Innovating for Agribusiness - EY and Microsoft

Summary

The video script discusses the urgent need for a digital transformation in agriculture to meet the global food demand by 2050. With Microsoft and EY, data is harnessed to predict crop yields, identify diseases, and streamline operations. Technologies like edge computing, AI, mixed reality, and robotics are integrated to optimize production and resource use, ensuring a sustainable food supply for 9 billion people.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Traditional agriculture has been using data, but modern challenges demand more complex data handling and insights.
• 📈 The global population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, necessitating a 70% increase in food production with limited resources.
• 🌐 Microsoft and EY are partnering to drive digital transformation in agriculture through cloud connectivity and data-driven innovation.
• 🔮 Predictive analysis and data capture from fields can help farmers make informed decisions about crop selection and management.
• 🌳 Early detection of crop diseases and pests is possible with advanced data analytics, improving response times and reducing losses.
• 🤝 Seamless connectivity with vendors is facilitated, streamlining the agricultural supply chain and enhancing operational efficiency.
• 💻 Edge computing is introduced to reduce the cost of field oversight and quicken the reaction to threats to crops.
• 🤖 Artificial intelligence is utilized to identify inefficiencies and provide insights that can boost agricultural production.
• 👓 Mixed reality technology can enable remote experts to assist on-farm, providing agronomists with comprehensive farm views.
• 🤖 Robotics are being integrated to expand the possibilities of crop production in terms of methods and locations.
• 🌐 Microsoft and EY possess the experience, trust, and scale to foster innovation across the global food value chain.

Q & A

What is the projected global population by 2050 and the anticipated increase in food production needed?

By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 9 billion people, and it is expected that we will need to produce 70% more food.

How does the agricultural industry plan to meet the food production challenge with limited resources?

The agricultural industry must evolve by harnessing data in new ways, using less land, and fewer scarce resources to meet the challenge of feeding the growing population.

What role does digital transformation play in modern agriculture according to the script?

Digital transformation in agriculture plays a crucial role by connecting data to the cloud, driving innovation, and adding value to the industry.

What are some of the technologies mentioned in the script that can help farmers gain insights and improve crop production?

The script mentions edge computing, artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and robotics as technologies that can help farmers gain insights, improve crop production, and manage resources more efficiently.

How does predictive analysis with data help farmers?

Predictive analysis allows farmers to have an unprecedented view of their crops, enabling them to predict the best crops to grow and respond faster to crop threats.

What is edge computing and how does it benefit field oversight in agriculture?

Edge computing is a distributed computing paradigm that processes data closer to the source of data generation. In agriculture, it lowers the cost of field oversight and accelerates the response to crop threats.

How can artificial intelligence expose inefficiencies and enhance production in agriculture?

Artificial intelligence can analyze large data sets to expose inefficiencies and provide actionable insights, which can lead to enhanced production and more sustainable farming practices.

What is the significance of mixed reality in the context of agriculture as described in the script?

Mixed reality can make remote experts accessible, allowing agronomists to have a complete view of a farm and receive expert guidance without physically being present.

How does robotics add a new dimension to crop production as mentioned in the script?

Robotics can automate various farming tasks, reduce human labor, and enable the cultivation of crops in challenging environments, thus adding a new dimension to how and where crops can be produced.

What is the role of Microsoft and EY in enabling innovation in the global food value chain?

Microsoft and EY are empowering digital transformation in agriculture by providing the experience, trust, and scale needed to enable innovation throughout the global food value chain.

Why is data control important for farmers in the context of data-driven agriculture?

Data control is important because it ensures that farmers have autonomy over their data, which is crucial for making informed decisions and maintaining privacy and security in their operations.