Key challenges and opportunities of scientific and technological development of Russia’s crop industry

Abstract

Abstract The global challenges that many countries will face in the near future, including Russia, require transforming their economies, searching for windows of opportunities, and adapting to new conditions. The plant growing industry is one of the main sectors for the country’s economy, as it ensures its food security. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify the key global trends, i.e. the direction in which the world market for crop production is moving, as well as how demand and supply for it could change in the future. The purpose of this work is to identify key challenges and “windows of opportunity” for the plant industry, including seed production and organic farming, which will be divided into several groups: economic, social, technological, and environmental, as well as in the following areas: technology and market conditions. To achieve this goal, the following aspects are reviewed in the paper: global trends, challenges and threats in the crop industry, windows of opportunities for Russia, and promising markets for crop technology. The study reveals that the main trends in the scientific and technological development of the industry are the following: biologization, informatization, urbanization, and robotization. Moreover, due to population growth, the shift in demand for organic products, the unevenness of people living in the city and rural areas, etc. are also the emerging challenges to be addressed.