Farmer buy-in vital for future technologies
Wearable animal sensors, drones, genome engineering and new soil management systems are just some of the technologies that will boost future agri-food production, industry leaders heard at the Teagasc Technology Foresight 2035 conference in Aviva Stadium, Dublin.
“Adoption of new technology and management systems by Irish farmers has traditionally been low,” says Teagasc’s report.
“New technologies and farming systems will only contribute to a globally sustainable Irish agri-food and bioeconomy sector if adoption rates are improved.
“This calls for increased emphasis on education and extension services to help increase the skills and knowledge base of farmers and food producers. This will require advisors to be fully informed and conversant with latest developments as well as having an appreciation of social contexts and drivers for change,” it said.
The report notes that skilled advisors will be needed to ensure farmers fully capture the benefits that digital communication and other technologies can deliver. It cites ecosystem services provision, agro-ecological practices and a range of IT- dependent precision-farming applications as just a few of the anticipated innovations that farmers are set to adopt in the coming years.
Teagasc chairman Noel Cawley said: “Connecting with both private and public organisations, Teagasc will work collaboratively to explore these sciences and to transfer the emerging knowledge onto farms through our advisors and educators.
“We are helping to develop digital technology solutions for Irish farmers and food companies that will enable them to be more competitive and sustainable. But much more needs to be done to enable Irish farmers and food processors deal with the opportunities and challenges of the next two decades.”
Banning Garrett, Washington-based founding director of Atlantic Council’s Strategic Foresight Initiative, was the keynote speaker at the Foresight conference. His address was entitled ‘Technology will keep changing everything — and will do it faster’.
Teagasc’s director of research Frank O’Mara, spoke on the topic ‘Technology Foresight: A Vision for Transforming Irish Agri-Food and Bioeconomy’. Teagasc director Gerry Boyle discussed ‘Future Agri-Food Value Chains’.
