The Transition to Sustainable Agriculture Technology: Advancing Sustainability and Efficiency

It was the innate human capacity for innovation that drove the initial development of agricultural societies sometime between 11 - 12,000 years ago. A bountiful supply of food enabled human development and population growth. 

The challenges of feeding larger communities stimulated further improvements in agriculture. Since the first cultivation of basic crops by Neolithic communities in the Levant, and the subsequent domestication of animals, agriculture was driven by need and innovation. 

Beginning in the 16th century the British Agricultural Revolution, paved the way for the industrial revolution. The industrialized cities with their growing populations, placed sweeping new demands on farming. 

A process of mechanization and manufactured fertilizers transformed farming into an industry. High agricultural yields (and profits) were pursued with little thought of environmental impact. 

Today we are experiencing a new 21st-century agricultural revolution. It is driven by four main factors:

1. Rapid population growth and growing prosperity

2. A volatile global climate

3. Public demand for sustainability

4. Transformative sustainable agriculture technology

The need for sustainable solutions for agriculture is creating a massive new high-tech industry. Potential revenues are being calculated in billions of dollars. The rewards for creating new technologies in sustainable agriculture are bringing together some of the world's finest agronomists, data specialists, software engineers, and developers. 

Agriculture 4.0 in Farming

In 2018, the World Government Summit published a key report entitled Agriculture 4.0 in Farming. It identified four major emerging pressures on global agriculture:

1. Demographics

2. Scarcity of natural resources

3. Climate change

4. Food waste

Agriculture 4.0 in Farming analyzed the issues and their predicted impact on the human race. The report articulated and defined issues that affect every human being on the planet. Agriculture 4.0 entered the public consciousness, alongside other key milestones like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The publication of Agriculture 4.0 in Farming, and its positive reception, added to the impetus for new global agricultural strategies. Now at the boardroom level, there is a receptive audience for sustainable innovations in agriculture. Innovations in sustainable agriculture are attracting investors and we're seeing a proliferation of high-tech eco-start-ups. These range from tech companies developing field-level sensors and drones to software producers, and state-of-the-art urban farms with the latest in sustainable agriculture technology.

The importance of innovation in agriculture: creating a sustainable future

The global population is expected to approach the 10 billion level around 2050. Increasing prosperity with a growing demand for luxury food products and greater consumption is also allowing greater food waste. As the demand for food rises, we face problems with soil erosion and a decrease in viable arable land (currently just 3% of the earth's surface). 

in 2009 the UN Food and Agriculture Organization published a report, it calculated that agricultural production will need to increase by 70% to meet the food demands of 2050, this challenge is compounded by climate change. 

Climate predictions include higher-than-average temperatures, longer dry/hot seasons, more intense rainy seasons, and all the changes to local flora and fauna that such events create. Whatever the causes of fluctuating weather patterns, farmers will need the data, tools, and flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing conditions. New technologies in sustainable agriculture are essential for 21st-century farmers. 

Sustainable agriculture is currently the only working concept that offers a holistic solution to the serious pressures on food security and our environment. Properly implemented, sustainable innovations in agriculture can feed the growing global population. Sustainable agricultural innovations rationalize production and logistical trails, reduce waste from field to supermarket shelf, and can also combat soil erosion and deforestation with direct incentives to reclaim marginal land

Sustainable agriculture also. 

Sustainable innovations in agriculture

Farming has always been at the mercy of the weather and history is full of accounts of extreme weather patterns wreaking havoc on agriculture. Sustainable innovations in agriculture are already delivering some significant benefits to farmers. Weather apps can dramatically reduce weather-related harvest damage. Also, the creation of new artificial microclimates allows farmers to adapt their activities, explore new crops, and actively benefit from changing climates. 

Innovations in sustainable agriculture begin with ICL Group's  (NYSE:ICL) specialty fertilizers. Controlled-release granular fertilizers can reduce farming production costs, and enable precise dosing with optimal levels of phosphates (or calcium, sulfur, and other nutrients) while reducing runoff and or plant damage. Farmers can use soil sensors to monitor soil quality and moisture in specific sub-locations (even within the same field) to create tailored fertilizer and irrigation solutions. 

The principles are the same for advanced fertilizers or organic fertilizers. They can be allocated to specific areas and spread at an optimal volume for that soil. Even small batches of natural slurry can be given a quick field analysis to determine their chemical composition. Crop nutrition is maximized, while waste and pollution are eliminated. 

It's already possible to measure the biomass of specific sections of an individual field and identify areas of concern. Aerial surveillance and analysis of fields whether by multi-million dollar commercial satellites or hand-operated drones, allow farmers to map their fields and use infrared photography to perform spot checks on crop health. 

As agriculture undergoes a transition towards highly regulated production line farming, we see greater use of robotic processes. Electric, self-driven farm vehicles, equipped with smart sensors and connected to a farm WiFi are one example of the versatility of new technologies in sustainable agriculture. The addition of GPS systems to tractors has allowed for the precision fertilization of fields and the optimization of other resources, fuel costs were cut, vehicle lifetime was extended, and other savings were made. 

Although much of the focus is on arable farming, many of the new sustainable technologies are suited to enterprises like fish farming, livestock management, and niche urban farming. 

Fish farming is uniquely suited to benefit from innovation in agriculture, particularly when it is conducted in purpose-built microenvironments. Fish farmers can benefit exponentially from drones, waterborne sensors, the ability to monitor water quality and temperature, and control parasites. Localized fish farming reduces supply chain impact on the environment, creates local employment, and reduces pressure on fragile marine ecosystems. 

Urban farming is expected to see a massive surge as innovations in sustainable agriculture make small-scale niche agriculture viable. In some advanced agricultural units, individual pieces of fruit on a plant can now be detected by sensors as they become ripe, and are then harvested by robots. Products that were previously imported, can potentially be grown in artificial environments that are continually adjusted and optimized by smart software and learning machines. An example might include a local industrial unit that supplies a city's restaurants and groceries with expensive mushrooms and fungi. 

ICL Group: Advancing sustainability and efficiency through R&D and innovation 

A prime example of innovation in agriculture is ICL Group, R&D and sustainable innovation are part of the company's DNA. The company is particularly committed to implementing the UN's second Sustainable Development Goal: Zero Hunger. Their researchers are focused on delivering practical solutions to farmers and agronomists. ICL's innovations in the field of industrial ag also include alternative proteins, the development of safer pesticides, soil fumigation, and crop storage. 

This company is making a positive contribution to the implementation of sustainable agriculture, and the drive to achieve world food security over the next decades. The scope of their international operations, and the range of talent and skills within their group, are creating new agricultural solutions on a continual basis. 

ICL's outreach projects which include working with local farmers, urban farmers, and community gardens, supporting food banks, and organizing food donations have had a transformational effect on the collective corporate mindset. ICL is fully focused on sustainability and innovation, and the people who identify and create the opportunities!