How Digital Agriculture Will Feed 9 Billion People Sustainably
The more scientific and accurate data collection and analysis are, the more efficient and sustainable technological solutions will be. Today, big data is allowing farmers to push the boundaries of agriculture further than ever before. One of the new sources of actionable data in agriculture is big data obtained from space via satellites. Another is data obtained from drones.
NEC of Japan has recently released its ICT Solution that allows large-scale farming analysis. According to NEC, “agriculture ICT solutions support optimization of input along with maximization of production by leveraging Big Data, IoT, and cloud technologies. Also, NEC creates new innovative farming which was hard to realize by conventional farming methodology.”
Computer and data pioneer IBM is also working on big data solutions to help create a more sustainable food supply. According to IBM, the US state of Georgia’s agricultural sector adds $75 billion to the state’s economy yearly and farmers there are beginning to use IBM’s cutting-edge technology that leads to increasing food output so increasing demand can be met. Part of IBM’s approach is to make sure the solutions it recommends meet the USDA’s requirements with respect to sustainability. Examples of improvements based on data include better decisions about irrigation and scheduling that leads to better crop yields.
And in a recent TED Talk, Robert Saik, CEO of The Agri-Trend Group, discusses how these boundaries are being expanded.
