Topic 4 : farming industry

 Topic 4 : farming industry

The current situation of the farming industry faced that the constraints of resource and environment. Although the space utilised is not being maximize, the cost of resource and environmental pressures has been suffered by the farmers. Due to the long-term use of the chemical fertilizer and pesticides in agricultural crops. The rapid increase in labour and land costs directly decrease the profit margin of the farmers.

Figure 1: soil-based farming

In Future, the farming industry will transform from the soil-based farming to either aeroponic system or vertical farming. As the problem is the space utilization in farming industry rather than the food shortage. These systems could the space utilization to grow the agricultural crops. It could solve the hunger problem and decrease the labour costs and land costs.

Figure 2 : IOT and agriculture

 

First and foremost, I think that aeroponic will becoming the trends in the future. This is because there are a lot of advantages could bring to us by growing the agriculture crops through aeroponic system. One of the advantages is that the water utilization will be decrease and the space required decreases. But the average yield per square meter will be increase. How its works? It works as the misting system and closed-loop system. The misting system is using the high-pressure pumps and misters atomise nutrient-rich water solution into a fine fog, and it will spray directly into the exposed roots. The closed-loop system is one of the main parts to save the space and water. The mist that doesn’t immediately absorbed by the roots will drain back into the reservoir to be reused.

Figure 3 : aeroponic farming

 

Besides that, based on I mentioned earlier the land cost increase due to the lack of land which is suitable to farm. The vertical farming will become the main choice for the SME which in the farming industry. As the space could be maximize utilized by farming layer by layer. In the same space, soil-based farming is not productive than the vertical farming. In my opinion, I think vertical farming will produce twice as much or even greater yields than soil-based farming.

Figure 4 : vertical farming

Moreover, the ai-powered vertical farming product might change form high technology luxury product to a universally accessible. It could monitor the health and conditions of the agriculture crops and automatically complete the daily task such as fertilize and water the crops. It could reduce the need for specialized agriculture knowledge. This will let the urban communities, schools and restaurants could operate their own food production. In directly decreasing the pressure of shortage of food production.

Figure 5 : self-watering smart planter

 

The world is facing the food shortage as with the global population projected to reached nearly 10 billion by 2050. Meanwhile, we need to increase the food production by 70 % on confronting climate change, water scarcity and diminishing arable land.

Figure 6 : food crisis

Reference list

1)       Figure 1 : soil-based farming

Nella Mae Parks, 1 May 2023, [Photograph of soil-based farming] [Photograph], https://growingformarket.com/articles/strategies-farming-clay

2)       Figure 2 : IOT and agriculture

Biz4Intellia, 2022, [Photograph of IOT and agriculture] [Photograph], https://www.biz4intellia.com/blog/5-applications-of-iot-in-agriculture/

3)       Figure 3 : aeroponic farming

Lakhiar, Imran & Gao, Jianmin & Syed, Tabinda & Chandio, Farman Ali & Buttar, Noman. ,   2018. [Photograph of the aeroponic farming] [Photograph]. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Aeroponics-plant-growing-system-with-computer-controlled-techniques_fig1_325465046

4)       Figure 4 : Vertical Farming

Bryson Funk, 18 May 2025, [Photograph of the vertical farming] [Photograph], https://www.edengreen.com/blog-collection/is-a-vertical-farming-business-profitable

5)        Figure 5 : self-watering smart planter

Saudatu Bah, 17 January 2025, [Photograph of the smart planter] [Photograph],

https://www.dezeen.com/2025/01/17/leafypod-unveils-ai-powered-self-watering-smart-planter-at-ces/

6)       Figure 6 : food crisis

Irfan Ashraf, 14 Oct 2022, [Photograph of the food crisis] [Photograph],

https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/food-insecurity-threatens-the-middle-east