The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, is the ongoing and upcoming changes in the way we live and work through the convergence of disruptive technologies. Such technologies include Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI) etc. Industries such as hotel, taxi, education, and banking are being disrupted by the Industry 4.0. Though agriculture seems to be safer due to the remoteness of our farms and other factors, there are many emerging threats as well as opportunities.
Agriculture 4.0, a term coined to mark our agriculture in the era of fourth industrial revolution, is projected to make agriculture simpler and cheaper. Smart farming tools, digital financing for the marginal population and cost-effective training for technology transfer in rural areas – these are the crucial factors to seize the opportunities of Agriculture 4.0. Precision farming, smart irrigation, and controlled greenhouse gas emission are some of the technologies used to make Agriculture 4.0 a reality.
The potential negative impact of Agriculture 4.0, as feared by many analysts, is the job abolishment in the traditional farming sector. On the other hand, there will be many new jobs which are not available now. To embrace the change, we need to train our farmers on these emerging fields. Moreover, we need to attract and retain talent and develop entrepreneurs for agricultural SMEs.
Dr. F H Ansarey
Managing Director & CEO
ACI Agribusiness
