The agricultural sector is set to face enormous challenges in order to feed the 9.6 billion people that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts are going to inhabit the planet by 2050.

The May/Jun 2017 issue of ISOfocus examines how high-tech farming techniques and technologies can improve production output while minimizing cost and preserving resources. Among the experts interviewed are agricultural machinery companies, United Nations leaders and standards professionals from around the world, in fields ranging from climate-smart farming to sustainable cocoa and nutritious dairy production.

The last issue of the magazine showcases some of the opportunities that exist for smart farming by highlighting how the agricultural sector is most likely to benefit. It gives examples of how some companies are already leveraging this growing market, taking advantage of modern technologies, so that the waste is limited, productivity is maximized, the environment is affected as little as possible.

Smart farming’ techniques combined with other emerging ones, including IoT - enabling intelligent farm equipment, the use of drones and drip water irrigation, are clearly set to revolutionize agriculture.

So what will farming look like in 2050? One thing is certain, feeding 9.6 billion people successfully will demand an enduring focus on driving standards development, to ensure that the strides we are making with technology continue to deliver the  productivity environmental benefits we would like to see over the next couple of decades.

Read the latest issue of ISOfocus to learn more.

ISO (International Standardization Organization) is also launching the social media campaign on “Standards and smart farming” from 5-9 June 2017. Join Tweetchat on June 8, at 3 pm CEST.

Taken over and adopted from www.iso.org.