The Rise of AI in Sustainable Agriculture

Agriculture is getting big help from Artificial Intelligence. This fast-developing technology is set to increase yields, reduce carbon footprint and costs, and contribute to a sustainable and greener pasture for agriculture.

There is no denying that industrial agriculture has significantly increased food production since the 1960s. Farmers intensified large-scale farming of livestock and crops through genetic engineering, livestock antibiotics, synthetic fertilizers/pesticides, and farm mechanization. As a result, an abundance of low-cost food was made available to a booming world population. However, the impact of modern-day farming has led to serious consequences for the environment. Current practices are polluting water and soil, destroying wildlife habitats, and emitting greenhouse gases. 

The world is now shifting towards sustainable agriculture, focusing on farming practices that promote ecological balance while meeting the needs of food security. 

Why the hurry for sustainable agriculture? 

Agriculture is the biggest driver of forest loss. The latest study by the World Economic Forum revealed that agriculture is responsible for over 90% of global deforestation. Clearing land for agricultural expansion contributes to global warming as deforestation releases stored carbon dioxide in intact forests back into the atmosphere.

In addition, industrial agriculture has largely focused on monocropping. This practice depletes the soil of nutrients and causes crops to be vulnerable to diseases and pests. Farmers then resort to using more pesticides and fertilizers, which further reduces land fertility and harms wildlife and ecosystems. Moreover, fertilizer production involves the heavy use of fossil fuels, which release harmful greenhouse gases. 

Agriculture also accounts for a whopping 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, adding a heavy burden to water scarcity. These huge consequences of industrial agriculture far outweigh its goal of feeding the world, making it an unsustainable practice as the world population rises. 

Sustainable agriculture, on the other hand, aims to strike a balance between food production and the environment without putting additional strain on natural resources. It revolves around the reduced use of pesticides and fertilizers, water conservation, animal welfare, and stewardship of both human and natural resources. There is an urgent need for sustainable agriculture to offer innovative alternatives to safeguard land use and other natural resources so that they can be regenerated for the future. And this is where the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) lies. 

RYNAN Insect Monitoring System in An Giang Province, Vietnam

Artificial Intelligence in Action

The market for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture looks optimistic, as it is poised to reach US$12 billion by 2032. Farmers are increasingly using AI-powered tools in farm management - utilizing algorithms and data analysis to improve crop yield, optimize farm operations, and solve problems. From IoT sensors to imagery captured by drones and satellites, an average farm is estimated to produce 4.1 million data points daily in 2050. This massive amount of data, through deep machine learning, will help farmers understand what outcomes drive the most value for their farms. 

Here are a few ways in which AI is powering sustainable agriculture:

Predictive analytics for enhanced crop management

Benefit: Make well-informed data-based decisions to forecast demand and supply, increase yields, and mitigate losses.

Predictive analytics are extremely useful tools in crop yield predictions, helping farmers determine the best harvest times to get maximum yield. Furthermore, cognitive computing in agriculture makes use of prediction models to forecast threats such as droughts or floods that can sabotage harvests, enabling farmers to take preemptive crop protection measures to reduce their losses from climate change. Similarly, AI algorithms can also give meaningful insights into soil and livestock health, and guide growers on crop grading, sorting and output.

AI is transforming supply chain management by analyzing historical data and market trends to forecast demand; and optimizing inventory levels to minimize waste. AI algorithms are also capable of tracking shipments in real-time, predicting logistical disruptions, and scheduling timely delivery for supply chain optimization. 

Machine learning to lessen environmental impact

Benefits: Cost savings & reduced carbon footprint

By combining big data with the power of AI and machine learning, farmers can detect pests and diseases and react in a targeted and timely manner. RYNAN’s insect monitoring system, for example, uses AI-driven data analytics to identify and monitor pest and insect growth, differentiate beneficial insects from pests, and advise the appropriate application of pesticides. These minimize the unnecessary use of chemicals, encourage biodiversity, and improve the quality of agricultural produce while reducing costs and carbon footprint. 

Every day, thousands of data points are generated in real-time on a farm on soil, humidity, temperature, water usage, etc. These data are collected from sensors, satellites, and drones. When powered by AI algorithms and machine learning, big data delivers meaningful insights to optimize operations; such as knowing when to irrigate, how much fertilizer to apply, and in which targeted areas. Data gathered can also aid farmers in spot spraying, which helps them identify and target specific areas to apply pesticides, instead of a broadcast spray. Information as such is crucial to growers as it minimizes the need for unnecessary inputs, (which equates to higher costs). By reducing the need for pesticides and fertilizers, up to 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced yearly. 

Autonomous technology for reducing labor

Benefits: Eases labor shortages and boosts efficiency

The days of farmers tilling and tending in their fields are long gone. Many people don’t want to work on farms anymore, and youths are leaving the fields to seek out work in the city. The ones remaining are usually family farmers or immigrants. In addition, the high costs associated with owning land and farming activities further deter potential farmers. With so many people leaving the sector, robots are succeeding humans in the fields. 

AI is taking root in agriculture and autonomous farming machinery such as self-driving tractors, robotic harvesters, automatic sprayers, drones, planting robots, etc are operating without human intervention. These devices use machine vision and IoT sensors to perform their jobs with more precision and speed than humans. As a result, harvesting becomes automated, labor costs are reduced and farm efficiency is improved. 

The agricultural landscape will change with AI

AI is one of the most promising technologies with countless breakthroughs and innovations, and we’ve seen how it has reshaped many aspects of human life, including agriculture. This transformative technology is likely to change the role of farmers from hard laborers to custodians of smart farms that will contribute to a sustainable future for agriculture. As farms become more connected and AI technology advances, agricultural efficiency and productivity will increase immensely in the next decades. 

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Written by Jillian Wong

References:

Florence Pendrill, Toby Gardner, Patrick Meyfroidt, Martin Persson, To tackle deforestation we need to focus on land use. Here's why, World Economic Forum, (13 Sep 2022)

FAO’s work on climate change, Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Climate Change Conference 2019

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture Market Size & Scope Will Reach over USD 11.96 Billion By 2032, At 23.7% CAGR Growth: Polaris Market Research, Polaris Market Research & Consulting LLP (20 Nov 2023)

T. Manjula and T. Sudha, Cognitive Computing For Sustainable Agriculture, Asian Journal of Computer Science and Technology ISSN: 2249-0701 Vol.8 No.S3, 2019, pp. 159-161 

Nikolai Khlystov, Ryan McCullough, Ryan Degnan, Satellite-enabled apps can improve agriculture from space. Here's how, World Economic Forum, (10 May 2023)