Farmers of the 21st Century
How emerging technologies could work for farmers of the future
It is estimated that we would have 2–3 billion more people in the world by 2050, that’s 10 billion people on the planet! I really can’t help but think about squashed sardines in a can! With our resources being finite, will we be able to produce enough food for everyone sustainably, without taking further tolls on the planet in the future?
I’ve always been fascinated with the concept of ‘farm-to-table’. I studied Aquaculture in university back in 2006, my family thought I was crazy and never quite understood why I would venture into an industry such as this especially when “farming” wasn’t a usual profession for a city girl.
I’ve always toyed with the idea of having my very own aquaponics system. Imagine having fresh fish and vegetables at arm’s length anytime I wanted. However, to be able to grow enough produce for a month continuously in my tiny apartment is far from ideal, not to mention the costs it would take to run the system for an entire year!
Food production for the masses
The agri-food industry is under pressure to produce more for consumers around the world. The industry needs to achieve higher efficiencies, better quality foods with as little cost as possible. With lesser arable land and increasing pollution in the oceans, natural environments for food production are becoming scarce and challenging. For decades, poor agriculture and aquaculture practices have led to detrimental effects on the environment. Toxic chemicals and waste pollution from these practices can’t be ignored any longer.
“Focus on sustainability and best practices are being scrutinized as consumers become aware and informed of where their food is from and how they are being produced.”
The focus on sustainability and best practices are being scrutinized as consumers become aware and informed of where their food is from and how they are being produced. We want clean, organic foods (considering I’m a consumer myself).
At the farm level, farmers struggle with pest control, disease outbreaks, poor yield, manpower shortages and high-running cost to keep their businesses afloat.
What industries are talking about
Some of the key topics discussed at this year’s Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit, were the emerging technologies that can be applied throughout the supply chain, the use of alternative proteins and food security.
These are not new topics, but this year there was an increased emphasis in these areas. The Singapore government has rolled out grants encouraging more local initiatives in the agri-food spaces. We have urban farms operating on top of housing developments, vertical farms and modern high-tech floating fish farms around Singapore’s city and just off the coast of Singapore. It is evident that the government saw a dire need to invest in local start-ups to champion food production.
It’s not surprising as Singapore imports 90% of the nation’s food supply. We rely heavily on neighbouring countries to provide for us. Out of the 10%, we do produce, consist of vegetables, fish and eggs (Source).
Technology in the making
There are currently 9 technologies that are propelling industry 4.0 into the future — Automnous robots, Big Data and Analytics, Augmented Reality, Additive manufacturing, The Cloud, Industrial internet of things (IIoT), Horizontal and vertical system integration, Simulation and Cybersecurity.
I wanted to see how some of these are being applied in Aquaculture, looking at both opened and closed systems for comparisons.
Farming out in the open
Open aquaculture systems are one of the oldest and most commonly used systems around the world and can be found along rivers, the coast, lagoons and in deep-sea pens. These floating platforms are usually accessible only by boat. Some have staff living close by or on the farm itself to manage the operations on the farm. The floating fish farms are generally situated away from high traffic areas to minimize disturbances or stressors in the waters, they are cheaper in startup costs and infrastructure compared to a land-based aquaculture farm. Especially in Singapore where land is scarce and expensive, many farmers have resorted to operating around the island’s coastal waters.
In open aquaculture systems, fish farmers have very little control over the growing conditions of their livestock and are often at the mercy of mother nature. With climate changes causing unpredictable weather patterns, sudden changes of rain and shine can drastically affect water qualities causing pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity and temperatures to be unstable. Cultured fish are also exposed to water pollution and unnatural algae blooms similar to the 2015 Red Tides experienced off Singapore waters. Farmers reported losing up to 600 tonnes of fish that year, most of these open farms could not react in time to save their cultures.
So how can technology be applied to minimize the risks and livelihoods of fish farmers who are farming out in the open waters?
Internet of Things (IoT) devices
IoT devices have been improving over the years and they are becoming more attractive for farmers to adopt and implement into their culture systems. In-situ water quality monitoring sensors and cameras can provide real-time data to the cloud, allowing farmers to monitor their farms remotely through a computer or from their mobile devices. It could free them from the mundane tasks of manually testing the waters for water quality data and be physically present on the farm all year round. This would significantly reduce response time should an emergency were to occur (provided farm operations have a well-thought-out emergency plan, a holding facility and farm staff are well-trained to carry out these protocols).
AI — Artificial Intelligence
Data collected from these IoT devices could be further enhanced and analyzed by Artificial Intelligence to help farmers make better and well-informed decisions. AI can be used to observe feeding behaviours and perform visual health checks for parasites and diseases preventing unwanted outbreaks.
Drones
Drones are also being considered for aquaculture; both aerial and underwater drones can be deployed and controlled remotely to visually monitor especially for more inaccessible floating farms. Underwater drones, accompanied by cameras can visually inspect deep-sea pens for any possible damages and even be equipped to do repair works, providing more cost-effective ways that usually require specialized and expensive human interventions.
These tech applications may offer vast opportunities for fish farmers. Despite the endless possibilities, these open systems are still subjected to the unpredictably of changes in the surrounding waters.
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS)
The next type of culture system that I am fascinated with is the Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). These are fully integrated enclosed intensive aquaculture systems that allow for maximized yields with lesser water exchanges, whilst using bio-filtration systems to manage ammonia toxicity in culture water. Unlike open systems, these indoor facilities are often built on land and require high investment costs (of course, we have a company in Singapore that has managed to combine the two systems, kudos for that initiative! There are even facilities all the way out in the Sahara Desert where water is scarce).
These facilities are specially designed and packed with pre-and post-water treatment areas to ensure water entering the culture tanks are removed of impurities and the water leaving the tanks are being treated and recycled.
Tanks are also equipped with climate-control features such as automated lights, aerators, feeders, cooling/heating systems, in-situ water quality probes and cameras that can be controlled by a central system.
The concept of RAS may seem like something out of a sci-fi movie, however, due to the intensive nature of these facilities, disease outbreaks can still occur. Even with strict bio-security protocols in place, these culture systems are not the silver bullets to all our problems. Livestock can still be decimated within 24 hours resulting in huge losses to the business.
Blockchain
One of the many technologies that are being explored, is the use of blockchain across the agri-food industries. Blockchain offers the capability to track ownership records, protect companies and consumers against food fraud, safety recalls, supply chain inefficiency and most importantly food traceability for consumers in our current food systems. The unique decentralized structure of this technology ensures products and practices are verified and up to standards, creating a marketplace of transparency for premium products and for all stakeholders involved in this blockchain ecosystem.
At this point, the technology is still in its early stages and it is very costly to implement across the supply chains. I foresee that we will probably have to wait for a few more years before it can be utilized by companies of all scales and for us consumers to be able to track our food sources.
It seems to me that there are many technological opportunities that can be applied across industries despite current limitations. Here, the sky is no longer the limit. As the world is digitally transforming, the way we grow our food, the way we live and work are changing ever so rapidly. It’s a matter of how fast and sustainable we can adapt, without comprising the environment further and having the future in mind.
Other Sources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/feeding-9-billion/
https://www.alltech.com/blog/8-digital-technologies-disrupting-aquaculture