Smart Farming: smarter, more sustainable, more fun

Report Smart Farming Conference 28 June 2018 at Agrifood Innovation Event in Venlo

On June 26 and 27, the Agrifood Innovation Event was held at the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo. The first day was all about healthy food and vertical farming, the second day was all about 3D food printing and smart farming. The editors of Kiempunt took a look and decided to especially zoom in on smart farming. The speakers generously and openly shared their knowledge and expertise to the very international audience about the future of robotics and technology in agri-food.
But what exactly does this benefit you as a farmer? Kiempunt shares the 5 distinctive trends that were reflected in the various presentations.

1: Industry-altering technologies are coming to the agri-food sector

New technologies in agri-food often have their origins in other sectors.
For example, Dennis van der Wiel of Polariks talks about applying research techniques from space, astronomical spectrography, in viticulture. Vineyard scanning can be used to collect a range of data about the grapes, allowing better taste and harvest, as well as reducing the need for pesticides.
Michael Utkin, eFarmer, predicts the advent of self-driving tractors, as already used in aviation and now being tested in the automotive industry.
Louis de Bruin of IBM Digital Operations expects retailers to demand Blockchain participation from food producers as a condition of delivery in order to more quickly and reliably trace the origin of the food.
And the presence of Thijs Verploegen from Bosch demonstrates it: major players in the playing field of Internet of Things are looking to the agri-food sector. Bosch supplies sensors to measure temperature and humidity or detect diseases, robots that weed or spray in a highly targeted manner, and scanners that can check the freshness or ripeness of products, among other things.

2: Measurement as a preventive tool

Where new technologies were first mainly used as research tools, they are now becoming more and more tools to offer the farmer more convenience and to prevent problems. Geer Hermans of ZLTO talks for example about remote sensing, a technique whereby hyperspectral images are collected from fields using satellites and drones. The data is then translated into relevant information for the farmer: is watering necessary, when can you harvest, what is the expected yield?
Pieter Hoenderkerken of The Internet House shows various Internet of Things applications for farmers, such as a heat sensor that measures the temperature in a haystack and warns the farmer if the temperature reaches a critical level, a water meter that issues a notification at a certain water level, or a soil sensor that measures temperature, moisture and salt values. Meanwhile, the company is working on new applications, such as virtual fences that keep cows in the pasture without the need for physical fences.
Lenny van Erp-van der Kooij from HAS shares the latest Precision Livestock Farming applications that improve both animal welfare and efficiency. Sensors and robots collect data about the livestock and their environment in order to act on it if required. For example, sounds from pigs and chickens can be measured, and their well-being can be deduced from the frequency of the sounds. Sensors around the neck and leg of cows measure the activity of dairy cows and monitor their health. Thanks to an app on his smartphone, the farmer immediately knows the cow's location and can therefore intervene quickly.

3: Sustainability as a business model

Where previously sustainable production was seen much as an alternative market for a very limited group of small-scale farmers, more sustainable production is now receiving much wider attention. It is precisely with the help of smart farming that sustainability can be implemented on a larger scale and save costs.
Jan Vet of Sensite Solutions, for example, talks about how they translate big data into models that predict the shelf life of agricultural products such as grain under certain storage conditions. In this way, spoilage and thus waste can be prevented.
Polariks' previously mentioned spectrography also enables more sustainable viticulture. Important, if we look at the figures: 60% of the pesticides used are applied in vineyards, while it only accounts for 3% of the agricultural land. So there is a lot to gain here.
Eva van Rijsingen of Blue Engineering argues for the use of ICT systems to give plants and animals exactly what they need. But then on the basis of the principle of biomimicry: nature itself then serves as a model for the ideal situation: a high level of soil and biodiversity, extremely efficient and with a focus on the long term.

4: Co-creation with consumers

Smart farming may be strongly technology-driven, but even then the consumer can be put at the center. Arend Koekkoek of Idea-x and Campus Almkerk, shares his Pixel Farming initiative: farming in co-creation with the consumer. The consumer rents a field and orders the crops online. The Pixel Farming robot sows this crop in exactly the specified spot, takes pictures of the progress, which the consumer can view via an app. The harvest is sent to the consumer.
What is striking is that the participating consumer applies much more crop diversity than the average farmer and thinks from need rather than maximum yield.

5: Sharing economy makes its appearance

eFarmer Michael Utkin makes it clear that with the entry of all these new technologies and applications comes different revenue models from creators. Instead of selling machines and equipment, more and more in service subscriptions, rental constructions and other forms of the sharing economy will emerge. And that has its impact on the cost structure of an agricultural business. Fixed costs are getting lower and shifting to variable costs. This gives the farmer more control and flexibility. Utkin expects that it will also have a major impact on the interpretation of the role of the farmer. With a wide range of services, the farmer can decide for himself where to put the focus and outsource other matters. As Utkin says: let the farmer choose what he likes doing best.