Stepping back and taking an overview of one of the great genuinely global questions - how do we feed the world? - produce interesting thoughts.  

CNN's summary of 6 points is thought-provoking and raises the profile of some terms and innovations that are novel, at least in UK discussions, alongside some familiar innovation areas.  The 6 categories are

• urban farming
• "wholescapes" (a new term, but one that fits in well with the idea of landscape-related food production)
• insect protein
• precision farming
• climate-resistant crops
• plant-based coatings (to extend the life of food items and reduce waste)

Looking at these issues from a high level, they feel like areas that are all likely to have future beneficial impacts on the abundance of food.  But they focus on production, which is the first step, but is very much only part of the story.   The other issue remains getting enough food to the global population, and there the major challenge could be said to be conflict, either within or between nations, and the adverse effect that has on the ability of a population to feed itself.  

 So these innovations can help the supply side, and they should be welcomed and regarded as worthy areas for further investment and development,  but overcoming the impact of human conflicts may be the major challenge, which will need a focus far beyond that of food producers alone.