Addressing challenges in the agri-food industry with the 'Internet of Agri-Things'

A KTN workshop will explore how the Internet of Things can advance innovation in the Agri-Food sector.

 

Many recent advances in the sustainable and efficient production, manufacture and distribution of food rely on technologies which gather and communicate information. For example, by using the technologies provided by Precision Agriculture farmers are able to respond to real time data‚ such as weather predictions or soil quality analytics, and make informed decisions.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a broad-brush term which encompasses a wide range of technologies connected and communicating with each other, usually aligned to suites of sensors, analytics and communication platforms.

The Internet of Agri-Things is a term which you might sometimes hear used to describe the application of the IoT to all things Agri, or indeed Agri-Food. But what does it really mean and how can the Internet of Agri-Things address the needs of the arable, horticultural and livestock industries, as well as the food processing and manufacturing sector?

There are increasing pressures on agricultural production, from decreasing availability of manual labour, to the need to reduce impact on the environment and optimise the outputs derived from limited resources. This has resulted in a greater than ever need for innovation in this sector, either from totally new technologies or by applying existing technologies from other sectors.

With this in mind, KTN is organising a workshop that will feature a range of speakers from the Agri-Food sector and IoT industries, who will present examples of ongoing projects and successful approaches. This workshop will provide an opportunity for experts from both the IoT and Agri-Food communities to learn much more about each other’s needs and capabilities, both now and in the near-future. The ultimate aim is to stimulate discussion of how an Internet of Agri-Things could address key challenges facing the arable, horticultural and livestock industries, as well as the food processing and manufacturing sector.

The workshop will be held on 28th September at Harper Adams University (Newport, Shropshire), a core partner in the £17.7 million Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation (AgriEPI) Centre. You can find out more and express interest in attending this workshop here.