Over the past two decades, thousands of startups have explored, innovating business models that have been fixed for centuries – such as taxis and hotels. In the world of agribusiness, this change is also becoming more and more relevant.
It is estimated that the world’s population is expected to reach approximately 9 billion by 2050. This growth will require much more effective food production than the present one after all the natural resources are limited. It is very important to reconcile preservation of the environment and product development in the countryside and think about how to achieve the productivity increase.
According to Exame, people are starting to bet on technology, initiating what experts are calling the “fourth great revolution in agriculture”, or simply “Agriculture 4.0”. Here are three areas where technology is creating new opportunities in agriculture:
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Automated irrigation systems reduce the cost of plant production while increasing average yield and decreasing environmental impacts. In addition, there are also remote sensing initiatives that monitor the health of all plants in a field, saving the time of the farmer, and providing a more accurate analysis than that provided by human eyes.
For the agricultural sector, there are even facial recognition tools being used for livestock, which, based on certain characteristics, can tell how cattle prefer to feed, reducing waste and generating more results to the producer, as per Exame.
Overall, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning make the agro-industry much more competitive and sustainable.
Robotic Equipment in Farms
Drone saves on labor, on defenses, and eliminates the standard risks associated with flying activities. In addition, there are fully autonomous tractors, in which the cockpit has been extinguished.
In some crops, the harvest can be done in a fully automated way, respecting the ideal soil moisture, or selecting the fruits that are mature enough through sensors. Not counting robots designed specifically to remove certain types of weeds, including making decisions about which herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and watering and pruning methods work best for each type of weed and crop.
Mobility in the Field
93 percent of Brazilian farmers have a smartphone and use it daily for a variety of purposes, according to IBGE surveys. Among the activities that mobility adds value in the field are weather patterns tracking, inventory of equipment and supplies, personnel management, control of precision agriculture equipment, and more.
According to Exame, the country with the highest adoption of technologies of this type is precisely Brazil, where startups create new technologies and seek alliances with consolidated companies to accelerate their entry into the market.
The Agriculture Revolution 4.0 brings a series of challenges for all who are connected to agribusiness, while at the same time presenting many business opportunities and increasing agricultural productivity.