The projected growth of the global population is placing significant pressure on current agricultural systems to increase production and maximise yields. Two approaches have emerged to address possible food shortages. One is expanding resource use by adopting large-scale farming, and the other is adopting innovative farming practices by leveraging technological advancements.

Modern farming faces several obstacles, like limited land, labour shortages, climate change, and diminishing soil fertility. The sector has had to evolve and branch out in innovative ways, sparking a surge in sustainable farming practices. These prioritise ecological balance and efficient food production. Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront of this revolution with its modern and sophisticated algorithms and analytics to enhance farm operations.

Technology and agriculture

Agriculture has come a long way since simple hand tools evolved into mechanical equipment commonly available today. The current body of available technology shows commercially available solutions for almost every farming operation, including tractors, ploughers, seeders, planters, etc.

The modern agricultural business is evolving in several directions simultaneously. The primary focus is utilising agricultural technology to boost yields through better planning, management, and decision-making. By prioritising efficient and sustainable farming methods, advanced technology helps farmers prosper. The modern parlance, "agritech", encompasses several devices, systems, tools, and disciplines that improve agricultural output. This includes robotics, drones, satellites, smartphones, and software.

According to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), AI can increase farm productivity globally by 67% by 2050. It's becoming increasingly crucial for stakeholders in this sector to be knowledgeable and up-to-date about the latest technological standards. Using advanced agricultural technology means water, fertilisers, and other inputs are no longer applied 'by eye'. It means precise application of only what's needed in each location.

Thanks to the connectivity infrastructure, none of this would be possible. If implemented across the sector, the industry could add another $500 billion of additional value to the global GDP by 2030. It can help alleviate much of the pressure to increase food production. This is part of climate-smart agriculture to enhance productivity, improve strategies to adapt to climate change and contribute to emission mitigation. Here's more on how climate-smart technologies propel sustainable farming.

Integrating AI

A new wave of agritech includes big data analytics and AI to automate some tasks and make others more efficient and less risky with better information. AI in agriculture is expected to grow from $1.7 billion in 2023 to $4.7 billion by 2028. The question to be asked is, can digital technologies and AI help bridge the gap between sustainable and productive agriculture as global demand for nutrition increases?

The answer is yes. Like manufacturing and transport, agriculture has evolved over the centuries. It's now in its fourth phase (agriculture 4.0), presented by technology-driven, climate-resilient farming practices. Here are some ways integrating AI can help sustainable agriculture:

• Precision agriculture: AI enables precise monitoring of soil health, water usage, and crop conditions through sensors. It can identify and target individual weeds with herbicides, reducing chemical use and saving money.

• Automation: Irrigation can often be a hit-and-miss process. However, through weather sensors and moisture monitors, several companies use algorithms to analyse soil moisture data obtained through sensors to automatically control irrigation systems. This can help reduce water waste by ensuring each crop gets the optimal amount.

• Plant health: An acre of farmland can have thousands of individual plants, and monitoring their health can be challenging. AI systems can be trained to analyse signs of disease and infestation and send early alerts before the problem spreads.

• Predicting the weather: Mother nature can be unpredictable, especially given climate change and global warming levels. While weather prediction might not be a 100% accurate science, a combination of detailed weather reports and local data can allow a good AI system to predict weather conditions.

There's another aspect that needs to be mentioned. Generative AI also has a role to play in the agricultural sector. Generally speaking, they're applications that process large and varied data sets to perform more than one task. Analytical AI solves specific tasks through predictions based on well-structured data and predefined rules. Generative AI can create new ideas by identifying patterns.

Conclusion

There's an increased focus on the agricultural sector as climate change, economic, and geopolitical issues continue challenging the industry. Food and agriculture were highlighted for the first time in the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28). Over 130 countries signed the "Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action to prioritise food systems in their national strategies to combat climate change. AI will be at the forefront of this new frontier in the current agricultural revolution. At Smart Grow Farms, we recognise the importance of new-age technologies like AI and their role in the agriculture sector's future.