The level of digitalization on farms around the world varies widely. While some farms already rely on technologies such as artificial intelligence, the use of drones or robotics, others are still insufficiently digitalized. These are the findings of the “Agriculture in transition” study, which Continental conducted together with the market research institute Innofact AG in fall 2023. 503 farmers from five countries were asked about their daily work, their concerns and challenges. Digital solutions support farmers in the necessary transformation towards sustainable and efficient agriculture. Precision farming is a good example. It uses GPS, sensors and data analysis to more precisely manage resources such as fertilizer, water and pesticides. This optimizes field management, protects the soil, and increases farm efficiency, value, and sustainability.
“We are currently experiencing a profound change in agriculture, driven primarily by connectivity, robotics and artificial intelligence. At the end of this transformation, agriculture will not only be more efficient, but also more environmentally friendly. We see the potential to transform the entire value chain. The results of our ‘Agriculture in transition’ study show that farmers also see this potential. Our goal is to work closely with farmers to strategically harness technological advances to make agriculture more resilient to climate change,” says Ismail Dagli, Head of the Autonomous Mobility and Commercial Vehicles business unit at Continental.
Farmers are at different stages of digital transformation
The majority of respondents are currently using digital solutions. 79 percent already use such technologies today, and more than two-thirds of farmers say that digitalization plays a rather relevant role in their daily work (71 percent). Nevertheless, there are major differences between regions and company sizes.
In Germany, France and the U.S., about 13 percent of farmers do not use digital technologies, while in Brazil it is only one in twenty (5 percent). In Japan, however, around 60 percent of respondents state that they carry out their agricultural work without digital applications.
This also has an impact on the level of satisfaction with the digitalization of one’s own farm. In an international comparison, Japanese farmers are the least satisfied with their level of digitalization. Around 77 percent of them state that they do not use enough technologies (international average: 37 percent). German farmers, on the other hand, appear to be the most satisfied with the extent to which digital technologies are used on their farms. About two-thirds (67 percent) say they use just the right amount (international average: 54 percent). These results make it clear: regardless of whether respondents are currently satisfied with their use of technology or not, the road to the digital farm is still a long one.
