Farming 4.0 – Germany

This project seeks to network agricultural machines and complete harvests digitally. This is expected to optimize and improve productivity thanks to quicker harvesting, while reducing fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Farming 4.0 allows for more sustainable use of natural resources, also resulting in less physical strain for participants.

Fast facts:

10 participants in 2013;
50 participants in 2014.

The problem

Climatic changes such as increased drought and floods are affecting agricultural productivity. At the same time, the global population continues to grow, resulting in rising demand for food. If supply cannot increase to meet this demand, the assurance that everyone gets the food they need is threatened. Technology could be better harnessed to increase productivity and thus defer a food security crisis.

The solution

Farming 4.0 deploys technology such as machine-to-machine communication, cloud computing, and big data in agriculture to enhance the coordination of harvests. Deutsche Telekom provides an open, flexible, and secure solution that utilizes the 4G network to connect agricultural vehicles and people. “Intelligent” machines, communicating with each other, allows for harmonization and continuous improvement of work processes without human input. For example, gathering real-time information on information such as weather and machine locations helps maximize the use of costly equipment, increasing performance and efficiency for operators.

Helping the planet

Using farm equipment more efficiently translates into reduced fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Less movement of empty vehicles also means preventing damage to the ground. Collection of big data also could help to minimize use of pesticide or fertilizers, thus conserving the land and soil.

Helping people

Farmers could see increased productivity thanks to quicker harvesting, which in turn supports food security. Deployment of Farming 4.0 could also result in less physical strain for drivers.

Scaling up

Harvesting requirements are adaptable to other farming processes, such as animal feed, fertilization, and more. Outdoor production processes are also replicable into other branches, including sustainable forestry or even industrial construction. Governments can develop regulatory framework to support deployment of such technology. Farming 4.0 is intended to first be rolled out in Europe, and then worldwide.