With agriculture playing a huge part in climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, the industry is in desperate need of a new way of working. UK based company Agxio is leading the way with its innovative technology.
Farming has been crucial to our health and economies since time began. Agricultural innovation has always been driven by two goals; to feed as many people as possible, and to make a good profit. But at what cost?
The Industrial Revolution enabled farmers to produce crops more efficiently and quickly than we could have ever imagined, then came the introduction of chemical fertilizers and genetically modified foods. While we have been concentrating on technologies and methods that have enabled us to produce bigger, better crops, we have also been contributing to the destruction of our planet.
Today agriculture is the biggest industrial sector around the world, taking up 70% of the planet’s land and water. The industry is the second largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions (the energy sector is number one) and the primary consumer of water. All around the world, farmers use pesticides and fertilizers rich in phosphates and nitrogen potassium, with the majority still focusing on just one or two crops. This Monoculture has led to the degradation of soil, destroyed natural ecosystems and depleted water supplies, in turn resulting in poor crops and food insecurity.
The extensive use of toxic chemicals and heavy machinery clearly comes at a huge cost, not only to our planet but also to the global economy. Taxpayers, communities and farmers are picking up the bill today, but the greatest debt lies ahead for future generations.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. Scientists, governments and environmental organisations are coming together to find ways to make the agricultural industry more environmentally sustainable, whilst continuing to meet global demand.
A company firmly at the forefront of this paradigm shift is Agxio. Based in the heart of Cambridge’s Science Park, Agxio is an award-winning team of global innovators and entrepreneurs on a mission to improve and protect the entire agricultural supply chain.
As a leader in data science, machine learning, AgriTech, AgriFinTech and behavioural science, the company operates in over 40 countries to influence decision makers and change the way we look at farming. Agxio works with farms of all sizes, empowering producers to make positive changes that maximise yields and deliver economic and environmental sustainability.
The company’s flagship product is The Centaur Platform, which harnesses artificial intelligence and the very latest advances in data and agricultural science to connect suppliers and producers in one space. The technology combines sensors, big data and machine learning to deliver tangible results, representing the shift in thinking that the agriculture industry must make to survive.
This innovative and exciting development for the industry empowers all users to build best practice into daily operations and connects suppliers and producers within one single ecosystem. The use of Artificial Intelligence means practitioners will no longer have to make complex agricultural decisions or learn new processes, taking productivity far beyond what humans have ever been able to achieve.
The precision technology uses complex algorithms to enable farmers to predict yields and respond to changes in real time, regardless of the size of the operation. The constant monitoring of crops means producers are provided with invaluable insights when they really need them, both in season and for future business decisions.
Disease identification, insurance analytics and best crop identification are just some of the ways farmers are benefiting from this groundbreaking technology. The platform is highly scalable and features an easy to use command centre with just one touch point; a huge shift in the way agriculture businesses operate.
Agxio’s CEO and Chief Scientist, Dr David Christie, explained that the agriculture industry was in desperate need of a new way of thinking. “Food security and national food capacity are vital to economic development and political strategy, but the way the industry has been operating has become unsustainable. Our platform empowers producers to take positive action in a way that benefits their businesses by cutting down on waste, facilitating accurate decision making and maximising yields. By using cutting edge technology, machine learning and intelligent data analysis that operates from planning to harvesting, we are enabling farmers to work on an unprecedented scale.”
To find out more about Agxio’s vision, mission and products, visit https://www.agxio.com/
