Agricultural automation is part of a broader agrifood systems transformation. It helps agricultural producers maintain or expand production as workers leave agriculture and move to higher-paying sectors of the economy. Besides relieving labour needs in agriculture, automation can further spur the transformation of agrifood systems by generating employment opportunities in other stages of agrifood systems. Historically, as countries develop, more attractive jobs draw workers away from agriculture, and labour-saving innovations increase agricultural productivity by reducing labour requirements per unit of output.7, 8, 9 As a result of this combination of labour supply and labour demand trends, the share of population employed in agriculture has declined over time, including in low- and lower-middle-income countries (see Figure 3).
FIGURE 3 Share of employment in agriculture out of total employment by income group (top) and region (bottom), 1991–2019
This transformation is accompanied by increased innovations, technological changes and investments, all of which are critical components of socioeconomic development, and which affect agrifood systems beyond the primary stage. For example, to provide sufficient, safe and nutritious food to an increasingly urban and affluent population requires investments, not only in agriculture but also in transport, storage, food processing and other infrastructures. Backward and forward linkages therefore connect the agriculture sector to the non-farm sector.20 As part of this transformation of agrifood systems, agricultural automation can bring multiple benefits, discussed below.
Opportunities for agricultural producers
Agricultural automation presents many opportunities for primary production and, more broadly, for agrifood systems. It can help raise land and labour productivity and profitability through, for example, more timely and careful crop and livestock management.21, 22, 23 This, in turn, contributes to higher incomes,24 reduced risks, improved resilience and enhanced environmental sustainability. With the progress in digital technologies, agricultural automation has the potential to become scale-neutral, in other words, include automation solutions for all scales (large-, medium- and small-scale agricultural producers), and thus be accessible also to small-scale producers. This can happen either through the development of small machines and equipment adapted to the conditions of small farms and production units, or through asset-sharing arrangements that rely on digital platforms (see Chapter 3).
Agricultural automation can also advance decent employment by providing better and safer working conditions and an adequate living income, and by reducing the workload of farming, much of which is shouldered by unpaid family members, including women and children.25, 26 This can free up time for adults to pursue additional value-adding activities or off-farm work and carry out care activities or food preparation,27 and for children to play and go to school.26, 28, 29 Evidence suggests the lifestyle benefits of machine milking – freeing up time for producers to do other jobs, spend time with their family or enjoy a more flexible working day – are those most valued by adopters.30, 31 Positive impacts related to the alleviation of drudgery can particularly empower rural women who gain time to undertake new productive initiatives and/or to expand existing activities in agrifood systems. It also helps attract youth to the sector.
Another important dimension of agricultural automation is its potential for generating rural entrepreneurship opportunities. For example, one of the main constraints to organic production is the cost and availability of labour. Although there is strong demand in many countries for organic products, consumers are reluctant to pay substantially more for them. Robots for weeding, selective harvesting, and other field operations could significantly reduce the cost of organic production, thereby creating opportunities for more producers.
In the past, for the successful automated performing of certain operations using motorized machinery, it was necessary to adapt agricultural production. For example, as tomato harvesters were adopted in the United States of America, a tomato variety was developed that ripened uniformly on the vine and had a tough skin which would not easily break when handled roughly by a machine.32 The new advances in digital automation technologies may offer solutions for much more refined agricultural operations. For example, engineers are currently seeking robotics solutions that would permit mechanical harvesting of strawberries, one of the most delicate and labour-intensive crops.
Beyond the farm, processing, preserving, storage and transport technologies can help reduce food loss and waste, enhance food safety and enable value addition,33 all of which are necessary for efficient agrifood systems capable of delivering healthy diets for all in a sustainable manner. Automation can also provide safer working conditions for labourers, for example, by reducing occupational hazards related to pesticide use.
Plugging the labour gap
In terms of employment, agricultural automation has been hailed as a solution to urgent rural labour shortages, occurring particularly in high-income countries (see Figure 3). Statistics show that 2.5 million workers left agriculture in the European Union in the last ten years, with a predicted further 2 percent yearly decline up to 2030.34 The main driver of this is the unattractiveness of agriculture as a career (harsh working conditions, low pay, lack of prospects, etc.). The COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing exacerbated labour shortages, and political events leading to immigration regulations and policies have restricted access to seasonal, migrant labour.
Many agricultural enterprises, especially fruit and vegetable production, rely on human labour to perform tasks such as picking, packing and disease treatment. Other sectors, such as livestock production, can also require a large workforce. Automation solutions could plug serious shortfalls in labour and enable agricultural producers to adapt to sudden shocks that disrupt labour markets, leading to improved resilience. At the same time, these solutions can contribute to decent employment by creating a large number of skilled jobs that provide a living income and reasonable working conditions, attracting skilled younger workers.35 Training and capacity building are needed to ensure the transition is smooth and inclusive (see Chapters 4 and 5).
Given the declining availability of rural labour worldwide as economies continue to transform (see Figure 3), the maintenance and improvement of agricultural productivity will probably require automation – at least to perform labour-intensive tasks. In many parts of the world, the decrease in rural labour supply has led to an increase in agricultural wages, promoting further adoption of labour-saving technologies.3, 36
Changes in consumption patterns
Globalization has contributed to changing dietary patterns, food preferences and consumer demand, and has also led to more stringent food safety standards.37 Consumers, especially in high-income countries, increasingly care about what they eat and how their food is produced, processed and transported.38 There is also more concern about various health hazards resulting from plant and animal diseases or from excessive use of pesticides and other chemicals. Advanced digital automation technologies can facilitate the timely identification of outbreak points and allow early and precise treatment, thus safeguarding consumer safety and limiting financial losses for producers. This is particularly important in livestock production – since about 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases originate from animals – where automated systems can play an effective role in the prevention and control of zoonosis.39 Digital automation technologies can also lead to reduced pesticide and chemical use on crops, as pests and diseases are targeted with more precision, ensuring effective plant protection with minimum health hazards. Owing to their outstanding precision and ability to follow food safety procedures in a standardized manner, these technologies can prevent and control pests and diseases better than humans can, resulting in major improvements in food safety. Not only do they kill pathogens and block transmission routes more effectively, they also minimize chemical use.40
Rising consumer concerns about food quality, taste and freshness further incentivize investment in digital automation technologies (e.g. sensors and mapping systems) that help monitor temperature and humidity conditions. Fast-changing consumer preferences and needs are therefore a key driver to implement automation in agriculture.41
Environmental sustainability and animal welfare
Agricultural automation is critical for the future of agrifood systems, given the rising environmental and ethical concerns surrounding food production and consumption. Digital automation technologies, in particular, can bring many benefits. Swarms of small, autonomous robots (see Glossary) could reduce soil compaction and river pollution, enabling conservation agriculture, which, in turn, enhances land and soil conservation, as well as biodiversity for food and agriculture, and improves ecosystem services within farming systems.42 Digital automation technologies can also optimize the use of natural resources such as water, for example, through automated irrigation. Autonomous robots in the soft fruit sector could reduce fungicide and energy use, in addition to lowering carbon emissions if powered by solar energy. However, the energy-intensive process of building robots and other technologies used in precision agriculture must also be taken into account when measuring carbon footprints.43
Agricultural automation can help address some of the challenges associated with climate change and thus facilitate adaptation efforts. This is the case not least for digital automation technologies, which through their application (e.g. in precision agriculture) can improve resource-use efficiency in conditions which are increasingly constrained for agricultural producers. Moreover, when applied to sensing and early warning, they can help address the uncertainty and unpredictability of weather conditions associated with accelerating climate change.
As animal herds increase in size with rising numbers resulting in reduced animal welfare, livestock management is becoming more challenging.44 In this context, new automation technologies, such as precision livestock farming, can support farmers by monitoring and controlling animal productivity, environmental impacts, and health and welfare parameters in a continuous, real-time and automated manner.45 A variety of systems using technologies such as sensors, cameras or microphones can detect anomalies and alert farmers directly, allowing them to intervene at an early stage. While the potential of these technologies is promising, their use raises ethical concerns, due to their potential impact on the human–animal relationship – critical as it can influence both animal welfare and productivity – in particular, the objectification of animals, and the notion of care and farmers’ identity as animal keepers.46, 47 Both the benefits and the ethical challenges must be taken into consideration when evaluating different technologies.
The extent to which digital automation can contribute to more efficient, productive, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agriculture greatly depends on the progress in overcoming barriers to adoption. This requires an enabling environment and suitable solutions geared to local needs and conditions.
