Agriculture is one of the oldest industries known to man. The agricultural industry that we know today is vastly different from the one our ancestors pioneered. In a report released during the 2018 World Government Summit, researchers outlined the areas of primary concern that will shape the future of agriculture. These areas include demographics, scarcity of natural resources, climate change, and food waste. As the human population grows, so does our demand for food. Unfortunately, this high demand for food has come at a steep price. Agricultural expansion and deforestation have dwindled our natural resources, leaving less viable land with which to grow our food. Climate change also poses a threat to our agricultural systems. Globally around 800 million people are living with hunger1. Despite this, one of the biggest challenges facing the agricultural industry is the incredible amount of food waste produced. Uneven distribution of resources and overproduction has led to over 1 billion tons of food products wasted every year globally2. The world’s only hope to tackle these challenges is to make agriculture more equitable and sustainable using data and technology.
Agriculture 4.0
Agriculture 4.0 refers to the significant trends we are likely to see in the agricultural industry soon. Like many other industries, the agricultural sector has begun to integrate modern technology into its practices. One of the ways new technologies may help to innovate agriculture is by streamlining farming operations to make them profitable while keeping in mind their environmental impact. For example, farmers can use data analytics to help them plant suitable crops in the right places at the right time to maximize their output with minimal input. Manufacturers can use this data to know precisely how much food they need to produce, which can help them to reduce the amount of waste they create. With big data, agriculturalists can collect all manner of data on crop and soil health, climate conditions, and historical weather patterns. This data can be analyzed, and the information produced can help agriculturalists change their operations to make them more sustainable.
There has also been a shift towards using the Internet and mobile software to innovate farming practices. IoT (Internet of Things) and mobile software have already been used to power devices such as field sensors to monitor temperature, moisture, soil condition, etc. The sensors also can pick up more accurate information than the human eye, which can help reduce the risk of human error while monitoring crops. In addition, Internet and mobile connectivity mean that farmers can watch everything going on with their farms from one device, reducing the administrative burden put on them when it comes to organizing the data they collect.
With the increased affordability of smart technology, even small farms have the power to make their operations more sustainable. Some farms have begun to deploy drones for pest control purposes and monitor the overall health of their crops. Others have also started to utilize Blockchain to cut down on waste and inefficiency. Some agriculturalists have even begun to experiment with genetic modification and 3D printing as a means to grow more food using fewer resources. The use of data and smart technology is leading the way towards precision agriculture. By using data, farmers can better understand the conditions of their land and crops and make the most of their land while reducing their overall waste output. With Agriculture 4.0, farmers can turn their farms into “smart” operations and help transform the agricultural sector into a profitable, sustainable, equitable, and efficient industry.
1 https://www.oliverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/2018/feb/agriculture-4-0–the-future-of-farming-technology.html
2 https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty/hunger-and-obesity/food-waste-statistics/story