Fantastic overview of the current state of agriculture, its impact on the world & how technology can bring a solution

1. is the future of agriculture
digital ?
Hifluence clinic - September 8th 2016
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen

2. Who am I….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen

3. Houston (do) we have a problem....
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen

4. Convergence of factors….
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We need to produce as much
food in the next 40 years as in
the last …..
12.000 years

5. Convergence of factors….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
7 billion people going to…… 9 by 2050
Intake of calories per person will increase
People live longer
Increase in wealth = increase in
meat consumption
Result: 35% more people equals 100% more food

6. A condensed storyline of the history of agriculture….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
11.500 years ago - the start
4000 years ago – the plough
16th
– 19th
century - end of the Malthusian trap
Mid 19th
century - start of farmers co-op
1930’s onward - the green revolution
The last 1% of the agricultural time frame

7. The impact on output….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
680 mio tons
Harvest of grains in 1950
2.025mio tons
Harvest of grains in 1997

8. Number of piglets per sow per year….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
23In 1994
31In 2013
+34%

9. Feed conversion in chickens….
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1,73In 2006
1,54In 2014
-11%

10. The elephant in the room….
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11. Overall footprint of agriculture….
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70% of water supply consumption
35% of greenhouse gas emissions
80% of deforestation in (sub)tropical regions
38% of all cultivated land used
National Geographic

12. Water footprint of agriculture...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
1.000 litres: 1kg of wheat
3.000 litres: 1kg of rice
3.300 litres: 1kg of eggs
3.900 litres: 1kg of chicken
4.800 litres: 1 kg of pig meat
16.000 litres: 1kg of beef

13. water footprint….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
16.000 litres =
280 showers
1.5 years worth of showers

14. The troublesome relationship between climate change and agriculture...
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Biggest drivers of biodiversity decline for 8688 species
Overexploitation: 6241
Agriculture: 5407
Urban development: 3014
Invasion and disease: 2298
Nature: Biodiversity- the ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers

15. Negative impact of climate change on output….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
Potatoes: minus 22-44%
Sugar beets: minus 12-30%
Grass: minus 25%
Soy: minus 25-27%
VITO: Vlaams instituut voor technologie en ontwikkeling: impact without new races or mitigating measures

16. The importance of a stable food supply….
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17. The importance of a stable food supply….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
There is a multidimensional and complex
relationship between peace, conflict and food
security. Conflict directly affects food security,
while food insecurity has both direct and indirect
effects on sustainable development, and
international peace and security
Food and agriculture organisation - UN: Food security, nutrition and peace

18. We need more from agriculture be we cannot continue with the old approach….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen

19. So, an opportunity to fix and rethink the system presents itself….
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen

20. Multiple approaches in parallel needed...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
Reduce waste
Increase output without need to scale
Change eating patterns
New concepts

21. Reduce waste: Fruits and vegetables...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
20% loss during harvest and triage
5.5% loss during processing
7.5% loss during distribution
13% loss during consumption

22. Reduce waste: Fruits and vegetables...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
Food wasted can feed 2 billion people
If ‘food wasted’ would be a country, it would be
the 3th biggest greenhouse emitter worldwide
⅓ of all the food gets wasted

23. Increase output without the need to scale…
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
Precision farming = f(digital farming)

24. Enters the room… Precision farming
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
Precision agriculture(PA) is a farming management concept based
on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops.
The holy grail of precision agriculture research will be the ability to define a decision
support system for whole farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on
inputs while preserving resources.

25. Technological foundation of precision farming…
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Drones
Geospatial data
Machine / Tractor data
Weather data
External reference data

26. The potential…
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27. Internet of everything in farming…
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28. Internet of everything in farming…
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29. Change eating patterns...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen

30. Amount of land needed for 1000 Kcal of food...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
Poultry: 44
Pig: 57
Dairy: 94
Beef: 1557
⅔ of all greenhouse gases from agriculture are from cattle

31. Alternative sources for protein: plant based such as pulses...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen

32. Current global market for soy...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
Three countries: 80% of world production
70% genetically modified
EU covers only 9% of its needs locally
Likewise evolution as with corn possible

33. Alternative sources of protein...
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34. A replacement for traditional beef…
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen

35. New concepts...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen
3D printed food
Aqua culture - the blue revolution
Genetically modified crops
Algae
Policy

36. From rooftop farming to vertical farming...
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen

37. From rooftop farming to vertical farming...
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38. The challenge is clear… the opportunity as well
Copyright Erwin Verstraelen