Food and Agriculture

With the world's population expected to grow to more than 9.7 billion people by 2050, and more farmland being lost to development each year, global hunger and food security challenges increase. From 2015 to 2016, the number of people who were unsure of where their next meal was coming from increased from 80 million to 108 million.

DPI aims to use innovation and technology to find breakthroughs that will not only produce more food for the global population but also help deliver food faster and cheaper than ever before. Illinois is uniquely positioned to lead solutions to the demands placed on food and agriculture because of the critical mass of farmers, business and civic leaders, scientists, government officials and entrepreneurs within the state. These groups can drive forward-thinking strategies and breakthroughs that will make Chicago and the state of Illinois a leading global center for food and agriculture innovation.

DPI will focus on six key areas of the food and agriculture landscape:

• Enhancing urban and rural food security
• Improving resiliency of food supply chains
• Promoting digital agriculture and big data in food systems
• Sustaining food, agriculture, environment, and natural resources under a changing climate
• Exploring engineering in food and agriculture
• Promoting food innovation for health, global food security and safety, and the Illinois economy