Robots will be crucial for the future of agriculture
Global climate challenge means that agriculture must become more sustainable. This also means that we will see many more forms of agriculture in the future – and here robotics can play a crucial role. But how?
Agriculture is constantly changing – and it always has been.
With a population that is growing globally, we need more efficient agriculture which creates more food per hectare if we are to continue to put food on everyone's table.
This, combined with increasingly common climate extremes, means that agriculture today is facing a massive challenge.
The agricultural sector must be made more sustainable. The ever-increasing demands on the individual farmer on these parameters also mean that in the future we will have more and new categories of agriculture to deal with, i.e. the successors to hydroponics, aquaponics and vertical farming.
Agriculture is more than just one thing
The Farmers of the Future report – prepared by The Joint Research Center, which is part of the European Commission – indicates that by 2040 there will be 12 different types of agriculture. And the next few decades – up to 2040 – will bring major changes for all types.
– When we talk about agriculture, it is important to remember that the term does not only cover the large and intensive farms that we often hear about. It also covers smaller and local farms – in fact, right down to hobby farming level, says Team Manager at the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), Jens Martinus Pedersen.
– Major changes will occur in agriculture before 2040. More and new types of agriculture will emerge, while the expectations and requirements for individual farms in relation to, for example, sustainability will be tightened. It is therefore important that we look closely at concrete solutions that can make a real difference to agriculture – not just for the large categories, but for all types of agriculture. And here robotic technology will play a crucial role, he adds.
Fact foldout: The 12 different types of agriculture of the future
1. Adaptive Farmer
Creative, curious, open, resourceful, agile, networked. Multifunctional but coherent farm run by independent business partners
2. Corporate Farmer
Manager, career prospects in a large corporation. Business unit contributing to functioning of the corporation – providing ingredients for production of final products
3. Intensive Farmer
Innovative, efficiency-driven, technophile, autonomous. Large, efficient and specialised farm holding.
4. Patrimonial Farmer
Conservative, traditional, surviving. Varying business models, locked-in due to past investments, reliance on subsidies/off-farm incom.
5. Controlled Environment Farmer
Technophile entrepreneur. Vertical farming in the cities and on outskirts (soilless).
6. Cell Farmer
Biotech entrepreneur. Creating synthetic protein-based food/ingredients.
7. Social Care Farmer
Service- and society-oriented, empathy, open-minded. Farms providing food and social/ healthcare services.
8. Lifestyle Farmer
Quality of life, self-actualisation, cross-cultural competence, flexibility. Migrants from urban areas starting (part-time) agricultural activity in 'farm as a service' context.
9. Regenerative Farmer
Strong environmental and social motivation, holistic approach to agriculture. Environmental sustainability is the guiding principle, going beyond the sustainability mainstream.
10. Urban Farmer
Entrepreneur, social responsibility. Soil based farming in urban environment, open field and greenhouses, on the ground or roof-top.
11. Serious Hobby Farmer
Persistent, focused on mastery of activity. Small farms, the objectives focus on occupation rather than profitability.
12. Community-Provisioning Farmer
Care-giver, nurturer oriented to small, tight networks. Small farms, plots, gardens or home installations in urban or rural settings.
What is the role of robots in the agriculture of the future?
It is clear that, for all types of agriculture, all types of farmers will no longer be able to rely on the way they farmed in the past.
A central point of emphasis in the report states that technological development will be important if agriculture as a whole is to keep up with the increasing demands for sustainability from its surroundings.
DTI was a partner in the agROBOfood project, funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 program, which ran from 2019 to February 2024.
In agROBOfood, 37 European partners collaborated to create a proper foundation for modern agriculture, so that all types of agriculture have access to and the opportunity to implement the latest robotic solutions and meet the increasing demands.
– If agriculture is to be able to deliver sufficient high-quality and healthy products and services at a reasonable price in the future – without adverse effects on biodiversity, climate and the environment – we need to integrate solutions based on digital technologies and robotics, says Jens Martinus Pedersen.
– Technologies such as drones, robots, sensors, 3D printing, IoT and artificial intelligence will transform agriculture as we know it today. It is therefore important that professionals in the agricultural sector relate to these technologies, consider their applicability, build skills and get training (or train themselves) to be able to handle them. And that is precisely what we are trying to facilitate with the agROBOfood project, he adds.