IoT has already fundamentally changed farming forever, finds Inmarsat study
Agricultural science is a critical field. Changes in agricultural science lead the Green Revolution, which is credited with saving perhaps billions of lives. However, population growth is putting pressure on our agricultural resources; almost all of the world’s farmable land is used for farming. According to Inmarsat, however, we may be on the verge of a second Green Revolution thanks to the Internet of Things.
Inmarsat researcher Vanson Bourne interviewed 100 agritech companies in locations around the world for a report entitled “The Future of IoT in Enterprise – 2017.” The results showed that the industry is already using IoT technology for farming, with 62 percent of respondents claiming they have already deployed at least some IoT infrastructure. An additional 27 percent of respondents planned to roll out IoT technology within the next six months. This adoption of IoT infrastructure will accelerate in the coming years. Today, agriculture companies spend about five percent of their budgets on technology. By 2022, Inmarsat expects this number to rise to 12 percent.
Commenting on the study, Ayan Jose-Alkemade, Inmarsat’s Director of Sector Development Agriculture stated: “With the planet estimated to reach a population of 10 billion people by 2050, humanity will face challenges with sustainable water sources, food production, and the best use of land to get the maximum yield from crops. Additionally, using the most efficient method to deliver the resources will increasingly feature on the global agenda. In short, farmers, with the help of the agritech sector, need to get smarter, leaner and faster from field to fork. The only way to really do this is with the clever application of new technologies like IoT, and our research demonstrates how quickly agritech businesses are embracing this technology. IoT will fuel a revolution in the farming sector and bring gains that completely eclipse those made in the first Green Revolution in the 1970s.”
In additional to performing research, Inmarsat is also a leader in agritech across the globe. The company’s experience of LoRaWAN technology and data analytics provide Inmarsat with unique expertise for developing technology to maximize crop output. Furthermore, their technology works well in remote locations where common networking infrastructure is unavailable, letting all agriculture companies take advantage of new technology. Inmarsat’s L-band network provides satellite connectivity, ensuring excellent reliability.
Scientists are busy finding ways to maximize crop yields by enhancing the seeds farmers use, and advanced pesticides can prevent crop losses. The Internet of Things will also play a major role in increasing yields in addition to letting farmers use resources more efficiently. Feeding the world’s growing population will be challenging, but new technology holds tremendous promise.
