I have been related to agriculture my whole life through my family’s farm, where I was able to realize the importance of agricultural activity and production. I did my bachelor’s in Business Engineering and Administration and I have experience working in the biotechnology sector, specifically at Patagonia Biotecnología SA as a sales representative for the southern zone of my country (Chile).
Thanks to my desire to always improve and face new challenges, I made the decision to come and live in one of the most important agricultural centers in Europe: Almería. Here I am studying the MIAM (Master in International Agribusiness Management), a tool that is changing my personal and professional life. I hope to learn from the best and open many doors to enhance my career.
Food security is at risk and satisfying the demand for food depends on our efficiency to use resources. That is why farmers are protagonists when it comes to facing this problem and they are the ones who need support to find tools that allow them to perform in a world that is becoming more competitive every day; where resources are increasingly scarce and needs are higher.
In today’s article, we introduce you to the benefits of digitalization in the Agribusiness sector, raising awareness about its tools and explaining why it is beneficial.
Precision agriculture vs. Digitalization in agriculture
First of all, we must differentiate between these 2 concepts:
- Precision agriculture: It consists of using technology to observe, quantify and analyze data from integrated systems in agriculture. This helps to determine the primary needs of our fields and crops, apart from controlling and allowing us to make decisions and be more efficient regarding our production processes. Some well-known tools are BIG DATA and satellite images that provide data about phenological conditions through color ranges.
- Digitization in agriculture: the focus of this concept is to use the data obtained by precision agriculture to optimize agricultural systems and obtain the highest possible efficiency based on the information provided by technology. In other words, it is a process that allows decisions to be made and turned into actions using the technological tools available in the market.
No monitoring, no good decisions
Digitalization is here to stay and it is a process in which there must be a synergistic collaboration that allows methods to be adapted quickly and precisely. In addition, improving communication and rural connection will generate greater interest in young people who are part of the renewal of professionals in agriculture.
Main challenges of the rural sector
- Foster enthusiasm for working in the rural sector among young people in order to have a generational renewal that allows for preserving and improving the availability of human capital in the agricultural industry.
- Impulse through technology to encourage more efficient and dynamic communication that allows farmers to obtain greater competitiveness.
- Economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
These challenges can be addressed through digitalization, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Spain and its digitalization program. On the one hand, with the technologies that can be adapted to the needs of the sector and, on the other hand, with those that are reliable and were created exclusively to contribute to agriculture.
Benefits of digitalization sector
- Better adaptation of supply to demand.
- Search for greater efficiency and sustainability in processes and in the use of resources.
- Improvement of decision-making processes and their anticipation.
- Mitigation of the volatility of the markets and the productions.
- Anticipation of market crisis scenarios and demands of society.
- Interaction with consumers and ease of access to information.
In conclusion, digitalization will allow us to have greater control in making decisions based on reliable information, with which we will be more competitive and will be able to satisfy the needs of the market and consumers.
Some examples are presented in this image:
