What the heck is agritech?

What is agritech?

Agritech has been one of the buzz-words around internet forums and the business world. But what is the big fuss? What does agritech actually mean? It seems the word embodies quite a lot of things, but its definition is quite simple: any technology that improves efficiency (yield and quality) and profitability for farmers. The end goal is to produce more food, cheaper, faster and healthier.

Why is it important?

The buzz now makes sense. The world population is growing, and people are hungry. According to the UN, the world population is expected to grow from 7,7 billion in 2019 to 9,9 billion in 2050. On the authority of Population Action International, “Almost one in seven people around the world are chronically hungry, lacking enough food to be healthy and lead active lives”.

The challenge.

My challenge is this: the field of agritech seems like a rabbit hole, and I’m getting lost in all the different tunnels. Drones are flying over orchards. Sensors are capturing soil moisture. Data is being captured and analysed from tractors and implements. Productivity measures are being set up and managed. There are so many apps being launched. ERP software, specifically for agriculture, is being launched. Business intelligence tools are being advertised… And on and on. Is it only me feeling confused?

I will be writing some follow-up articles breaking down agritech into more manageable bites to assist farmers and other curious people like myself in making sense of agritech. Hopefully, this will answer the following question: where we should be focusing in order to maximise the cost-benefit to really produce more food, cheaper faster and healthier.