This report discusses the role of automation in primary agricultural production (crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture). With respect to broader agrifood systems, it also touches on automation downstream in the value chain, in proximity to primary production, such as on-farm post-harvest handling and processing; however, the focus is on the primary stage. The scope is limited to primary production and the initial stages of the value chain based on two considerations. First, automation of primary production and other on-farm activities is crucial to achieving various SDGs related to improved food security and nutrition, (rural) poverty alleviation and enhanced environmental sustainability. In the face of increasing shocks and stresses, agricultural automation can also contribute to building resilient rural livelihoods. Furthermore, it can help ensure safer working conditions for agricultural producers and workers. Second, although the report acknowledges that agricultural automation does not happen in isolation from similar transformative processes in other components of agrifood systems, an in-depth analysis of the drivers and impacts of automation beyond primary production would be too complex and challenging for a single edition of this report.
The report thus focuses on investigating how automation in agriculture and the early stages of the food supply chain can support sustainable and inclusive productivity increases in agriculture and agrifood systems at large and contribute to achieving the SDGs. In particular, the report examines how to tackle barriers to adoption and make the changes brought about by automation more inclusive and aligned with the objectives of poverty reduction, improved food security and nutrition, and environmental sustainability.
The report addresses the following questions:
- What are the drivers of and barriers to adoption of agricultural automation, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries?
- What are the efficiency gains that help build a business case for automation?
- How can automation be adapted to the needs of diverse small-scale producers, in particular women and youth?
- What are the likely impacts of automation on labour, decent employment and inclusiveness?
- How can automation facilitate environmental sustainability and resilience to shocks and stresses?
The report draws on evidence from 27 case studies covering technologies along the spectrum of automation presented in Figure 2, at different production scales (small, medium, large), and for different sectors (crops, livestock, aquaculture, agroforestry). The case studies target service providers of different types including private companies, non-profit organizations and producer associations from all regions of the world. Table 1 summarizes the coverage of the case studies in terms of the types of technologies used, the scale of targeted producers, and their production system. Annex 1 includes a summary description of each case study, and a more detailed description is available in the two commissioned technical studies.62, 63 The report also relies on four other background papers that summarize the evidence from literature and available data.20, 64, 65, 66 For areas not covered by the commissioned papers and case studies, such as forestry or small-scale mechanization, the report relies on cases in the literature, as well as data from surveys, namely the FAO Rural Livelihoods Information System (RuLIS) database and the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS).
TABLE 1NUMBER OF CASE STUDIES BY PRODUCER SIZE, AUTOMATION LEVEL AND SECTOR
SOURCE: FAO elaboration for this report.
The breakdown of the case studies reflects the main challenges, opportunities and potential consequences of the adoption of automation in different contexts. These relate to, inter alia: (i) the costs (purchase price or operation cost) of implementation, potentially making it unprofitable for some; (ii) the knowledge, capability and capacity of, for example, producers (who may lack digital literacy or not know how to operate some automated devices) or youth and other stakeholders; (iii) the availability of data management and information technology (IT) infrastructure required to acquire, process and share data; (iv) the accessibility to technical maintenance and servicing to repair equipment and provide maintenance support; (v) health and safety (as automation can significantly reduce drudgery but also heighten threats to cybersecurity and increase the risk of work accidents); (vi) the potential improvements and challenges to sustainability and the environment, including those related to energy use; and (vii) the role of culture and tradition in enabling or hindering uptake.
The remainder of the report is organized as follows. Chapter 2 provides an overview of agricultural automation technologies, discusses trends of adoption and their drivers and how they differ across regions. It analyses how digital automation technologies are complementing or replacing older motorized machinery, and also examines the potential of digital solutions for non-mechanized agriculture. Chapter 3 discusses the business case for agricultural automation technologies, shedding light on the challenges producers and service providers face. It discusses the role of policies, legislation and investments in shaping private incentives, and explores how to overcome barriers to adoption, tailor automation solutions to local needs and harness digital equipment to improve environmental sustainability. Chapter 4 focuses on the impacts – both positive and negative – of agricultural automation on decent employment and labour demand, with particular attention to vulnerable groups such as women and youth. Chapter 5 concludes the report with a roadmap for policies, legislation and investments that are needed to tackle barriers to adoption and ensure that agricultural automation contributes to efficient, productive, sustainable, resilient and inclusive agrifood systems. It also examines the potential trade-offs that may arise between these different objectives and evaluates how countries should prioritize their actions based on their level of economic development, their institutions, and the objectives of their policymakers.
