Food and food markets still enjoy a pivotal role in the world economy and the international food industry is moving towards greater consolidation and globalization, with increased vertical integration and changes to market structure. Companies grow bigger in order to obtain economies of scale and issues and such as food security, quality, obesity and health are ever important factors. This book describes the link between food markets and food companies from a theoretical and a business economics perspective. The relationships, trends and impacts on the international food market are presented, and the topic is related to actual business conditions. Each chapter is accompanied by questions and assignments designed to help students in their learning. .

Highlights and examines the growing convergence between the food and agricultural industries—the technological, environmental, and consumer-related drivers of this change, and the potential outcomes This is the first book of its kind to connect food and the food industry with agriculture, water resources, and water management in a detailed and thorough way. It brings together a small community of expert authors to address the future of the food industry, agriculture (both for plants and animals), and water—and its role in a world of increasing demands on resources. The book begins by highlighting the role of agriculture in today's food industry from a historical perspective—showing how it has grown over the years. It goes on to examine water management; new ways of plant breeding not only based on genetic modification pathways; and the attention between major crops (soy, corn, wheat) and so-called "orphan crops" (coffee, cocoa, tropical fruits). The book then turns towards the future of the food industry and analyzes major food trends, the new food, and "enough" food; discusses possible new business models for the future food industry; and analyzes the impact that the "internet of everything" will have on agriculture and the food industry. Finally, Megatrends in Food and Agriculture: Technology, Water Use and Nutrition offers scenarios about how agriculture, food, and the food industry might undergo some radical transformations. Assesses the evolution of food production and how we arrived at today's landscape Focuses on key areas of change, driven by both innovation and challenges such as new technologies, the demand for better nutrition, and the management of dwindling resources Highlights the role of better-informed consumers who demand transparency and accountability from producers Is written by industry insiders and academic experts Megatrends in Food and Agriculture: Technology, Water Use and Nutrition is an important resource for food and agriculture industry professionals, including scientists and technicians as well as decision makers, in management, marketing, sales, and regulatory areas, as well as related NGOs.

This book features a comprehensive foresight assessment, exploring the pressures — threats as well as opportunities — on the global agriculture & food systems between now and 2050. The overarching aim is to help readers understand the context, by analyzing global trends and anticipating change for better planning and constructing pathways from the present to the future by focusing on the right questions and problems. The book contextualizes the role of international agricultural research in addressing the complex challenges posed by UN 2030 Agenda and beyond, and identifies the decisions that scientific leaders, donors and policy makers need to take today, and in the years ahead, to ensure that a global population rising to nine billion or more combined with rising incomes and changing diets can be fed sustainably and equitably, in the face of the growing climate threats.

A scarcity of natural resources. The challenge to protect biodiversity and the global climate. Rapid economic growth and urbanisation in Asia and the developing world. Changing demographics and an ageing population. The impact of new digital technologies. Consumer expectations for services, experiences and social interaction. An imperative to innovate. Megatrends are gradual yet powerful trajectories of change that have the potential to throw companies, individuals and societies into freefall. In Global Megatrends author Stefan Hajkowicz identifies these seven patterns of global change and tells a story about how the world will change over the next 20 years. The book captures the thinking of many dedicated scientists and researchers who have devoted their careers to exploring and understanding change. The change heralded by megatrends lies beyond our direct control but not beyond our influence. By getting a picture of how the world is changing and what these megatrends are, we can alter our destiny.

This book offers a research-based, holistic overview of the entire value chain of the global food industry. It captures and defines over 80 contemporary ‘megatrends’ in agriculture and the food market that can be empirically documented and have a major impact on business, economies, industries, societies, and individuals. Today the world is characterized by more uncertainty and unpredictability than in previous periods. In the midst of these changing times, the book demonstrates how a number of more stable trends still exist within global agriculture, which can be important indicators in both the short and long term. The book highlights how developments in agriculture, the food industry and food markets have a central position in policy debates around climate change, sustainability, food crises, hunger, and food supply, and shows how by identifying various megatrends and their underlying economic drivers, as well as potential disruptive forces, we can reduce both risk and vulnerability in the future. Megatrends within consumption, food loss, food crises, international trade, retail industry and ownership of farms are discussed and their relevance illuminated for a wide range of stakeholders, including policy-makers and agri-businesses, as well as farmers and consumers. This book will be a useful resource for researchers in agricultural and environmental economics, as well as policy-makers and professionals in agri-food organisations and public food institutions. This is an open access book.

The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2016-2025 provides an assessment of prospects for the coming decade of the agricultural commodity markets across 41 countries and 12 regions, including OECD countries and key agricultural producers, such as India, China, Brazil, the Russian Federation and Argentina.