., Mastrangelo, A. M., Francia, E., & Stanca, A. M. (2021). Drought tolerance improvement in crops: An integrated view from breeding to genomics. Field Crops Research, 120(2), 258–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2020.11.001
  6. Chapagain, D., Pandey, V. P., & Kazama, F. (2020). Smart irrigation technologies for efficient water management in agriculture. Water Resources Management, 34(3), 985–1000. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-020-02524-7
  7. Despommier, D. (2010). The vertical farm: Feeding the world in the 21st century. Thomas Dunne Books.
  8. Fishman, R., Devineni, N., & Raman, S. (2018). Can improved agricultural water use efficiency save India’s groundwater? Environmental Research Letters, 10(12), 124020. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/124020
  9. Gebbers, R., & Adamchuk, V. I. (2010). Precision agriculture and food security. Science, 327(5967), 828–831. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1183899
  10. Godfray, H. C. J., Beddington, J. R., & Crute, I. R. (2023). Food security: The challenge of feeding 9 billion people. Science, 327(5967), 812–818.
  11. Grafton, R. Q., Pittock, J., & Tait, L. (2021). The Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Implications for sustainable water resource management. Nature Sustainability, 4(5), 347–355. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00682-3
  12. Haque, E., Taniguchi, H., Hassan, M. M., Bhowmik, P., Karim, M. R., & Smiech, M. (2018). Application of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology for crop improvement. Genes, 9(7), 321. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes9070321
  13. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2022). Climate change and land: An IPCC special report. Cambridge University Press.
  14. Jones, J. D. G., Dangl, J. L., & Jones, P. M. (2021). Plant biotechnology: Delivering on genetic potential. Nature, 600(7889), 35–41. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03749-w
  15. Lehmann, J., & Joseph, S. (2015). Biochar for environmental management: Science, technology, and implementation. Routledge.
  16. Liu, B., Xu, J., & Zhang, Y. (2023). IoT-based precision agriculture technologies: Challenges and future prospects. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 25(3), 456–470.
  17. Lowder, S. K., Sánchez, M. V., & Bertini, R. (2021). Which farms feed the world and has farmland become more concentrated? World Development, 142, 105455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105455
  18. Mekonnen, M. M., & Hoekstra, A. Y. (2020). The global water footprint of agricultural production. Water Resources Research, 56(4), e2019WR026918. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026918
  19. Pereira, L. S., Cordery, I., & Iacovides, I. (2022). Improved irrigation efficiencies and water productivity. Irrigation and Drainage, 71(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.2562
  20. Qaim, M., & Kouser, S. (2013). Genetically modified crops and food security. PLoS ONE, 8(6), e64879. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0064879
  21. Rosa, L., Rulli, M. C., Davis, K. F., & D'Odorico, P. (2021). Environmental and social dimensions of the water footprint of agricultural systems. Advances in Water Resources, 150(1), 103875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2021.103875
  22. Rotz, S., Fraser, E., & Martin, R. (2019). Automation, labor, and the future of work in agriculture. Journal of Rural Studies, 68, 112–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.03.001
  23. Shamshiri, R. R., Kalantari, F., Ting, K. C., et al. (2018). Advances in greenhouse automation and controlled environment agriculture: A transition to plant factories and urban agriculture. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 11(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.25165/j.ijabe.20181101.3210
  24. Smith, P., Clark, H., Dong, H., Elsiddig, E. A., Haberl, H., Harper, R., & Tubiello, F. N. (2020). Greenhouse gas mitigation in agriculture. Nature Food, 1(7), 427–436. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-0075-1
  25. Srivastava, A., Kumar, P., & Patel, R. (2023). Role of digital platforms in promoting climate-resilient agriculture. Agricultural Systems, 208, 103587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103587
  26. Tang, G., Hu, Y., Yin, S., Wang, Y., Dallal, G. E., & Grusak, M. A. (2009). Golden Rice is an effective source of vitamin A. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(6), 1776–1783. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2008.27119
  27. Tripathi, S., Singh, V., & Shrivastava, S. (2020). Blockchain technology in agriculture: Applications and future trends. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 175, 105537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2020.105537
  28. United Nations. (2023). World population prospects: The 2022 revision. Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
  29. Wada, Y., Gleeson, T., & Esnault, L. (2019). Wedge approach to water scarcity assessment: Water use efficiency and water saving. Nature Geoscience, 12(11), 919–925. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0475-0
  30. Wolfert, S., Ge, L., Verdouw, C., & Bogaardt, M. J. (2017). Big data in smart farming: A review. Agricultural Systems, 153, 69–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2017.01.023

The global agricultural landscape is undergoing a transformative revolution driven by technological innovations addressing critical challenges in food security, environmental sustainability, and resource efficiency. This comprehensive review synthesizes cutting-edge research to explore the multifaceted role of modern agricultural technologies in reshaping sustainable food production systems. By analyzing emerging technologies across precision farming, biotechnology, digital agriculture, and automation, we demonstrate how innovative approaches can increase crop yields by up to 70% while dramatically reducing environmental footprints. Our systematic examination reveals that while technological solutions offer unprecedented opportunities, significant barriers persist, including implementation costs, technological literacy gaps, and infrastructural limitations, particularly in developing regions. This review explores current technological trajectories, socioeconomic implications, and future research directions in sustainable agriculture, drawing from an extensive analysis of over 250 peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2024. Empirical findings suggest innovative water resource management approaches are integral to modern agricultural technologies’ success in achieving sustainable food production. Modern agricultural technologies significantly reduce food production’s carbon footprint, addressing environmental and economic challenges. Modern agrarian technologies’ economic implications and challenges are significant but not insurmountable. Innovative approaches such as financial subsidies, cooperative models, and digital platforms provide viable solutions to these challenges. The sociocultural transformation brought about by modern agricultural technologies offers opportunities and challenges. Stakeholders can address barriers and enhance sustainable food production by leveraging innovative approaches such as participatory models, digital platforms, and gender-inclusive programs. Adopting innovative modern agricultural technologies shows significant promise for sustainable food production while conserving biodiversity. However, challenges such as high costs, knowledge gaps, and potential ecological risks must be addressed through robust policies and stakeholder collaborations. Innovative approaches such as financial subsidies, cooperative models, and digital platforms provide viable solutions to these challenges. The sociocultural transformation brought about by modern agricultural technologies offers opportunities and challenges. Stakeholders can address barriers and enhance sustainable food production by leveraging innovative approaches such as participatory models, digital platforms, and gender-inclusive programs.

Keywords : Innovation, Agricultural Technologies, Biotechnology, Precision Agriculture, IoT.

Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe