INNOVATION
HARVESTING :
Not just tons per hectare but also “ digital bites ” per hectare
� By Martin van Zyl
Group Executive : Innovation and Integrated Solutions
GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL CHALLENGES
According to agricultural industry experts and researchers the following 4 global challenges need to be addressed by the agricultural industry : ➊ Growing world population ➋ Transparent and safe food production ➌ Climate change ➍ Healthy food
The World Economic Forum argues that global food systems today are in need of transformation . “ Billions of people are poorly nourished , millions of farmers live at subsistence level , enormous amounts of food go to waste and poor farming practices are taking a toll on the environment .”
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS
Technological advancements have the potential to help revolutionise the industry .
There are 3 distinctive technologies to be considered : ➊ The Internet of Things ( IoT ) ➋ Big Data and Analytics ➌ Blockchains
THE INTERNET OF THINGS ( IoT )
The IoT - which relies on sensors and actuators connected by networks to computing systems , makes it possible to track the trajectory of products through supply chains and control the transportation and storage environments ( e . g . temperature , humidity , precipitation ) in real time .
Use case There are various sensors to be found in the agricultural industry today . One example is soil moisture sensors – which can for instance give the real-time status of soil moisture for irrigation purposes .
BIG DATA
The idea is that we can learn things from a large body of information that we could not comprehend when we used smaller amounts . Big data can help to enhance the overall agricultural value chain . Through precision agricultural practices we ’ ve been collecting huge amounts of data .
Use case Senwes uses drones and satellite imagery with advanced sensors to survey crops . This data is used to measure against a norm and any deviation from the norm can be highlighted and the farmer can be notified to focus on a specific area .
BLOCKCHAINS
Perhaps one of the problems for the lack of transparency and widespread adoption of technology for farmers and the agricultural community at large , is the association of bitcoin with blockchain . While the two have emerged into the mainstream at about the same time , they are two totally different things .
Blockchain can be used to monitor information about food moving through the supply chain . This is important because the technology makes it impossible for the information to be censored or tampered with by supply-chain participants .
Use case Bringing transparency to the supply chain will allow us to identify and remove bad actors and poor processes . This ensures ideal conditions from farm to market , and we can pinpoint the source quickly in the event of a food safety outbreak . This could save time , money and lives .
SENWES SOLUTION OFFERING TO THE PRODUCER
The importance for the Senwes group is to take all these data inputs and instead of “ harvesting " it , we analyse it and focus on designing integrated solutions for our customers .
32
SENWES SCENARIO | AUTUMN 2018