2021-11-02
By Miriam Martinez, Psychology major 2023 and Graphics and Media intern of CITRIS UC Merced
AgBag is the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute’s latest series of seminar events where respected professors and professionals within their field discuss the latest advancements in the burgeoning field of agricultural technology. CITRIS’s ag-food-tech research initiative with UC Merced’s leading research organizations NSF Engineering Research Center IoT4Ag and UCOP Multi Campus Research Initiative Labor and Automation in California Agricuture (LACA) hosted Distinguished Professor Martin Kenney and Professor Anne Visser to share their work-in-progress on the “Digitalization and Platformization in Agriculture.” I am Miriam Martinez, a third-year Psychology major and the graphic and media intern at CITRIS here to discuss the topics explored in the recent AgBag.
Over the past few decades, technology has rapidly advanced with new mind-blowing innovations that reshape the way we live our lives. From cell phones to computers, the very internet we collaborate through are all thanks to the advances we have made. They changed the way we connect with others and understand our world, however, they aren’t the only ones. Another advancement that had changed our world dramatically has been right under our noses since the beginning.
With funding and collaboration through LACA, Kenney and Anne Visser have been researching in advancements in digital platforms and mechanization made to modern agriculture. We have been able to create systems that are automated to build cars and other machines but sometimes that may translate strangely to agriculture. For example, strawberries and automation have had a troubled relationship, where backbreaking labor would most benefit from a technological intervention. Due to the complexities of strawberries, their ripeness timing, and other factors trying to automate them tends to be a problem. Currently, most strawberry farmers are looking more into genetically modification to make strawberries easier for machines to recognize as being ripe or to ripen regularly.
Visser also discussed combine harvesters used for grains. Many in the Ag-Tech field would like to increase digitization and make combine harvesters more automated. This way collecting grains will not be as much of an effort for farmers and create jobs that focus on caring for these systems. These are just some of the ways those within the Ag-Tech field want to try to change the way we go about agriculture and create more satisfying jobs for workers.
Ag-Tech is changing the way we farm. Ag-Tech has enabled the rapid development of agriculture with combine harvesters to increase harvesting and irrigation that enables watering in a grand scale. By continuing to advance technology for agriculture we can create a sustainable environment for people to thrive and more sustained job opportunities that are more rewarding and safer for farm laborers. The use of Ag-Tech is beneficial not only for the environment but also the people around them. With Ag-Tech you can not only improve crop production but also limit the amount of chemicals and water to only what’s necessary making it safe for the farmer and workers. With a focus shifting away from intensive labor the need to assist these systems will go to current farmers who would still need to check and take care not for every individual plant but for the machines that look after them. This means that more job opportunities will be made for farmers and diverse job avenues for them benefitting not only them but their communities as well. Unfortunately, there has been controversy around these advancements.
There are topics regarding further development of agriculture that need to be discussed as stated by Visser, “there are important consequences as it relates to questions of equity and socioeconomic inequalities, and the way in which the intersection of race, class, gender environment, place of residence, et cetera, all will interplay.” Ultimately, Professor Visser left this discussion to the audience to decide whether or not the future of agriculture should be pursued in such a way. There will always be consequences to our actions but do those consequences truly outweigh the benefits? I personally disagree, I think the further development of agriculture can do more good than harm.
From my perspective, as a student at UC Merced, given the turbulence of COVID-19 pandemic protecting crops and farmer lives are vital for communities and society. We should be protecting those who tend to the food we eat and help protect those whose lives are at risk. With the growth of Ag-Tech and the help of LACA we can make that future possible. We can change the way we do agriculture to benefit society as a whole and save others when a new outbreak or challenge comes our way.