INS IGHT to AI in UK AgriTech - 2021 and beyond Make money work for you - Barclays
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Contents 03 Executive summary 32 UK AgriTech Trailblazers Agrimetrics – The UK’s data marketplace 05 Introduction 33 UK AgriTech Trailblazers 06 Foreword Small Robot Company – A leading robotics innovator 07 UK Agriculture 34 UK AgriTech Trailblazers The importance of tech in securing competitive advantage Bedfordia Farms – Looking to take the next steps in data integration 16 UK AgriTech 35 UK AgriTech Trailblazers How can we enable agriculture 4.0 in the UK? Hands-Free Hectare – The future of farming? 31 UK AgriTech 36 What have we learned? DroneAg – One of UK AgriTech’s drone pioneers Summary and recommendations Previous | 2 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Executive summary Smart Tech is fundamental to The UK can be at the forefront of Pinpoint the use case then build securing UK Agriculture’s future innovation and implementation the tech Leveraging technology effectively is critical in unlocking The UK boasts world-class technology and research Technologies offering immediately apparent solutions to opportunities – whether productivity, profitability or capabilities, and is the global leader in the development of AI known issues – and that ‘fit’ with existing infrastructure, sustainability-related – that will be critical in securing a enabled solutions. hardware or processes – are ‘easy wins’. AI-enabled sensor robust future for UK Agriculture. tech is delivering critical data to farmers from devices Organisations such as the Small Robot Company, the UK’s increasingly simple to implement, visualised in increasingly While UK farmers are beginning to appreciate the many ways leading ag robotics firm, which has developed the world’s first simple and impactful ways, and it is no surprise to see in which emerging technologies can deliver better outcomes weeding bot; Drone Ag, simplifying drone tech for the sector; increasingly widespread adoption. – more efficient use of resources; more productive use of and the Hands Free Hectare project are pushing innovation their time – there remain profound barriers that need cross- forward at pace. Other IoT or data solutions need to be matched more closely industry collaborative solutions. to farmers’ needs, behaviours and – just as importantly – to Solutions that can readily be integrated into core processes be adaptable to different environments. And furthermore, Costs of adoption; return on investment; and fitness for can help to ensure farms such as Applegarth, which is to have clearly evident – and ideally demonstrable – return purpose are all challenges that must be addressed – and can successfully leveraging a range of Precision Ag technologies, on investment. Small Robot Company is one developer that be addressed – to put UK Ag on track for the next decade. will in future be the rule rather than the exception. is beginning to drive out positive examples in this respect. Others should follow, ideally in collaboration with farmers to ensure innovation is targeted effectively. Previous | 3 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Executive summary Data will be at the core of tech Key steps to accelerate adoption solutions in 2021 and beyond Knowledge sharing between farmers, leading industry bodies and technologists is critical in ensuring that innovation is The explosion of data in the last ten years and more is already directed towards practical challenges; and that farmers are arming farmers with key insights with which to optimise made aware of the possibilities that technology can unlock. process and outcomes. But the next wave of data innovation Hands-Free Hectare is an exemplar in this respect. must go further. Support mechanisms such as the Countryside Productivity With greater commonality in taxonomy and platforming Small Grants programme must be fully funded on a long- must come fully integrated datasets capable of feeding term basis to ensure that farmers are not penalised for early ML-enabled algorithms capable of unpicking complex adoption of emerging tech. interdependencies and pinpointing solutions. Finally and perhaps most fundamentally, tech needs to Bringing evidence, analysis, conclusions and deliver practicable, workable broad-spectrum solutions recommendations for solutions to life simply and visually rather than disparate IoT components that are additive only is the last piece of the puzzle, enabling farmers to make within a very narrow scope and are often ill-suited to the mission-critical decisions quickly and confidently. Providers rigours of UK farms and climate. such as Agrimetrics are beginning to bring this utopia to life, but would acknowledge that much needs to happen to allow the industry to transition to that point. Previous | 4 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Introduction Total global agricultural At the vanguard of developments in this context is the emergence of technologies production has tripled in enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI), the last 60 years, outpacing Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), Robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) even the huge increase and Cloud Computing. These technologies, – from 3B to more than already underpinning some of the most 7B – in the number of fundamental changes in agricultural working practices seen in a century and more, will mouths the industry must shape UK farms’ and farmers’ futures. feed. Technology played Leveraging these technologies effectively its part in our enhanced will separate the winners and losers, domestically and internationally. ability to feed ourselves, but deforestation and intensive This report, which leverages both in-person and quantitative data from samples of UK farming played more. farmers, technologists and industry experts conducted by our research partner Illuminas Now, as UN1 estimates of the increases in Summer and Autumn 2020, explores the required to meet global demand in 2050 challenges facing UK farmers at a pivotal range up to 150% of current production, time for the industry. It discusses the pace of and the agricultural sector is challenged to change in the sector; examines some of the build a more sustainable industry for the most exciting developments in agricultural next century, it is axiomatic that technology technology in the UK today and tomorrow; must play a leading role in our efforts to and seeks to identify routes through build better. We must be resourceful, and which UK Farming can achieve sustainable resource-conscious, to prosper in the competitive advantage through unlocking challenging times that face the sector in some of the benefits of these technologies. 2020 and beyond. 1 Creating a Sustainable Food Future Final Report, July 2019 Previous | 5 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Foreword “Agriculture has for centuries evolved and moved forward, the rate of change in the second half of the last century begin to pick Agri-tech is becoming up pace and in the last decade, that change big business in has gathered an unstoppable momentum. farming. We’re seeing The change global agriculture will witness more and more farms in the coming decade I believe will be breath- improving productivity taking. The drive towards greater farming efficiency to ensure UK agriculture maintains and efficiency with its position at the forefront of global tech.” production for traceability, welfare and quality, also driven by the UK farming target Mark Suthern for achieving Net Zero by 2040 will see rapid and exciting times ahead. National Head of This report highlights some of the great Agriculture, Barclays UK innovation, the direction of travel and how Agri-tech is being employed in real farm situations to reach our goals as an industry in the coming years.” Mark Suthern National Head of Agriculture Barclays UK Roxanne Martin Eagle Lab AgriTech Industry Lead Barclays UK Previous | 6 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond UK Agriculture The importance of tech in securing competitive advantage Previous | 7 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond The eye of the storm As UK Agriculture looks to The issues impacting UK Agriculture build a more sustainable model going forward, it How are we going faces a range of headwinds to continue to be – geopolitical, (macro) profitable? That is the Tech investment Post Brexit economic, regulatory driver for everything trade deal – that will shape the that we do … I think fortunes of the industry farms will operate in for a generation and more. a very different way The industry’s ability to over the coming years. 2040 Net Zero UK Agri-Business in Coronavirus respond to these seismic The challenges are 2020 and beyond shifts will require innovative going to be forced thinking, and innovation in upon us. We are going business practices. to have to change.” Ian Rudge Bedfordia Farms Sustainable Provisions of the Agriculture Ag Bill 2021 Productivity growth Source: Illuminas Research (2020) Previous | 8 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond The eye of the storm Meeting these challenges will require UK Farming to shift from ‘vicious’ to ‘virtuous’ cyclical behaviours. The Future of the EU-UK Relationship 88% of UK farmers believe uncertainty around the trade deal/CAP provision is impacting significantly on In order to survive in a highly volatile market and deal with their businesses the variation in yields, weakening condition of resources and increased crop resistance, farmers have historically Impact of COVID tended to adopt or persist with farming practices which have maximised yields in the short term, but which have led, however inadvertently, to grave depletion of natural resources 47% of UK farmers believe their businesses have been negatively impacted by the ongoing pandemic in the long term. The UK Agricultural Bill 79% However, the priority amongst UK farmers today is to use available inputs more effectively and efficiently. This is part of believe increasing environmental oversight and regulation is impacting significantly on their farm a broader shift towards a virtuous cycle of lower costs, more sustainable land use and – ultimately – greater productivity Productivity challenges and profitability. 64% of UK farmers are prioritising improving productivity, increasing output and/or farming smarter going forward Sustainability 82% of UK farmers believe improving the sustainability of farming and restoring soil health is fundamental Climate change and 2040 Net Zero 90% of UK farmers believe climate change and the NFU’s revised Paris target is impacting significantly on their farm Innovation and new farming methods 45% of UK farmers have invested (30%), or are planning to invest (15%), in emerging tech to fuel process innovation Previous | 9 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond UK Farming must adapt quickly, putting technology at the heart of its response “We believe here that 53% of UK farmers are prioritising increasing productivity and/or output/yield the only way we are going to be able to produce enough food to feed the UK – as Farmers’ 58% are prioritising achieving material cost efficiencies well as the wider world – is to use science strategic priorities and technology.” 48% are prioritising farming smarter and more efficiently Tony Bambridge B & C Farming 51% are prioritising reducing wastage/environmental impact and/or soil health Previous | 10 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond UK Farming must adapt quickly, putting technology at the heart of its response Improved productivity is fundamental to the UK Farmers are beginning to appreciate the UK industry’s longer-term competitiveness, pivotal role of technology in farming smarter indeed to its financial sustainability, with and more productively. 11% “Our focus is on UK Farming’s productivity lagging that of wasting less and not Investment in systems and solutions to EU competitors by sometimes considerable enable greater productivity has to date growing too much. margins. Technology-related issues are often posited as some of the most fundamental has been relatively limited, with only 11% Reducing waste is in creating and maintaining the UK’s having prioritised in the past. But two in five the main thing. It’s competitive disadvantage. farms plan to invest to unlock the greater efficiencies in their operations. 40% expensive and by • Educational/skills gaps; being more efficient UK farmers recognise the fundamental • Limited intra-industry sharing of importance of farming smarter to longer- (with your inputs) you best practice; term sustainability, both environmentally are able to cut a lot of • Lagging other countries in data generation and analysis and and commercially. With only 36% of UK it out.” land croppable and estimates suggesting modelling capabilities; that high-intensity farming techniques have Have invested in AgriTech to achieve • Disconnects between innovation strategy depleted our arable land of c. 50% of its increases in productivity Patrick Allpress and funding and farmers needs; organic content, action is imperative. Allpress Farms • Slow deployment of connectivity Will invest in AgriTech to achieve (FTTP; 5G). increases in productivity 54% of UK farmers that are prioritising improved productivity believe tech investment is fundamental to addressing this challenge Previous | 11 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Tech-enabled smarter farming has the potential to unlock the advantages UK Farming desperately needs More efficient resource allocation is critical to manage costs, improve productivity, 59% reduce environmental impact and – ultimately – farm smarter. The Circular Agriculture model at the heart of the revolution transforming farming in the of UK farmers that are prioritising farming smarter believe tech investment can be material in achieving those goals Netherlands recognises that productivity centred on improved resource efficiency will result in increased productivity with concomitant environmental benefits. 43% of UK farmers that are prioritising farming smarter have invested in technologies to help them do so Effective use of technology will be critical to unlocking these benefits, and there is recognition – albeit among only one- half of UK Farmers – that tech can play a central role in achieving efficiencies in resource utilisation. 46% of UK farmers that are prioritising farming smarter plan to invest in technologies to help them do so in the near future 52% of UK farmers prioritising more efficient resource allocation believe tech investment is central to doing so Previous | 12 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Tech-enabled smarter farming has the potential to unlock the advantages UK farming desperately needs Circular agriculture urce optimisation One-third of farmers have claimed already Reso to have made investments in technologies to “We need to make our enable more efficient use of resources, with farm sustainable for a further 40% planning to do so in 2021–23. feed the next generation, and the ones after that.” 32% Ian Rudge Bedfordia Farmsg produce grow 40% Evidence of the relationship between technology and better and more sustainable y vit Su outcomes is irrefutable; and many UK Have invested in AgriTech to enable ti st uc Farmers – although not all – appear to smarter resource utilisation a od ina recycle recognize the importance of continuing r b p le ed fa to invest, and to innovate. Technologists Will invest in AgriTech to enable nc rm ha ing looking to drive greater engagement within smarter resource utilisation En the farming community must, it seems clear, put sustainable impact on productivity at the heart of their messages. Previous | 13 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond There is an emerging core of tech-enabled UK farmers that are building for the future Leading the charge Planned investment in emerging agricultural technologies Data from recent survey work shines a light on a core group of UK farmers that are looking to emerging AgriTech to build more sustainable businesses and set the foundations for commercial success; with another 14% that are focusing instead on embedding existing tech investment before prioritising further investments. However, 55% have no plans to look to technology. Is this group in danger of being left behind? 31% of UK farmers plan to invest in new, emerging 14% do not plan to invest in AgriTech but have 55% have never invested in advanced AgriTech technologies to ensure business success done so in the past to realise priorities and have no immediate plans to do so Previous | 14 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond There is an emerging core of tech-enabled UK farmers that are building for the future Planned investment in emerging agricultural technologies are more aggressive, more entrepreneurial are farms typically comfortable with the various “We need to make farm businesses. applications of AI and emerging tech. money, but we need Often led by younger farmers, more comfortable These businesses are currently looking to embed to do it in the right with technology and more likely to see tech as existing inventory/investments, and to realise ROI on way and in line with offering a genuine competitive advantage if those, before committing to new investments. leveraged effectively. legislation and public sentiment. Whatever technology can assist AgriTech is part of Applegarth Farm’s DNA. A adherent of Central to the strategy of Bedfordia Farms is optimised with that, we’re buying vertical farming, 2021 will see the go-live of its 6,000 sq. ft productivity and resource management; and its tech strategy into it.” aeroponic greenhouse programme, to add to the array of has been focused to that end. For 2021, it has prioritised existing sensor and robotic technologies the farm deploys. its partnership with Agrimetrics to rationalise its array of Ian Rudge different field, soil and yield mapping platforms to provide Tech has enabled every phase of Applegarth’s growth to more coherent and consistent analysis rather than planning Bedfordia Farms date, and its commitment to ongoing investment is central to fresh investments. its competitive strategy going forward. Two businesses following different paths, but each in their own way leaders, illustrate some of the opportunities that tech-oriented Agribusinesses are looking to unlock as they align their businesses to compete in the next decade and beyond. The potential of AI to be pivotal in doing so is only just beginning to be apparent. Source: Illuminas Research (2020) Previous | 15 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond UK AgriTech How can we enable agriculture 4.0 in the UK? Previous | 16 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond AI will transform UK agriculture forever Farmers are only just beginning to recognise the transformative actions to take; or in the application and delivery of solutions at potential of AI in its various applications, ranging across different source, AI is already changing the way farmers work. And yet we have innovations in every component part of agricultural systems. Whether only begun to unlock its potential. Farms in future may as closely in real time detection of developing issues; in rapid and accurate resemble open-air laboratories as they will the farms of today. diagnosis of those issues; in determining the most appropriate Detection Diagnosis Determination Delivery UK AgriTech commands a set of baseline capabilities that is the challenges in bringing these technologies to life within a sector which equal of any in the Netherlands, the US or other highly developed has been described as the least digitised in the world today. Is this agricultural nations; and the Department of Trade has been active characterisation justified? And if so, what must be done to ensure UK in promoting the nation’s Ag and AI, Robotics and Autonomous farmers are not left behind in the AI arms race? Systems research as world-class. However, there remain many Previous | 17 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Advanced AI-enabled systems are beginning to make their way out of the labs and into the fields There is an increasingly broad range of technologies becoming Detection Diagnosis Determination Delivery available which offer the potential Using techniques Advanced data Harnessing the power Automated solutions fundamentally to transform the such as image analytics, using of AI to determine the such as advanced farms of today into the farms of processing, soil nutrient a range of inputs from on most appropriate solutions robotics, able to undertake the future. monitoring and crop and and off-farm data resources, to complex problems and – in complex and precise tasks animal health scanning to providing real-time diagnoses the future – allowing farmers that until now have required There are however a range of detect problems often invisible of complex problems. to outsource decisions to tak manual intervention. challenges in harnessing the to the naked eye. action. power of AI in the agricultural Analytics solutions from The UK’s leading ag robotics sector, some of which are, research Next-gen sensor tech from GlasData and Diometer Research at CHAP using ML firm, Small Robot Company, confirms, impeding broader firms such as Arable are multi- offering seamless integration to build a thinking machine has developed a robot capable adoption and preventing the functional and can seamlessly of data from different providers capable of recommending of plant-by-plant care and the sector from accessing some of integrate with ML-enabled and platforms. optimal biological world’s first weeding bot. the competitive advantages it so decision-making systems. treatments strategies. Telemetric tools able to Ongoing development of desperately needs. Drone Automation, in enable the location and John Innes Centre developing a Autonomous Agri Vehicles by development at DroneAg, baseline problem diagnoses for low-cost solution for automated HandsFree Hectare Project in will offer full automation of equipment and livestock. seed imaging and ML-based the UK and Bear Flag Robotics collection, analysis, and remote phenotypic analysis of and others in the US. transfer of data to farmers in crop germination. The Ceres AgriTech venture real time. ML-driven neural networks from to improve outdoor robotic Leading industrial Drone GlasData able to understand capabilities in terms of: speed developer American Robotics is the interrelationships between of performance; accuracy and bringing automated Drone and soil, climatic, biological reliability of image processing; IoT Sensor platforms to market, and other inputs to provide haptics to enable soft- offering full integration of aerial recommendations for harvesting capabilities; ability to imaging data and in-field sensor yield optimization. perform in a range of conditions biometrics. on-farm. Previous | 18 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond AI-based tech has yet to achieve widespread adoption AI-enabled AgriTech remains some way from seeing wide-scale Barriers remain profound, with cost (perceived or actual, depending on Without measures to protect implementation on UK farms, as evidenced below. experience) the most significant factors. Data from Defra’s Farm Business farmers from very considerable Income Survey indicates that, across sector, profitability declined between swings in costs, only a minority Current adoption of AI-enabled AgriTech 8.5%-17%* to FYE2019, with YoY changes over the last 15 years ranging of highly profitable – or highly from +40% to -36%. Farm profitability is more than usually subject to geared – farms are likely to volatility, and reducing the sector’s exposure to swings in input costs and, continue to support investment in where possible, to output yields, is a priority for industry lobbyists and emerging tech. 21% Sensors (EW) trade bodies. Against this backdrop, many Barriers to adoption of AI-enabled AgriTech farmers consider themselves 16% Sensors (Crop health) as simply incapable of making the very significant investments Capex costs too high 56% required to unlock the benefits 9% Drones of AI; many others – including Total costs too high 49% 36% of adopters in our survey – are uncertain as to whether 9% Data analytics Maintenance costs 35% that investment can, or will high/uncertain be, recouped. The onus is on technologists and providers to RoI is uncertain 35% 4% Field robots (Collection) bring the benefits to life and to ensure that propositions are available that meet the needs and Doubts over material benefits 31% the budgets of UK farmers. 0% Field robots (Monitoring) Tech is unfit for purpose in 26% current form 8% Autonomous sprayers Prefer to rely on own 17% judgement/intuition 0% Autonomous vehicles Negative feedback from peers 14% Source: Illuminas Research (2020) Source: Illuminas Research (2020) Previous | 19 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond The benefits of AI-enabled tech are considerable, but There are a range of issues around which all parties need to converge to ensure that the benefits of the barriers are – for many farmers – no less profound Ai-enabled AgriTech can be fully realised. Detection Diagnosis Determination Delivery • Precision Agriculture (enabling resource • Greater oversight of farming activity and • Widest possible set of inputs • Automation of time and labour-intensive and cost efficiencies and gains in yield status of fields, crops, etc. • Ability to understand and identify farming tasks / output) • Digitisation of inputs, outputs, and/ complex causal relationships • ‘Always on’ source of labour Benefits • ‘Always on’ crop, plant, soil and/or animal or financials • Replaces intuition with evidence- • Increased productivity, efficiency health monitoring capability • Evidence-based, rather than intuition- based solutions and output • Greater, and more efficient, based, decision-making • Integrating problem identification to • Frees up time to concentrate on business farm coverage solutions implementation management/strategy • Greater availability of ‘all in one’ • Availability of platforms able to automate In development In development solutions comprising predictive data collection irrespective of device • Potential ‘accelerators’ include • Potential ‘accelerators’ include: capabilities (Sensors) type/app/provider – Consolidation of disparate – Greater investment in R&D to enable • Launch of fully automated systems • Simple, smart and easy platform UX data sources the development of tools able to Enablers and legislation enabling their • Analytical tools which can identify the deploy outside of lab conditions – Agreement of industry benchmarks adoption (Drones) impact of farming activity on output/ – Cross-team working groups (end- – Cross-team working groups to • Detection capabilities superior to the yield, resource usage and profitability develop fit for purpose soft harvesting users; technologists; institutions) to naked eye executions direct innovation to most directly applicable areas – Greater availability of ‘Farming as a Service’ propositions • Lack of ‘all in one’ solutions able to • Limited platform interconnectivity/cross- • Insufficient data inputs (range of • Insufficient data predict issues compatibility variables/quality of data/time series • No commonly agreed data taxonomy/ • Incompatibility with existing on-site • Limited integration with existing on- datasets) benchmarks data platforms farm tech • No commonly agreed data taxonomy • Outputs based on ‘partial picture’ data Barriers • Time/labour required to manage (Drones) • Poor platform UX / benchmarks lack face validity • Human ability to detect issues by • Face validity of data • Outputs based on ‘partial picture’ data ‘walking the fields’ and solutions require lack face validity • Outputs describe the ’state of play’ rather human intervention than inform ‘direction of travel’ • Requires farmers to be ‘in the office’ rather than out on farm Previous | 20 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Use of sensors and drone tech for problem detection is growing, but challenges remain The benefits of sensor and drone technologies are increasingly widely recognised but adoption remains relatively narrow at present, and there are tech and commercial challenges to overcome to broaden adoption of technologies which are key enablers of Precision Agriculture. Although the benefits can be significant, with faster detection of emerging issues and greater precision in solutions offering often significant delta improvements in Awareness 75% 77% resource utilisation, many farmers remain unconvinced that the tech is fit for purpose, or that it can in fact provide time, labour or Currently use, 65% 57% cost savings. or would consider Currently use 27% 9% Previous | 21 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Use of sensors and drone tech for problem detection “Thanks to the Yara is growing, but challenges remain N-Sensor we are seeing areas of the field which are struggling and need input, so with a better sprayer we’re making better use Benefits Always on Precision Process efficiencies Smarter farming of the product having • Detection tech • Detect issues (pests, • Greater, and more • Generates time generates data which disease, poor growth, efficient, coverage of series plots which made the decision to use it enables users to etc.) and to deploy any given farm’s land enable farmers to based on the data.” remotely monitor the solutions (fertilisers, area than ‘walking understand impact health of crops/plants, herbicides, etc.) the fields’ of farming activity JJ Ibbett soils and/or animals precisely on growth rates and in real-time and Bedfordia Farms • Reductions in resource identify activities 24/7/365 usage and waste, cost with greatest positive efficiencies, and gains impact on yield (e.g. in yield/output varietals; rotations; treatments; etc.) Barriers Deployment costs Return on investment Lack of predictive capability Technical issues • Complexity/diversity • Little evidence exists • Require human of farm businesses of the link between • The value-add of operation and training “We got a Drone and to a require multitude of investment and insights derived is degree it helped but you • Limited battery life and sensors (limited multi- material gains in limited to confirmation risk of motor failure still have to interpret the function availability) output/yield; and of issues – which pictures. Our agronomist • Legislative implications • Sophisticated drones that which does is not farmers can detect by of drones unclear looked at the problematic (multi-spectral/ compelling ‘walking the fields’ – rather than revelation • Time/labour intensive ones and said ‘I’ll go and thermal imaging; of future ones to operate have a look’. He may as thermal and/or hyper- spectral sensors; well have done that in the image processing first place!” capabilities) can cost tens of thousands Tony Bambridge of pounds B & C Farming Previous | 22 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond There are a range of different solutions that can There are a range of issues to address which, if addressed, can be potentially transformative in driving broader and enable greater deployment of detection tech deeper adoption. Challenges Solutions Benefits Impact on uptake Core • Multifunction detection devices, such as integrated • More consistent UX across different functions • Potentially considerable if functionality crop/plant and soil health sensors and drones • Simplified procurement process pricing model and tariffs are • ‘All in one’ devices able to monitor crop/plant growth, sufficiently compelling • Time/labour efficiency (obviates the need for farmers to ‘walk soil moisture, pests and disease, etc. the fields’) • Sensitivity of detection beyond the human eye/farmer’s • Ability to operate in rural areas with low broadband speeds own experience • Automated production of comprehensive data sets which are • Telemetric functionality for auto measurement and easy-to-use and manage transmission of data between device platforms. Device inter- • Devices which use standardised data architecture and • Automated data entry into a centralised platform • Potentially value-additive operability taxonomy • Integrated data analysis provided platform UX engages • Develop an ‘open source’ culture to enable technologists • Time/labour efficiency (avoids manual entry/management of to add value and disrupt the monopolisation of larger multi platforms) firms’ propriety software Platform • Platform able to predict issues based on the health • Optimisation of resource utilisation • Potentially game-changing if integration profile of any given crop/plant, soil and/or animal • Reduction in waste insights can be validated • Ability to diagnose underlying causes of issues • Increased yield/output • Ability to recommend potential actions to address issues • Improved profitability Cost • Multifunction detection devices (as above) to reduce • Increased cost-efficiency • Potentially considerable if cost per function • Reduced inventory pricing model and associated tariffs are sufficiently affordable Skills/ • Drones capable of autonomous/driverless operation • Obviates the need for farmers to acquire skills in Drone operation • Potentially value-additive educational gaps (including automation) • Time/labour efficiencies (obviates the need for farmers to ‘walk • Provision of clear and up-to-date legal/regulatory the fields’) guidelines on their use (Drones) • Clarifies legal/regulatory implications of their implementation Cross-industry collaboration will be essential in addressing these challenges. Barclays aims to promote cross-industry collaboration with the launch of the Eagle Lab Farm in University of Lincoln, helping to build an established ecosystem of AgriTech businesses dedicated to working with like- minded partners, and thereby creating a more sustainable farming industry for generations to come. Previous | 23 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond There are a number of challenges to address before farmers adopt a ‘data-first’ approach There is at present no fully AI-enabled analytics platform live in the UK, and what minimal adoption of data solutions is evident at present is limited to relatively simpler, piecemeal solutions. There are a number of potentially compelling benefits to more effective AI-based data tools, but feedback from experts and technologists would suggest the industry is some way from being capable of delivering fully operational solutions. Awareness 57% Currently use, or would consider 53% Currently use 9% Previous | 24 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond There are a number of challenges to address before farmers adopt a ‘data-first’ approach “John Deere’s platform (JD Link) has enabled us to make more informed Benefits Digitisation of core farming Enhanced monitoring and tracking capabilities Evidence-based decision making decisions about how to • Enable farms to have a digital record of inputs, • Data analytic and • Ability to make decisions cultivate a field based on outputs and financials visualization tools enable based on ‘hard’ data the data on it, rather than • Enables farm managers the farm to understand rather than solely farmers’ just based on a 5-minute to better monitor and the status of their fields, own experience/intuition kick-around.” manage core operations crops/plants, soils, and/ (e.g. when/where and or animals what treatments; when/ • Integration with JJ Ibbett • Enables historical/point in where to plough, sow and procurement and Bedfordia Farms time comparisons harvest; fields, areas and/ auditing processes or animals to keep in/take out of production; etc.) Barriers Lack of commercially available solutions Limited value-add Poor user experiences Cultural • Very limited evidence • No availability of unified • Farmers are neither • No ML-driven insight and of the impact of data platform architectures agronomists nor decision-recommendation on decision-making at able to work with multiple data scientists “What we need is to see platform is yet present, with manifold data inputs from different • Difficult to meld data and the data brought together, (widely) available frustrations over volume devices, data sources, etc. intuition or experience and any gaps filled, to of data collected vs. value • Amount of data to analyse • Significant upskilling enable us to identify of data generated (“data overload”) across the industry the decisions that are • Validity of data, data is required increasing – or decreasing errors, gaps, etc. – the yield potential.” JJ Ibbett Bedfordia Farms Previous | 25 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond There are a number of potential solutions to drive The industry needs to move much more quickly to agree standards for data integration before material progress may be made. greater engagement with data solutions Challenges Solutions Benefits Impact on uptake Core • Smart tools to enable farm managers to generate • Provision of directional outputs, with visibility of the • Potentially game-changing if data functionality simple, visually engaging, charts and which enable the rationale for direction(s) proposed driven decisions lead to material gains cross analysis of inputs, outputs and/or financials • Measurable impact of changes to farming practices on in productivity and profitability • Ability to automate the categorisation of data sets and productivity and – ultimately – profitability • A simple and light touch approach to select/filter analyses • Avoid ‘data overload’ to diagnostic and predictive analysis • Algorithms to be based on agreed that complements farmers’ existing • To establish norms in crop/livestock health and benchmarks parameters experience and intuition development, etc. • Ability to target variables known to be deterministic • Build more robust algorithms and produce more • Integration with ‘big data’ (national, regional and farm- consistent outputs through cross-industry partnerships based datasets) Device inter- • Devices based upon a single standardised data • Datasets with sufficient depth and breadth of data points • Potentially value-additive provided operability architecture and taxonomy to be additive platform UX engages • Automation of data entry into a centralised platform • Time/labour efficiency • Reduced errors Platform • Centralised platform able to integrate inputs from • Ability for data outputs to be fed back to devices to enable • Potentially transformative in terms of integration different providers autonomation of activity accuracy, transparency and efficiency • Smart platforms able to automate all data input and • Data at the core of analysis and implementation, ensuring of process gap-fill based on norms trackability across processes Cost • Centralised platform (single cost) • Single licensing cost • Potentially transformative assuming • Direct incentivisation of data sharing user experience is positive (Agrimetrics model) Skills/ • Cost-effective remote education training programmes • Upskilling UK Agriculture in tech best practice, increasing • Fundamental to break down barriers educational gaps • Case studies/testimonials awareness and familiarity with solutions The adoption of a unified data taxonomy, architecture and language are fundamental to unlocking the potential in data to revolutionise UK Farming. Barclays believe that only by working together towards a unified language can the industry maximise the potential from data applications in future. Previous | 26 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Automation may be potentially game-changing but technology is insufficiently developed Automation is capable of unlocking potentially significant advantages as UK Agriculture looks to compete internationally while facing labour shortages at home. It is likely to be 2023 and beyond before the beneficial impact of greater automation is felt, absent regulatory reform and significantly expedited development cycles. There are currently many barriers to address. Awareness 76% 58% Currently use, or would consider 44% 39% Currently use 5% 0% Previous | 27 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond Automation may be potentially game-changing “Before the robots each but technology is insufficiently developed cow averaged 9k litres per year. Now, with the robots, we’re getting 10.7k litres per cow, per year. We’ve Benefits Automation Productivity gains Greater flexibility Always-on labour increased our yield almost 20% with the same • Labour savings offer • Process automation • Relieving farmers from • With the industry number of cows, feed, the potential to be driving increased time/labour intensive facing potentially very and acreage.” transformational output/yield (in tasks, and thereby significant labour principle or in providing greater shortages post Brexit, Will Griffiths practice), for example flexibility in task robots provide a Blaencorse Farm robotic milking management 24/7/365 alternative machines enabling • Allows farmers to to domestic or cows to be milked move from ‘working overseas workers more frequently, in’ their businesses increasing output to ‘working on’ their and providing businesses “Today’s robots can only demonstrable ROI deal with controlled environments such as Barriers Deployment costs Operability Cultural Legal glasshouses where the payback is over ten years. • Capital expenditure is • Robotics very often • Shift away from the • Autonomous vehicles They’re going to cost often considerable for optimised for vertical farm as a centre of are currently illegal you, what, £20k pa? I larger solutions (e.g. farming environments local employment and in the UK and the don’t know. Against a Robotic Milkers) and but incapable of community ongoing consultation, person it’s not worth it at beyond many farmers’ operating in rough • Significant assuming min. six the moment.” available tech budgets terrain or adverse training/upskilling months’ delays • Cost of Field Robots is climatic conditions requirements for COVID, is Patrick Allpress often net-neutral vs. • Very often incapable unlikely to publish Allpress Farms human labour, with of performing tasks recommendations productivity gains with the accuracy or before 2022 often marginal delicacy of human sight and touch Previous | 28 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond IoT can power fundamental changes There are considerable gaps in operational capabilities of technologies currently available. For those businesses starting afresh with vertical farming environments, the benefits are more immediately attainable. But for the to working practices if optimised majority of mature businesses, the technology is at present not fit for purpose. Challenges Solutions Benefits Impact on uptake Core functionality • Robots able to reliably conduct crop/plant and soil care and/or • Solving for the sector’s productivity issues • Potentially revolutionary harvesting tasks • Offsetting labour shortages exacerbated by Brexit but is more likely to • Robots able to operate/adapt to different terrains and and COVID be evolutionary weather conditions • Ability to operate in rural areas with low • Integrated vehicle fleets for automated tasks (e.g. harvesting) broadband speeds • Telemetric functionality for automatic measurement and • Automated production of comprehensive data transmission of data sets which are easy-to-use and manage • Ability for devices to interact/train one another (device-to-device • Optimisation of machine capabilities learning) Device inter- • Single operating ‘language’ to allow intra-device communication in • Seamless integration with data analytics and • Potentially value- operability real time other devices additive assuming can be • Time/labour efficiency (avoids management of delivered SIMPLY multiple platforms) Platform • Integration of data outputs and agents, enabling automated • Increased yield/output • Potentially game-changing integration diagnosis and delivery of solution with minimal or no manual • Improved profitability intervention Cost • Provision of robotics in agriculture as a service • Reduced capex/opex requirements • Potentially value-additive • Ability to ‘bolt on’ robotics onto existing machinery/equipment Skills/ • Basic robot maintenance • Reduced maintenance costs • Potentially value-additive educational gaps • Provision of clear and up-to-date legal/regulatory guidelines on • Clarity regarding legal responsibility their use It is critical that to take meaningful steps forward in productivity and competitiveness, UK farming has access to the right tech and tools. Barclays wants to be able to support the farming industry through the de-mystification of tech by ensuring that technology is solving everyday problems the industry faces, starting with the problems and working backwards towards the solutions. Previous | 29 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond UK AgriTech Trailblazers Previous | 30 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond One of the UK’s leading Agri-tech drone solutions providers Background What Value Is Drone Ag Adding? “We’ve learned a lot over the last five DroneAg is a firm of farmers, agronomists and drone techs building The core principles of the app, which mirror those of Drone Ag more years. We assumed when we began drone-enabled solutions from its base on a 6000-acre farm in generally, might almost serve as a ‘ready reckoner’ of the principles to that a farmer wouldn’t be bothered Northumberland. The firm was formed in 2015 when its founder Jack which technologists should subscribe: by a price point of £25k for a Drone Wrangham, from a farming background, wanted to apply his skills System because he spends £80k • Simple to implement • Affordable and experience from his time managing an aerial media company on a Tractor. But we learnt that’s • Simple to use • Help get the most from existing tech utilising drone tech, to the challenge of unlocking the benefits of not how it works. A farmer doesn’t drone technology for UK farmers. • Fully automated • Integrated with other data sources know what to do with a drone, but • Proven to identify problems he knows exactly what to do with What Challenges Is Drone Ag Addressing? a tractor.” The app recently won gold at the LAMMA 2020 Innovation Awards The company began life by manufacturing custom-made Drone (which recognise and give exposure to some of the best advances in Jack Wrangham Systems but soon thereafter pivoted to design and implementation agricultural manufacturing). Founder, Drone Ag – including training provision – for agricultural drones, after realising DroneAg is the UK’s only pure play provider of Drones for the how often farmers that had made initial investments in drone tech Agricultural sector and one of the few technology providers whose subsequently allowed them to go largely unused, often because of core personnel are all steeped in agriculture from birth, giving them training needs or under-appreciation of the benefits. baseline knowledge that they augment by staying close to their target The insight gained from interactions from farmers, and the client groups, via Trade events, at one of their training courses, or frustrations they expressed with expensive tech from they were on-farm itself. unable to extract (sufficient) value, inspired ‘Skippy Scout’, an AI- The firm’s mantra of ‘Do More In Less Time’ empowers its core enabled mobile app able to deploy almost any existing Drone on-farm client groups – smaller, younger, resource challenged businesses – into an easy to use, automated agricultural detection tool. with tools that would otherwise be beyond their budgets and their experience to access. The propositions are fully integrated with existing processes and provide farmers the insights to make the right decisions quickly. Previous | 31 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond The UK’s Agri-Food data marketplace Who are they? Some of the key areas Agrimetrics are targeting include: • AI and linked-data technologies pre-linking and harmonising data from multiple sources, saving man Agrimetrics is one of four centres for agricultural innovation • Crop Analytics – algo-enabled predictive analytics weeks or months in data transformation. seeded by Innovate UK, drawing on the expertise of providing estimates of yield, risk and supply chain founding partners NIAB, SRUC, Rothamsted Research forecasting; and tools for crop health management, such Agrimetrics strives to ensure that their data simplifies, and The University of Reading. A graduate of Microsoft’s as optimising water usage and preventing crop lodging. rather than complicates, the decisions agribusinesses prestigious ‘AI for Earth’ accelerator, its goal is to help make, providing only the most relevant data in the simplest • Harvest Forecasting: AI-driven predictive modelling that possible way to demystify the often very complex world of build more productive and sustainable food systems by can predict the optimal window for harvesting of time AI‑enabled analytics. improving access to food, farming, and environmental data sensitive perishable crops. – and by making it easier and more affordable for agrifood Looking forward, Agrimetrics is focused on removing organisations to derive insights and ultimately commercial • Sustainability analytics, such as natural capital barriers – whether privacy or compensation-related – to value from that data. accounting, bringing data views together not simply to ensure data owners and users all benefit from this new data enable regulatory compliance but to help data-hungry ecosystem and to enable the data-driven knowledge sharing Collaboration is the cornerstone of the Agrimetric organisations manage resources more cost-effectively that Agrimetrics believe is key to securing a profitable future philosophy, and of its open architecture aggregation and identify potential competitive advantages. for UK farming. proposition, The Agri-Food Data Marketplace, which allows agrifood organisations and reseachers to access relevant In short, Agrimetrics is enabling organsiations to move ancillary data points to enrich analyses; to share data towards what it firmly believes is the future of farming – a securely; and to monetise that data. sector powered by data, an information business. “Don’t tell a farmer ‘you need to What Challenges Is Agrimetrics What Value Is Agrimetrics Adding? adopt AI’. Ask them what challenges their business faces, and is there a Addressing? tool that can help? AI is just one tool The Agrimetrics platform, Data Marketplace, is something in the box.” Poor access to data, or lack of expertise or budget to unlock entirely new in UK agriculture, and promises to break down its value, are major barriers to innovation in the agricultural some of the most fundamental barriers to deeper integration Professor Richard Tiffin sector, Agrimetrics’s Marketplace and underlying linked-data of data into agrifood processes: Chief Scientific Officer technologies are enabling solutions providers to address these challenges and thereby to drive efficiencies and • Open architecture allowing users access to breadth and improve performance and sustainability across the whole depth of data in one place, easily searchable, through food chain. one simple interface. Previous | 32 | Next page
AI in UK AgriTech — 2021 and beyond The Small Robot Company: The UK’s leading agricultural robotics firm Background All managed through a simple user interface that visualises the challenges for farmers and allows them to be in control Small Robot Company (SRC) aims to revolutionise UK farming of the solutions without requiring significant upskilling in analytics or bioscience. An Integrated to make food production sustainable. Inspired by work of Network of Simon Blackmore in the National Centre for Precision Farming Autonomous Robots at Harper Adams and his vision a new way of farming, What Challenges Is SRC Addressing? controlled by a founders Ben and Sam were inspired to begin work on centralised AI-enabled Farming as a Service, embodied in and powered by AI and FaaS is helping farmers in: Platform cutting-edge robotics technologies. • Reducing the environmental cost of farming through Aware of the often sceptical attitudes with respect to new more efficient use of inputs, whilst – at the same time - technology, and the pain those on the ‘bleeding edge’ maximising outputs. often experience, nevertheless consultation with farmers Tom lives on the farm highlighted opportunities for early stage tech adoption • Reducing costs, including inventory and maintenance trundling about, constantly if it could be derisked financially and operationally. That overheads, offering technology with few of its inherent checking the crop opportunity is made real in SRC’s ‘Farming-as-a-Service’ commercial risks. (FaaS) model. FaaS is putting Precision Agriculture at farmers’ fingertips, Wilma lives in Tom’s allowing them to pay for outputs rather than inputs, and kennel and turns Tom’s What Challenges Is SRC Addressing? although in its infancy in deployment, services such as info into instructions automated weed identification, early (non-chemical) for Dick and Harry Fundamentally to challenge existing – longer-tern intervention and weeding are proving extremely popular unsustainable – norms of farming, putting AI at the heart of with those farmerssolutions. These conversations remain an an integrated scanning, processing and execution loop that ongoing workstream within the business, rather than a ‘one- Harry is called out to Dick is called out to monitors crops, solves problems and implements solutions. off’ at the point of product design. plant the crop with feed the crop, zap Small thinking machines replacing large dumb technology. Putting the emphasis on accuracy rather than vspeed. no ploughing, and the weeds and spray record the location of the nasties every plant Previous | 33 | Next page
You can also read