[SUSTAINABILITY] Gazing into the digital cloud

The United Nations estimated that, due to the growth of the world’s population, the global demand for
food will almost double by 2050. Even though they are faced with challenges such as the negative
consequences of climate change and the lack of arable land, farmers around the world will have to
increase productivity and change their farming methods.
One possible solution could be smart or precision agriculture, which relies on big data. These data are
generated by sensors that collect information from the ground and precise satellite imaging from space,
which is then stored and processed with the help of sophisticated computer technology and machine
learning. And while their ancestors gazed upon the clouds for signs of rain to help their crops, some
farmers today look to the digital cloud – not in the sky, but on their mobile phones – through which they
receive information and which helps them formulate better predictions, make better decisions and
increase crop production.