See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/285249181

Impact of Technology on Agriculture and Food Production

Research · December 2015

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.1608.8400

CITATIONS READS

6 50,056

1 author:

Conor Parke
Letterkenny Institute of Technology
5 PUBLICATIONS   6 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Conor Parke on 01 December 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 The Impact of Technology on Agriculture and Food
Production

Conor Parke

L00093638

[email protected]

18th December 2013

1 Introduction

Agriculture has always been responsible for producing food for the world population. It
dates back well over 10,000 years ago, to the time of the hunter gatherer societies in
Southwest Asia and China. Back then before the dawn of agriculture, it supported only
4 million people. Today modern Agriculture now feeds over 7 billion people worldwide,
5 so this statistic alone shows just how far the Industry has come in recent years. (Tillman
et al. (2002))
Advances in technology within agriculture have made a tremendous contribution to
the lives of every human being in the world today, both economically and socially. It is
not just an industry it is the foundation of our civilization. Agriculture provides us with
10 the basic essentials for living, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the materials inside
of our homes and it also provides many people with incomes. Without agriculture we
would have none of these, matter of fact we wouldn’t be able to survive. In a small
nation like Ireland for example, there is now 90,000 people employed in this sector and
there are approximately 140,000 family farms too. This tells us that agriculture is deep

1
15 in many people’s lives worldwide.(Insight (2009))
The introduction of new technologies and scientific methods (advancements) has
made a monumental impact on the farming sector in recent decades. Its welcomed
induction has not only made farming more sustainable and profitable, it has also dra-
matically reduced the manual workload placed on many farmers. An example of this
20 would be that today more complex high tech machinery do most of the typical jobs that
need to be carried out by farmers. Nowadays a farmer can bale silage or hay in a fraction
of the time that would have taken less than 40 years ago, not alone this but the impact
of technology in agriculture is evident throughout the world.
There are currently 7.2 billion people in the world today. Countries like China and
25 India account for 36% of the world’s population alone. The world population has steadily
risen from a total of 4.4billion people in 1980 to reach a figure of 6.9billion in 2010, it is
projected that this number will reach 9.6billion by the year 2050. Growth rates are set
to increase more so in the less developed countries, which are predicted to increase from
900million inhabitants to 1.8billion in the less than 40 years’ time. India and Nigeria will
30 account for the bulk of this population growth.(Matthews (2013))
With the world’s population rapidly growing, the need to find new ways of feeding
everyone has become more important than ever before and with global hunger on the
rise again, FAO(Food & Agriculture organisation of the United Nations) has stated that
if the predicted global population figures become a reality, then world food production
35 will need to rise by 70% .Food production within the developing world will also need to
double. Reaching these figures will be no mean task for producers. Producing enough
food for the world’s population by the year 2050 is a challenge that Farmers and producers
will face head on and overcome. This is why I believe that technological advancements
have made an extensive impact on the agricultural sector, especially in the area of food
40 production. Although the current rate of population growth is truly alarming, new
technologies have resulted in a massive increase in productivity aswell as ensuring that
the agricultural sector will be able to provide food at its ease for many years to come.

2
 Figure 1: RFID Tagging

All because of new precision agricultural technologies such as crop sensors, new GPS
tracking systems, RFID tagging aswell as the artificial insemination of cattle and even
45 social media have all the potential to completely transform the industry as we know
it. Other practices and technologies such as fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation systems
have been around for many years in helping increase yields and food production. However
the key difference is that now they are more efficient, aswell as being a lot more user
and environmentally friendly. But the projected 70% increase in food production still
50 faces many agronomic challenges. As a result, producing enough food at an acceptable
cost on the planet will heavily rely on intensive research into everything from new seed
varieties, drought resistant crops to new more efficient farming practices.(FAO (2012);
Christian Bauckhage and Albrecht (2012)) I am sure that with such advancements and
with new innovative technologies in the pipeline, that we can expect to see a rapid
55 increase in food production in the future. Modern farming will change as we know it.

2 Discussion

A number of problems that may arise could be climate change. Heavy torrential rain
In Asia for example has completely destroyed farmland. The soil is now infertile due to

3
 Figure 2: Farmers in developing Countries are facing many challenges

the leaching process that occurs during flooding. Other issues could arise, such as water
60 shortages in developing countries, food safety, animal welfare and a negative environ-
mental impact. The misuse of nitrogen and pesticides has occured in the past. Harming
human health and wild animals, polluting the water from which we drink along with
destroying natural ecosystems. These all pose major challenges in relation to achieving
adequate and sustainable food production in the coming years. We must also be wary of
65 the latest rise in energy prices, land and water degradation which can pose many dangers
to food security besides the people who inhabit the land. It has been well documented
that the livelihoods of many farmers in poorer regions have being ruined, as farming
was their only means of income that they may have had and the hope of been able to
provide food for their families is now in jeopardy. New government laws and regulations
70 that are attempting to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions won’t fair well for future food
production either as it has been a major contributor to greenhouse gases in the past.
(Christian Bauckhage and Albrecht (2012))
But these concerns can all be eliminated if farmers make more efficient use of pesti-
cides, the same can be said for nitrogen and fertilisers. More government funding in
75 developing countries would allow farmers to have access to more readily available tech-
nologies and equipment that can support an upsurge in local food production, raising
farming incomes as a consequence. The whole idea of “Agricultural sustainability” re-

4
 volves around food production that most effectively uses nature’s goods & services
without harming nature itself”. Better use of water resources will greatly lessen the
80 chance of it becoming scarce in the future aswell. The term conservation tillage means
exactly what it says.It involves farmers reducing the amount of tillage cut, in order for
the soil on the land to be conserved, ensuring that it remains good and rich in nutri-
ents, thus lessening the chance of soil degradation. (Dupoint_2010) SCR (Selective
Catalytic Reduction)/EGR (Exhaust Gas recirculation) engines have now been recently
85 popularized by tractors and other farm machinery. They are well and truly on their
way to becoming smokeless. Manufacturers at AGCO, one of the most well renowned
Agricultural machinery manufacturers & designers in the world have been working hard
in recent years by investing a substantial amount of time and capital into these more
efficient engine designs. They are aiming to make fuel use more efficient which would
90 result in less harmful gasses entering the air in which we breathe. These engines may be
up to 9% more expensive that your regular tractor engine, but they are the only two of
their kind on the market readily available to farmers. These engines will not only reduce
particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in large engines, they will
also meet the governments iT4 emissions regulations.(AGCO_2012)
95 So the question can be asked “How exactly has technology in agriculture, contributed
to food production for the increasing World population?” The answer is quite simple. The
introduction and developments in science and technology have contributed to better soil,
aswell as nutrient, water & pesticide use efficiency, whilst also increasing food production
along with eliminating environmental and health concerns. Their usage has been notably
100 criticised and questioned in the past by many. The invention of GM(Genetically Modified)
Crop’s like drought resistant crops have ensured that crop production can be maintained
even if the weather conditions have not been favourable.
It can be argued that technology was first introduced in agriculture in the early 1940’s.
Although commercial fertilizers where first used in the late 1800’s, and the first gasoline
105 tractor was also built around this time. It wasn’t until fertilizer usage doubled that we

5
 could truly say that technology had been introduced into the sector. 1945 saw the first
real notable change in farmer’s transition from using horses to using tractors. This had
a widespread effect on the industry. Resulting in the introduction of new technological
practices which characterized another agricultural revolution, which in turn led to a sharp
110 rise in productivity. As the decades went on, one farmer on average provided food for
more and more people. By the 1970’s, one farmer in the USA supplied food for nearly
50 people. Labour hours to produce wheat and cut corn also dramatically decreased as
the decades went on. By the start of the 1990’s, one farmer was estimated to provide for
over 100 people. The first weed and insect resistant bio-tech crops also became readily
115 available around this time, along with an increase in the usage of precision techniques
and technologies. (Mary Bellis (2010))
It has been well documented in recent years that technological and scientific ad-
vancements have greatly helped farmers in the industrialized world resulting in massive
gains in food and crop production. But unfortunately the same cannot be said for most
120 of the forgotten farmers of the developing world, who have yet to see similar gains in
productivity. People might be curious as to why this is the case? The first and main
reason being that these farmers lack the capital needed to purchase such new precision
tools. Many of the countries governments concerned have not invested enough money
into the agriculture industry in order to compete with the food producing superpowers
125 such as the USA, China and India aswell as Brazil who have joined this elite group in
recent years. As they are now noted as being one of the leading beef and soybean pro-
ducers in the world. These farmers which are mainly situated in Latin America, Asia and
Africa suffer in many other ways aswell. They have only small incomes from their small
scale, outdated production systems. They also cross many other degrees of difficulty
130 while working their lands, which often suffer from soil degradation. Their farmlands
also produce fewer crops mainly due to having climates that are unsuitable for growth.(
Pretty and Noble (2006))
A number of well documented projects have taken place in the last 50 years in some

6
 developing countries. The main aim of these projects were to increase food production
135 aswell as introduce new more potent technologies and practices that would as a result
show increases in farming incomes. In a recent project carried out in 2006, its plan
consisted of introducing new resource-conserving technologies and practices such as
integrated pest management, Conservation tillage, fertiliser-use efficiency along with
livestock integration. The scientists that carried out this project did so in order find
140 out to what extent a farmer could increase productivity whilst using low-cost, locally
available technologies. They wanted to discover first hand what effect these inputs such
as pesticides and fertilizers would have on the environment. The project consisted of
a wide variety of farming subsystems that varied from wetland rice systems in Asia to
smallholder rain fed humid systems commonly found in Latin American countries like
145 Costa Rica and Venezuela. The results were all mainly positive. Not only did they show
an extensive improvement in terms of productivity in areas that were poor production
lands beforehand. They also showed that these increases resulted even when there was
a reduction in the use of pesticides and nitrogen by up to 70%. This meant that these
farmers could then invest this saved capital on other inputs like fertilisers, more efficient
150 irrigation scheme’s aswell as higher quality seeds. All of which would have less of an
impact on the environment. In total 12.6 million farmers have adopted agricultural
technologies & practices in developing countries. There is 37 million hectares under
sustainable agriculture in these nations. The average increase in crop yields was 79.2%
across all the projects, so the future is promising. Efforts are being made to ensure that
155 these countries will do all they can to obtain their maximum production rate. (Pretty
and Noble (2006))
These farmers need to make the best use of the limited resources that they have
at hand. Water scarcity for example, is predicted to affect developing countries both
economically and physically by the year 2025. This is a statistic that calls for concern.
160 This will result in a reduction in food production in the affected countries. Agriculture
is responsible for 70% of current water withdrawals from rivers. So better water-use

7
 efficiency needs to be introduced in order to combat this growing issue of concern. The
Green revolution that occurred between 1940 – the late 1960’s, was one of the most
prominent, widely recognized projects to have occurred. The movement itself was led
165 by a man named Norman Borlaug, an american biologist whose primary goal was to
introduce existing technologies into countries such as India, Mexico and China. In doing
so this resulted in colossal gains in food & crop production. The employment of pesti-
cides, fertilizers and new high yield crops into such nations completely revolutionized
farming and food production in the countries concerned. It was widely praised for saving
170 up to 1billion life’s as it eliminated World Hunger. The application of modern science
and technology was the main reason behind getting the crops to yield more. But its
introduction has been criticized by many, and rightly so. The people who deployed pesti-
cides and nitrogen fertilizers into these countries, didn’t for once take into consideration
whether or not these chemicals would have a negative impact on human health aswell
175 as the environment. Unfortunately this has been the case. In Punjab, India for example,
medical studies have shown that many locals who came into direct contact with chem-
icals used to increase yield size, showed increased incidences of cancer in this region.
Despite the criticism, I still feel that it is fair to deem this Revolution a success because it
helped change the ways in which third world farmers produced food. Cereal Yields, total
180 cereal production and food production in developing countries more than doubled within
25years(1960-85). Increases like this have helped countries that had suffered from fam-
ines beforehand, adept to producing enough food to feed its people.(Pretty and Noble
(2006))
In order to help improve food production, genetically modified crops have been de-
185 veloped by scientists in recent years. Their main purpose is to make them resistant
to certain pests, diseases and extreme climate conditions. Not only have they been
proven to improve the quality of the crop, they also can be modified to contain addi-
tional nutrients that are lacking in the diets of many people A prime example would
be “Golden Rice”, that contains vitamin A, which is absent from ordinary rice. Since

8
190 670,000 children die each year worldwide from vitamin A deficiency alone, the potential
of this is huge. Genetically modified crops don’t require the same amount of artificial
and nutritional input as that of ordinary crops. Which not only saves farmers financially
but it also benefits the environment aswell, due to the negative and damaging effects
they have on the environment. Case studies have shown large yield gains in a number of
195 developing countries like Mexico & India, where there has been large gains in soybean
and maize production respectively. Some consumers have indicated grave concerns over
the production and consumption of GM food, viewing them as unnatural & unsafe to
eat, but there is no medical evidence to support these claims.(Layton (2013))
For many powerful nations such as China, it is imperative that increasing food pro-
200 duction be a primary objective, simply because of the Countries massive population. In
parts of Africa however, food production has stalled in the last 20 years due to a lack
of arable land, drought weather conditions and a plethora of pests and diseases that
have destroyed many crops. Agricultural biotechnology tools need to be introduced in
cases like this immediately. Integrated pest management tools would help increase yield
205 production whilst also ensuring that the correct amount of pesticide is used. Drought
resistant crops would guarantee sustainable growth, no matter what the weather. The
importance of appropriate resource management during agricultural expansion cannot
be overstated though. Costa Rica suffered the harsh consequences of not doing so, on
more than one occasion. The overuse of pesticides has polluted land and water, whilst
210 also harming the surrounding environment. Lives have even been lost as a result of
poisoning.
In livestock, the introduction of artificial insemination has helped increase dairy and
food production in recent years. It has been critically acclaimed for years as being one of
the most effective tools available to cattle producers in order to improve the productivity
215 & profitability of their businesses. AI, as it it commonly referred to in the world of farming
has been widely used for more than 65 years, but a new, more complex technique known
as gender sorted artificial insemination has been welcomed with open arms by cattle

9
 Figure 3: Artificial Insemination is one of the most effective tools available to Cattle
Producers

farmers. It offers them the chance to choose the gender of the resulting calf with a high
rate of accuracy. Dairy producers may want a female calf, as another female would add
220 to the milking herd, resulting in an increase in profits. The same can also be said for
beef farmers, who will likely want a Charlois bull calf, as they are typically good weight
gainers. With the aid of bull & calf feed that animal should be sold for good money at
the livestock mart, where it will likely be slaughtered. This has the potential to totally
change the way in which producers think about breeding, and it will also lead to massive
225 increases in beef and dairy production.(Cothren (2012); Smith (2013))
Technology has been a vital component of dairy production and improving pro-
ductivity for almost 100 years. Robotic milking systems are now more advanced than
ever before. The Astronaut A4 is a new milking system that does not require any human
intervention during the milking process. Robotic milker’s not only free up farmers time
230 , they have also been proven to increase milk production by up to 10%. (Global Dairy
Innovation (2009))
The use of crop sensor technologies, has the potential to completely transform food
production as we know it. These smart sensors can read everything from plant health &
the water needs of the crop, to nitrogen levels in the soil. The sensors then enable on-the-
235 go application of inputs based on real-time field conditons. Optical sensing technologies

10
 Figure 4: Variable rate technology in practice

are used to monitor crop health, the process involves measuring light reflectance from
the crop that translates into Nitrogen levels. Electronic controllers that are connected
to the sensors have the ability to signal fertiliser spreaders to apply the correct amount
of nitrogen that may be needed. VRT(Variable Rate Technology) is similar in concept
240 to the two above, It instead provides farmers with a built in prescription GPS map, that
identifies what inputs are needed in different areas of the field. By knowing what area
of the field is most productive, fertiliser rates can be tailored to increase or decrease at
set time in a set place in the field. This technology is hugely beneficial, as it ensures the
application rate applied is most effective for that field.(Pretty (2008))
245 Radio Frequency definition or RFID Tags as they are more commonly known, are
useful devices employed in livestock to identify animals. They are small computer chips
that allow consumers to trace their products back to where they originated. Commonly
used by livestock farmers as a form of livestock management. These tags store important
information regarding each individual animal. RFID Tags are a very effective way of
250 speeding up and making record keeping more precise. Many different countries have
used this technology in food production, as a form of food traceability. The tags have
also been placed in hay and silage when it is baled. AGCO, Case IH & New Holland
have all promoted its usage in their own machinery. Data such as moisture content and
weight are recorded on the tags. It is widely believed that this technology will be soon

11
 Figure 5: GPS Tracking Systems in Tractors

255 expand into crop production as it becomes more reputable.(News (2011))

Technology has also changed the way in which farmers operate their machinery.
Telematics for instance allows communication between the farmer and his machinery. If
a breakdown happens to occur for instance, the farmer can simply access the on-board
diagnostic system of the tractor and the system can find a solution to the problem. It
260 can even be sorted there and then. GPS systems have also been made current in tractors
and combines, as a result these machines can more accurately drive themselves through
a field than ever before. The farmer only has to tell the on-board computer system
the width of the path that the machine will cover and they must drive a short distance
marking two points A and B, The GPS then takes over to do the rest. Guidance has
265 proven to be great for tillage as it reduces human-error that may result from overlap,
aswell as reducing fuel and labour costs. We can expect to see this technology more
widely utilised in the near future.(News (2011))
Finally, I would also like to discuss the potential impact that social media could have
on agriculture and food production in years to come. Many farmers worldwide are now
270 using the social media as an adequate way of advertising their products. This can give
potential consumers the opportunity to ask the farmer questions relating to how and
where their food was produced. Consumers are often cautious about where and from
whom they buy their food, so farmers can reassure them that their business is reputable

12
 and the produce in question is of the highest standard. This can be a very efficient form
275 of advertising that can increase a farmers productivity and sales dramatically, because
consumers know the farmers background. They also believe that the food that they buy
is of the highest quality. (Dermody (2013))

3 Conclusion

The introduction of technology in agriculture has led to a massive increase in food

280 productivity aswell as removing any concerns relating to a scarcity of food in the future.
Advancements in technology such as crop sensors, irrigation systems and fertilizers have
all helped crop yields meet their maximum potential, and variable rate technologies have
also ensured that fields obtain the required amount of input that will as a result lead
to huge increases in production. History has shown that farmers have been relatively
285 good down through the years at adopting new methods and technologies. It has been
well documented in recent years that food production will need to rise by up to 70%
in many parts of the world within the year 2050 due to predicted increases in world
population. Based on my thesis, technological advancements have adequately advanced
to ensure that the Agricultural sector do have the required resources needed to meet
290 these demands.
Nowadays, farmers are making worthy attempts to reduce their own carbon footprint.
Integrated pest management tools along with near-smokeless tractor engines and with
less inputs like fertilizers and nitrogen being used, the agriculture industry has become
more eco-friendly. I am confident that if agricultural technologies become more widely
295 used and evenly distributed among all countries, rich and poor, that we will start to see
large gains in food production, even in the poorest of countries.
Genetically modified crops although controversial, will give people in more disadvant-
aged parts of the world, the chance to grow crops that are drought and pest resistant.
Since current farming methods will not be able to support the future population. I feel

13
300 that genetically modified food may be one of many ways forward to ensuring that we
can cope with the ever-rising food demand.

References

Christian Bauckhage, K. K., Albrecht, 2012. Agricultures technological makeover. Per-

vasive Computing 12 (3), 4–7.

Cothren, J., 2012. What are the advantages of using artificial insemination (ai) in your
livestock program? NC Cooperative extension 1, 2.

Dermody, J., 23rd September 2013. Social media connects farmers with suppliers and
customers. The Irish Examiner.

FAO, 2012. Fao says food production must rise by 7018th November 2013.
URL http:http://www.populationinstitute.org/resources/
populationonline/issue/1/8/

Global Dairy Innovation, 2009. Advances in innovative dairy production. Accessed online
on the 08th November 2013.
URL http://www.globaldairyinnovation.com

Insight, F., 2009. Background on agricultural practices and food technologies. Accessed
online on the 15th November 2013.
URL http://www.foodinsight.org/Resources/Detail.aspx?topic=
Background_on_Agricultural_Practices_and_Food_Technologies

Layton, G., 2013. Gm foods will be vital in feeding the future world. Accessed online on
the 9th November 2013.
URL http://http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/energy-environment/
gm-foods-will-be-vital-in-feeding-the-future-world

14
 Mary Bellis, U., 2010. A history of american agriculture 1776-1990. Accessed online on
the 04th November 2013.
URL http://www.inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blfarm1.htm

Matthews, P. A., August 2013. Global population and food demand. Accessed online
on the 19th November 2013.
URL http://www.iiea.com/blogosphere/global-population-projections-and-food-demand

News, F. I., 2011. 20 technologies changing agriculture. Accessed online on the 3rd
November 2013.
URL http://www.farmindustrynews.com

Pretty, J., 2008. Sustainable agriculture and food. Earthscan, London.

Pretty, J., Noble, A., 10th December 2006. Resource-conserving agriculture increases
yields in developing countries. Environ Sci Technol 40 (4), 1114–9.

Smith, T., 2013. Optimizing use of gender-sorted semen within timed ai-program. Angus
Productions Inc.

Tillman, D., Cassman, K. G., Matson, P. A., 2002. Agricultural sustainability and im-
proved production practices. insight review articles, 671–676.

15

View publication stats