Agriculture and Nanotechnology: National Infrastructure Readiness. 1

Abstract

Abstract Agriculture will face many challenges in the next 25 years, including water, population demands, supply chain disruptions, storage, safety, and distribution. Whether discussing smart farming, genetically modified seeds, or alternatives to traditional productivity enhancements, such as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers, it is all about increasing resiliency by broadening the options for the industry. One of the platform technologies that may offer solace could be nanotechnology especially given the temporal variables involved. We may need to act quickly, so we must prepare to do so. In addition, we must not avoid viable solutions while searching for the silver bullet. There may be none. The following gleans expert opinions from the different stakeholder communities in nanotechnology and agriculture disciplines. Our approach involved diverse sampling and analysis in producing a modicum of information to help inform debates over nanotechnology and agriculture. Put simply; these are observations and suggestions for those who participated.