New Agriculture and ICT

 - Overview

"By 2050 the earth's population will likely reach 9.5 billion people, requiring an 80% increase in agricultural production. Achieving this will require innovative technologies to make agriculture more efficient and optimize existing inputs." -- (MIT) Along with an increasing population, the world faces climate change, rising fossil fuel prices, ecosystem degradation, and water and land scarcity -- all of which are making today's food production methods increasingly unsustainable. 

Agriculture will soon need to become more manufacturing-like in order to feed the world’s growing population. Crops will soon need to become more drought resistant in order to effectively grow in uncertain climates. Farms will soon need to learn how to harvest more with less water. If farms are to continue to feed the world’s population they will have to do so in manners both independent of, and accommodating to, the planet’s changing and highly variable climes. That necessitates the smart application of both proven and cutting-edge technology. Advances in technology are key to the future of agriculture as farmers strive to feed the world with limited natural resources.

- Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in agricultural technology includes networks, mobile devices, equipment, services and applications that help process, manage and exchange data, information or knowledge with target audiences. They include a wide range of converged technologies, including traditional telecommunications, television and video, radio, CD-ROM, mobile phones and smart devices, as well as some modern technologies such as computers and the Internet, sensors, geographic information systems, satellites and the like. Essentially, the purpose of ICT is to transfer information from one place to another.

- ICT impact on Agriculture and ICT

When talking about modern agricultural technology, the role of ICT as a decision support system for farmers needs to be acknowledged. With the help of ICT, farmers are able to keep abreast of all the latest information. This includes data on weather, agriculture, and newer, more advanced methods of improving crop quality and yield. 

ICT has largely revolutionized the way people, governments and businesses large and small operate in the modern world. Nearly 60% of the world's population is connected to the Internet, and the mobile Internet has become the most widely used Internet access channel in the world. The widespread adoption of ICTs has made it possible to facilitate better communication and ensure the delivery of services and information to people who were previously inaccessible. 

The infusion of new, advanced agricultural technologies has enabled the global agricultural sector to thrive and transformed the way producers grow, harvest and distribute agricultural products. The use of technology in Indian agriculture or e-agriculture has accelerated agricultural and rural development by adopting innovative ways to improve existing information and communication processes. It has revolutionized smallholder agriculture in some agrarian economies in particular and helped address some of the challenges associated with traditional forms of agriculture.

[More to come ...]