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Can tech help us feed a population of 9 billion-plus? Welcome to the Future of Food

Agriculture has come a long way in the past century. We produce more food than ever before — but our current model is unsustainable, and as the world’s population rapidly approaches the 8 billion mark, modern food production methods will need a radical transformation if they’re going to keep up. But luckily, there’s a range of new technologies that might make it possible. In this series, we’ll explore some of the innovative new solutions that farmers, scientists, and entrepreneurs are working on to make sure that nobody goes hungry in our increasingly crowded world.

Food is the ultimate technology.

It might not have circuits, touchscreens, or an app store, but of all the tech we’ve ever developed as humans, nothing else has had such a direct and significant impact on our progress as a species.

It was agriculture — the cultivation of edible things — that made it possible for humans to progress from nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes and develop settlements, cities, and civilization in general. Later, advances in agricultural technology — things like grain storage, steel plows, and mechanical threshers — allowed us to produce food surpluses, support larger populations, and colonize every corner of this rich, round planet. Food is undoubtedly one of our greatest technological achievements.

What changes will we need to make to ensure we don’t go hungry in the future?

It’s a double edged sword, though. Our agricultural success has brought humanity to a tipping point. The world’s population is expected to grow by over one third (roughly 2.3 billion people) between 2009 and 2050. To feed all those hungry mouths, global food production will need to scale up in a big way. In a world where oceans are already overfished, arable land is increasingly scarce, and climate change makes crop yields unstable and unpredictable, doing so will almost certainly be an uphill battle.

How do we boost production to meet the planet’s rising demand for food without exacerbating the problems modern agriculture already faces? Can we continue on our current trajectory without destroying the ecosystems and depleting the resources that sustain us? What changes will we need to make to ensure we don’t go hungry in the future?

There’s no simple answer to these questions, but as always, recent technological innovations provide a grain of hope. Just as inventions like the tractor, the sprinkler, and chemical fertilizers helped farmers meet rising demand in the past, new technologies might help us in the future. Right now scientists all over the globe are leveraging a new generation of technological tools — things like gene editing, artificial intelligence, and flying robots — to ensure that our food future is secure.

Many of the solutions we’re working on sound like they’re plucked straight from the pages of a sci-fi novel. Germany has developed a weed-killing robot that intelligently plucks individual weeds to reduce reliance on herbicides. Tokyo has a vertical farm that uses LEDs and hydroponics to produce thousands of heads of lettuce each day. In the United States, there are at least half a dozen startups racing to create lab-grown meat.

Throughout the next two weeks, Digital Trends will take you on a tour of these new technologies, and offer an inside look at some of the most innovative ideas in agriculture right now. Starting today, we’ll publish one feature per day — each of which will highlight a different technology, trend, or idea that’s reshaping the Future of Food. This series will cover everything from shrimp farming to robotic bees, and plenty in between — so you won’t want to miss it! Be sure to circle back to this page every so often, or sign up for our newsletter if you’d prefer to have articles delivered directly to your inbox. Enjoy!

Drew Prindle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
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Official Imagery for Amazon Project Kuiper.

Amazon is aiming to take on SpaceX’s Starlink internet service using thousands of its own Project Kuiper satellites in low-Earth orbit.

The first Project Kuiper satellites were suppsoed to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on April 9, but rough weather conditions forced the mission team to scrub the planned liftoff.

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future electric cars 2021 volkswagen id4 official 32

Electric vehicles are quietly crushing old stereotypes about being delicate or unreliable, and the data now backs it up in a big way. According to Germany’s ADAC — Europe’s largest roadside assistance provider — EVs are actually more reliable than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. And this isn’t just a small study — it’s based on a staggering 3.6 million breakdowns in 2024 alone.
For cars registered between 2020 and 2022, EVs averaged just 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles, while ICE cars saw more than double that, at 10.4 per 1,000. Even with more EVs hitting the road, they only accounted for 1.2% of total breakdowns — a big win for the battery-powered crowd.
Among standout performers, some cars delivered exceptionally low breakdown rates. The Audi A4 clocked in at just 0.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for 2022 models, with Tesla’s Model 3 right behind at 0.5. The Volkswagen ID.4, another popular EV, also impressed with a rate of 1.0 – as did the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross at 1.3. On the flip side, there were some major outliers: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 showed a surprisingly high 22.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for its 2022 models, while the hybrid Toyota RAV4 posted 18.4.
Interestingly, the most common issue for both EVs and ICE vehicles was exactly the same: the humble 12-volt battery. Despite all the futuristic tech in EVs, it’s this old-school component that causes 50% of all EV breakdowns, and 45% for gas-powered cars. Meanwhile, EVs shine in categories like engine management and electrical systems — areas where traditional engines are more complex and failure-prone.
But EVs aren’t completely flawless. They had a slightly higher rate of tire-related issues — 1.3 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles compared to 0.9 for ICE cars. That could be due to their heavier weight and high torque, which can accelerate tire wear. Still, this trend is fading in newer EVs as tire tech and vehicle calibration improve.
Now, zooming out beyond Germany: a 2024 Consumer Reports study in the U.S. painted a different picture. It found that EVs, especially newer models, had more reliability issues than gas cars, citing tech glitches and inconsistent build quality. But it’s worth noting that the American data focused more on owner-reported problems, not just roadside breakdowns.
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amazon autos hyundai evs lease ioniq 6 n line seoul mobility show 2025 mk08

Amazon has changed how we shop for just about everything—from books to furniture to groceries. Now, it’s transforming the way we lease cars. Through Amazon Autos, you can now lease a brand-new Hyundai entirely online—and even better, you’ll qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit if you choose an electric model like the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, or Kona EV.
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Bottom line? Amazon is making it easier than ever to lease an EV and claim that tax credit—without the dealership hassle. If you're ready to plug in, it might be time to add to cart.

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