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Digital farming set to revolutionize agriculture |
nsects, diseases and weeds are a farmer’s worst nightmare — pests cause severe crop damage and jeopardize harvests. Modern crop protection can help a farmer overcome these challenges and produce sufficient safe and affordable crops. In most cases, stress factors affecting plants are only detected when much damage has already been done. At this point, there is often little choice but to apply crop protection products to cure what little can still be saved.
Innovative digital farming technology can help to address this challenge. For example, satellite imagery and drones can deliver detailed field observations, and remote sensors can take regular pictures and measure the emitted radiation in a range of wavelengths. These non-visible bands reveal a wealth of information about the condition of crops, such as their overall vitality. This way, stress factors that endanger plants can be detected long before they become visible to the human eye.
Stress factors that endanger plants can be detected long before they become visible to the human eye.
Sustainability through digital technologies
Digital farming paves the way for a new agricultural revolution that makes farming smarter, more efficient and sustainable. As more available data is combined with a farmer’s experience, the options for action improve. Optimizing the decision-making process in the agricultural sector will not only preserve the environment, but also stimulate economic growth by increasing the sector’s competitiveness through gains in productivity and cutting costs.
Great opportunity at European level
Given its tremendous opportunities, digital farming should be on top of the EU’s strategic agenda. Setting the course in this field now could create a competitive advantage for European farmers and agricultural industry alike. Europe should seize the moment and take the lead in shaping the next generation of agriculture.
Digital farming is about to revolutionize agriculture — not only in Europe, but worldwide.
To unlock the full potential of digital farming, the EU needs to create the right regulatory environment and set the right policy incentives. The following set of measures could be a starting point to this end:
Promoting Digital Farming through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): Building on the ongoing debate on the future design of CAP, a positive step would be to make the case for a prominent role of digital farming in the ongoing reform process, and use EU funds to support farmers who have already taken steps towards digitalization, plus encourage ones that have yet to do so. The provision of targeted financial support would strongly increase the likelihood of a farmer’s transition to data-based farming techniques. In addition, CAP reform could also include greater support for educational measures, such as digital skills trainings.
A well-developed digital infrastructure, especially in rural areas, is a precondition for digital farming.
Improving digital infrastructure: A well-developed digital infrastructure, especially in rural areas, is a precondition for digital farming. By making sure that data can be transferred quickly and reliably, the EU can strongly contribute to the full achievement of digital farming’s potential. National governments and EU institutions have to work hand in hand: At national level, adequate investments into broadband infrastructure are crucial, but they need to be better coordinated and should also focus more on rural communities.
Let’s be clear: Digital farming is about to revolutionize agriculture — not only in Europe, but worldwide. Setting the right course now gives the EU the opportunity to shape this process for the benefit of growth, a competitive agricultural sector and a more sustainable way of farming in Europe.
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