The-Gatherer-Volume-7

A s we all know, the global food industry is at a crossroad. There are so many challenges to be faced - rising population, climate change, globalisation of food sources, distrust in the authenticity of food and a rising demand by consumers for a more nutritious, locally grown and sustainable solution. It’s also the dawn of a new era in global agriculture with access to new technologies such as machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, artificial reality, 3D printing and more. This presents significant possibilities for technology developers, farmers, distributors and others along the supply chain. These immense opportunities created by new technologies, business models and innovation, are also supported by an ecosystem in the agtech arena that didn’t exist even three years ago. In this article, we explore the experiences and opinions of those leading the charge and making change for a positive and sustainable future across Australia’s paddocks.

IOT – THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION?

As we survey the global food supply chain, looking for environmental, social and financial solutions, we are turning more and more to IoT to provide the answers.

ENVIRONMENTAL

SOCIAL

FINANCIAL

Technologies to measure things like soil moisture so we can optimise water usage and elements such as nitrogen, greatly reducing the run off of that into rivers. We can track pest pressure at a level of specificity we’ve never seen before and are able to respond in a targeted way.

Connect global supply chains all the way from consumer to producer, creating a more personal connection with the person who’s growing the food. The broader social impact being delivered by IoT solutions is also far unlike what we’ve ever seen before – where in countries such as India, Samsung are providing free smart tablets and IoT is being developed by people with real problems.

Track the ROI on new tech developed, especially when the right problems are being solved for someone who is prepared to pay for it. The additional promise of IoT in agriculture is that we can produce more for less with fewer inputs and greater profitability.

IoT: the ul t imate solut ion?

6|The Gatherer

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