Competitiveness and environmentally friendly agriculture through artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence has been successfully introduced into the agricultural sector in recent years, with smart systems and digital solutions being employed to great effect by farmers. The conversation has shifted from whether technology, specifically artificial intelligence, can be integrated into agricultural operations to how it can contribute to the agricultural sector and the agri-food chain in a way that makes farmers more competitive and farming more environmentally friendly. Below are three methods that could potentially bolster the integration of artificial intelligence into Europe’s agricultural sector:

Mission-oriented agriculture

The use of Artificial Intelligence in agriculture should aim not only to boost productivity, but also to promote environmentally friendly and socially responsible farming. Using new technologies, farmers can ensure food supply and carbon capture, feeding the population and protecting the environment at the same time.

Artificial intelligence designed by farmers for farmers

It is important for farmers to be able to choose the agricultural practices they want to apply and receive adequate support and guidance in implementing these new practices, so that no one is excluded from this new production model. For this reason, there are two major obstacles that Europe is trying to address through the Green Deal and the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): the full development of broadband services in rural areas and farmer training. These two issues will play a key role in the development of new forms of farming.

Data protection

The issue of data collection from the field is particularly important in terms of use and ownership. Artificial Intelligence could potentially be a source of volumes of farmland data, which farmers can utilise to improve their productive processes. However, processing and exchange of said data with all interested parties may be achieved only if farmers understand the potential benefits and are assured that their data will be used in a clear and fair manner. It is therefore vital to define basic principles of data rights, rights of access and rights of reuse of data.