The agricultural industry will need to embrace smart farming methodologies to support the growing human population, according to a report from an Internet of Things analyst.
Specialist IoT analysts at Beecham Research have compiled a report urging the agricultural sector to do more to adopt smart farming technology to ensure sustainable food production can keep pace.
The report highlighted the importance of harnessing new technologies across the value chain, from technology providers and farm equipment suppliers, to government policy-makers and producers in the field.
Report co-author and Beecham chief research officer Saverio Romeo said: “The United Nations Food and Agriculture Programme has noted that global production of food, feed and fibre will need to increase by 70 per cent by 2050 to meet the demands of a growing population.
“This means to optimise crop yields and reduce waste, the agriculture and farming industries will need to rely heavily on IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies moving forward.
“GPS services, sensors and big data will all become essential farming tools in the coming years and are clearly set to revolutionise agriculture.”