Looking at how precision ag presents new opportunities
By Diego Flammini
Farms.com
For many people in the ag sector, precision agriculture is defined as tools available to make better on-farm decisions to save costs.
But what if these tools can identify additional opportunities?
Personalizing conservation and agronomy practices at or after harvest can help producers with this, said Anastasia Volkova, CEO and cofounder of Regrow Ag.
“Sustainable agronomy is a path to more longer-term resilience and revenue on the farm,” she told the 2021 Virtual Precision Agriculture Conference and Ag Technology Showcase in November.
Producers should do their research before making any changes.
Learn about carbon markets, connect with supply chain partners, and consider goals and interventions.
“The onus is on the farmer to make the decision,” she said.
Volkova identified three tailwinds for sustainability in agriculture.
They include net-zero goals, regenerative agriculture and farm resilience, and accessing capital.
Farmers should be looking to take advantage of these industry opportunities, Volkova said.
“The downstream players are very much incentivized to work with farmers to improve the situation upstream,” she said. “Growers can position themselves as much more attractive suppliers because they have lower emission factors.”
Supporting the sustainable ag lifecycle requires different tools.
The first tool is for baselining.
“Where are things at? Where have they been? Where can go we go from here?” Volkova said.
The second tool combines baselining with agronomy.
“This is the interplay between agronomic decisions and environmental outcomes,” she said.
The final piece is reducing carbon emissions.
“Maybe this makes you a preferred supplier to a food company who wants to associate itself with adopters of good practices,” Volkova added.
If you are investing in precision agriculture, be sure to get the maximum from your investment by following Volkova’s suggested tools.
This article was featured in the December 2021 Precision Agriculture Digital Digest — check it out here.
Watch Anastasia Volkova's presenation from the 2021 Farms.com Virtual Precision Agriculture Conference & Ag Technology Showcase below.