Cultivating the Talent Behind the Future of Agriculture

Agriculture has always been an industry built on knowledge, experience and innovation. Today, new technologies are creating new opportunities across the sector, but they are also changing the skills future agricultural professionals will need.

As agriculture continues to evolve, one question has been on my mind: Are we preparing students with the tools they will need for this new stage of the industry?

It is a question that has grown from my experience working in this sector. Over the years, I have collaborated with universities, met students, researchers and professionals from different countries, and followed the evolution of Controlled Environment Agriculture. Through those experiences, I started asking myself how education is evolving alongside this industry and whether Mexico has an opportunity to strengthen the connection between academic training and the skills this new stage of agriculture requires.

Agriculture is evolving, and so are the tools that support it. However, the way we prepare future professionals has not always evolved at the same pace.

Understanding Controlled Environment Agriculture

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) refers to production systems where environmental conditions such as light, temperature, humidity, irrigation and nutrients are managed to create optimal conditions for crop growth.

CEA includes technologies such as hydroponics, aeroponics, advanced greenhouse systems and vertical farming. While these systems are often associated with highly technological production environments, their purpose remains aligned with traditional agriculture: producing food efficiently, sustainably and consistently.

The difference is the number of tools available to farmers and growers. Instead of only adapting to environmental conditions, CEA allows professionals to better understand and manage them.

However, these technologies do not replace traditional agricultural knowledge. Plant science, crop management, nutrition and production experience remain the foundation of successful agriculture.

The opportunity is to expand the toolbox available to agricultural professionals.

Preparing Professionals for a Changing Industry

The future of agriculture will not be built by agronomists alone. It will be built by multidisciplinary teams capable of integrating agricultural knowledge with technology and innovation.

Agriculture has always required professionals who understand biology, crops and production systems. Today, as new tools become part of the industry, there is an opportunity to expand that knowledge with capabilities in areas such as data analysis, automation, artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

This transformation goes beyond Controlled Environment Agriculture. Across open field production, greenhouses and other agricultural systems, technologies such as sensors, automation and data driven tools are becoming valuable resources to help professionals improve efficiency, optimize resources and make better informed decisions.

For future agricultural professionals, understanding these tools will become important not to replace traditional knowledge, but to complement it and expand the possibilities of what agriculture can achieve.

Many agricultural professionals are already incorporating these technologies into their work. The opportunity is to ensure that more students are exposed to them earlier in their academic journey, so they can understand their potential and apply them throughout their careers.

A Global Conversation About Agricultural Talent

Wanting to understand whether this was something others were seeing too, I started exploring how other countries are preparing professionals for this transformation.

A 2025 study developed by researchers together with universities and leaders from the Controlled Environment Agriculture industry identified the knowledge and skills that future professionals will need. Its conclusions went beyond crop production. Along with agronomy, the study highlighted areas such as engineering systems, data analysis, sustainability, entrepreneurship and community impact as important competencies for the next generation of agricultural professionals.

I found these results interesting because they reflect what many companies in this sector are experiencing: the strongest professionals will continue to build on agricultural foundations while also understanding the technologies that are becoming increasingly relevant.

It is not about replacing one with the other. It is about expanding the capabilities of those who will continue building the agricultural sector.

An Opportunity for Mexican Universities

Mexico has a long agricultural tradition, excellent universities and professionals with deep knowledge of production systems. The country also has highly advanced greenhouse operations, innovative companies and producers who are already adopting new technologies.

From export-oriented agriculture to specialized greenhouse operations, Mexico has demonstrated its ability to adopt advanced production systems and compete in global markets.

The opportunity is not to replace those foundations, but to continue strengthening the connection between academic training and the technologies that are becoming important across the industry.

Education does not have to change its foundations. It simply needs to grow alongside the industry it serves.

Preparing talent is not only about strengthening universities. It is also about creating opportunities for learning beyond the classroom.

Partnerships between academia, industry and public institutions can help bring agricultural innovation closer to students, entrepreneurs and communities, while creating opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in practical environments.

Agriculture has always been learned through experience, observation and continuous adaptation. New technologies are no different.

Students need opportunities to understand not only how these systems work, but also how they are applied to solve real challenges in production.

Expanding Opportunities in Agriculture

For many young people, building a career in agriculture has traditionally been associated with owning land or coming from an agricultural family.

Today, that is beginning to change.

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) including hydroponics, aeroponics and vertical farming is opening new paths for entrepreneurs, engineers, researchers and agronomists who want to build careers in agriculture through knowledge, innovation and technology rather than land ownership alone.

For many students, this represents an opportunity to participate in agriculture in ways they may have never considered before.

Building an Ecosystem for Agricultural Innovation

Preparing talent is not only the responsibility of universities. Companies, research centers and public institutions also have an important role in creating opportunities for learning, collaboration and innovation.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization that works with governments around the world to develop policies that promote economic growth, education, innovation and social development. Its research is frequently used by governments and institutions when designing strategies for long term development.

In a 2025 report, the OECD highlighted the importance of strengthening skills and digital capabilities across industries, including agriculture, as technology continues to transform the workforce.

Beyond commercial production, these technologies can also create opportunities for education, entrepreneurship and local innovation when combined with the right ecosystem of support. In different contexts, CEA can become a tool for knowledge transfer, skills development and new approaches to food production.

For communities, this can mean not only access to new production methods, but also opportunities for training, employment and entrepreneurship when projects are developed with the appropriate support and long-term vision.

Innovation rarely grows in isolation. It grows when education, industry and public institutions move in the same direction.

Final Thoughts

Mexico has the talent, the universities and the agricultural tradition to remain a strong player in agriculture while embracing new technologies.

The opportunity now is to strengthen the connections between them.

By creating stronger relationships between education, industry and innovation, Mexico can prepare professionals who are not only ready to participate in the transformation of agriculture, but who can help shape it.

The future of agriculture will not be defined only by the technologies we build, but by the people we prepare to use them.