2025 photonics for agrifood roadmap: towards a sustainable and healthier planet
L. Smeesters1,∗, F. Venturini2,3,∗, S. Paulus4, A.-K. Mahlein4, D. Perpetuini5, D. Cardone5, A. Merla5, B. Gac6,7, S. Perrin8, D. Trégoat8, L. Poffo9, A. Fournier6, G. Bonifazi10, S. Serranti10, W. Liao11,12, N. Osseiran13, M. Vanwolleghem13, R. Peretti13, A. Bandyopadhyay14, K. Bertling15, K. Parameswaran16, A.D. Rákic15, A. Sengupta15,17, S. Svanberg18, M. Kujawinska19,20, D. Cozzolino21, D. Pérez Marín22, J.A. Entrenas de León22, I. Torres Rodríguez22, M. Fodor23, E. Benes23, A. Matkovits23, Z. Jókai23, S.M. Cristescu24, A. Khodabakhsh24, K. Jahromi25, M. Nematollahi26, F.H. Harren24, E. Rokx27, E. Sikorska28, K. Sowoidnich29, M. Maiwald29, B. Sumpf29, M. Roussey30, K.-E. Peiponen30, A. Femenias31, P. Fomina31, V. Kokoric32, R. Stach32, B. Mizaikoff31,32, M. Konstantaki33, S. Pissadakis33, U. Michelucci3,34, S. Paśko19, A. Pakuła19, R.A. Crocombe35, E.V. Miseo36, A.C. Liapis37, F. Ahmed37, Z. Sun37, C. Chandrinou38, M. Chatzipetrou38, I. Zergioti38, U. Trog39, A. Haase39, M. Smolka39, L. Oosterveld40, C. Van Hoof40, A. Müller29, M. Hlavatsch31, D. Bajrami31, E. Olvera-Gonzalez41, N. Escalante-Garcia41, A.B. Soro42,43, K. Van Hoorde44, B.K. Tiwari45, T. Westerhoff46, M. Kneissl29,47 and A.G. Mignani48,∗
Published in:
J. Phys. Photonics, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 032501, doi:10.1088/2515-7647/adbea9 (2025).
Abstract:
Photonics technologies play a crucial role in driving technological advancements within the agrifood industry, aiming to deliver a sustainable food and agriculture, and offering healthy, nutritious and safe food for all of us. Particularly, optical sensors and imaging systems, together with machine-learning processing and advanced lighting, play a pivotal role in monitoring crop and soil health with unprecedented precision, while safeguarding the food supply chain. This roadmap aims to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art photonics technologies benefitting agrifood applications, including a view on their current limitations, challenges and future potential, while addressing practical case studies. Future trends towards multimodal sensors and sensor fusion, artificial intelligence and digital twins, miniaturization and controlled farming are highlighted. The revolutionizing capabilities of the photonics technologies are indicated, inspiring future applications and developments, and paving the way towards optimized resource utilization, increased crop yields, stopping land degradation and reduction of food waste.
1 Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Flanders Make, Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT), Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
2 School of Engineering, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, 8401 Winterthur, Switzerland
3 TOELT LLC, Research and Development, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
4 Institute of Sugar Beet Research, Holtenser Landstr. 77, 37079 Göttingen, Germany
5 Department of Engineering and Geology, University ‘D’Annunzio’ of Chieti-Pescara, Pescara 65127, Italy
6 Arvalis, 45 Voie Romaine, 41240 Beauce la Romaine, France
7 Université de Rennes, CNRS, Institut FOTON—UMR 6082, F-22305 Lannion, France
8 Photonics Bretagne, 4 Rue Louis de Broglie, 22300 Lannion, France
9 University of Limoges, XLIM UMR CNRS, 7252, Limoges, France
10 Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Environment, Sapienza—University of Rome, via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy
11 Flanders Make, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
12 Department of Telecommunications and Information Processing, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
13 Institut d’Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), CNRS–UMR 8520, Université de Lille, 59652 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
14 DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
15 School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
16 Cambridge Consultants, Boston, MA, United States of America
17 Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
18 Physics Department, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
19 Institute of Micromechanics and Photonics, Warsaw University of Technology, 8 Sw. Andrzeja Boboli St, 02-525 Warsaw, Poland
20 Central Office of Measures, 2 Elektoralna St., 00-139 Warsaw, Poland
21 Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, St.Lucia, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
22 Non-Destructive Spectral Sensors Unit, Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry Engineering (ETSIAM), University of Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
23 Department of Food and Analytical Chemistry H-1118, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Villányi st. 29-31, Budapest, Hungary
24 Life Science Trace Detection Laboratory, (TDLab), Institute of Molecules and Materials, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
25 Intero Integrity Services, Research and Development Group, Steenoven 2-6, 4196 HG Tricht, The Netherlands
26 R&D Department, ASMPT ALSI B.V., Platinawerf 20, 6641 TL Beuningen, The Netherlands
27 Storex B.V. Beneden Havendijk 89, NL-3295 XB’s Gravendeel, The Netherlands
28 Institute of Quality Science, Poznań University of Economics and Business, al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland
29 Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH), Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin, Germany
30 Department of Physics and Mathematics, Center for Photonics Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
31 Institute of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany
32 Hahn-Schickard, Sedanstraße 14, 89077 Ulm, Germany
33 Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology- Hellas (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
34 Computer Science Department, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 6343 Rotkreuz, Switzerland
35 Crocombe Spectroscopic Consulting, Greater Boston, MA, United States of America
36 Consultant, Greater Boston, MA, United States of America
37 QTF Centre of Excellence, Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
38 School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Physics Department, National Technical University of Athens, Heroon Polytehneiou 9, 157 72 Athens, Greece
39 JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Leonhardstrasse 59, 8010 Graz, Austria
40 OnePlanet Research Center and imec, Bronland 10, 6708 WH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
41 Laboratorio de Iluminación Artificial (LIA), Tecnológico Nacional de México Campus Pabellón de Arteaga, Carretera a la Estación de Rincón Km. 1, Pabellón de Arteaga, Aguascalientes 20670, Mexico
42 Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l’Alimentació i Gastronomia, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Campus de l’Alimentació de Torribera, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
43 Institut de Recerca en Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària (INSA·UB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
44 Department of Infectious Diseases in Humans, Foodborne Pathogens Unit, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
45 Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre, Dublin, Ireland
46 Smart UV Systems at Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies, and Image Exploitation, Am Vogelherd 90, 98693 Ilmenau, Germany
47 Institute of Solid State Physics, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstr. 36, 10623 Berlin, Germany
48 CNR—Istituto di Fisica Applicata ‘Nello Carrara’, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
* Authors to whom any correspondence should be addressed
Keywords:
agriculture, spectroscopy, photonics, agrifood industry, optical sensors, machine learning, AI
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd
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