Session Abstract:
The combined forces of climate change, population growth, and shifting dietary patterns are triggering an increased focus on ensuring a sustainable and resilient food system. The Internet of Things (IoT) technology has the potential to assist farmers in achieving localization and sustainability, ultimately contributing to ensuring food security. In our discussion, we will explore how IoT solutions can address the challenges associated with localization, while making the path to it more attainable and sustainable.
1. Doing more with less
IoT can assist in resource management by enabling the monitoring of water usage, energy consumption, and equipment performance. IoT data can helps farmers identify inefficiencies, deal with climate resilience, reduce waste, and make better use of limited resources, leading to increased productivity of localized food production.
2. Enabling data-driven decision making
IoT generates a wealth of data on various aspects of farming, including soil moisture, weather conditions, and crop health. This data can be harnessed to provide insights and recommendations, empowering farmers to make informed decisions for optimizing resource usage, crop management, and overall farm efficiency.
3. Driving customization and adaptation
IoT sensors can be deployed across different plots of land to collect real-time data on environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, soil moisture, and sunlight. This data helps farmers understand the specific conditions of each plot, enabling them to make well-informed choices and adapt their agricultural practices accordingly. By monitoring weather patterns, soil conditions, nutrient levels, and crop health, IoT devices provide valuable insights into the precise needs of the plants. This allows farmers to optimize their irrigation, fertilization, and pest control strategies, while ensuring efficient resource utilization and minimizing environmental footprint.
4. Unlocking technological appeal
IoT brings a modern and tech-driven approach to agriculture, which can be particularly attractive to people who are familiar and comfortable with technology. By demonstrating the application of IoT devices, remote monitoring, and data analytics in farming practices which significantly reduce the need for manual labor, the agricultural industry can become more appealing and relevant to younger generations.
5. Innovating through collaboration
IoT promotes collaboration among farmers, researchers, and experts. By sharing data, insights, and best practices, technology companies, universities and farmers can collectively innovate and address common challenges on the way to sustainable agriculture and food security.
Speakers:
Volodymyr Demkiv is an accomplished IT professional having 16+ years of experience in solution development services, with a specific focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) applications for the Facility Management, Agriculture, and Manufacturing sectors. Volodymyr’s proven record of successful project deliveries powered with a deep understanding of IoT principles and the latest advancements in the field, enable him to translate complex business requirements into practical IoT solutions. Having combined passion for technology and commitment to client success, Volodymyr helps organizations across the globe embrace on their digital transformation journey and optimize processes with the power of connected devices.
Shelly Hunt is an agricultural data scientist with a background in mathematics and agricultural engineering. She currently works in the AgTech practice at SAS Institute and her specialties include predictive modeling for row crop phenotypic responses and animal health optimization, stakeholder engagement, precision agriculture, and exploratory data analysis. She has a passion for sustainability and the agricultural industry and believes in using advanced analytics to optimize the food supply chain to feed the world and combat food waste.
Alina Piddubna, AgriTech Portfolio Manager, Data & AI/ML Practice Delivery Lead, IT Program Manager in Intellias with 15 years of experience in managing IT Programs, Projects and Portfolios, M&A programs, organizational change management and business development in Agriculture, Retail & Financial sectors. Including: • Managing digital transformation and advanced technology programs, M&A programs, solution development and IT infrastructure projects from ideation to ITSM, setting up project & program governance, application of tailored methodology • Managing project portfolios, business development and strategic partnerships • Leading advanced technology delivery practices • PhD in Managing Enterprises, PMP, PMI-ACP
As a futurist and systems level thinker in the application of technology on society, Dr Aderholdt facilitates collaborations and innovations to solve real-world challenges. As the Director of the Program Management Office at Grand Farm, he works with organizations and people from around the world to solve some of the most pressing issues in agriculture. The Program Management Office of Grand Farm works to facilitate collaboration and innovation through the AgTech ecosystem. This is accomplished through direct project management, Innovation-as-a-Service framework, Field Project Management of GrandFarm, and as a subject matter expert across multiple technology verticals which transect into the agriculture industry.
Xinhua Jia, Ph.D., P.E, Director of North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, North Dakota State University. She obtained her Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in the University of Arizona, and is a Registered Professional Engineer. Dr. Jia’s research interests lie in the area of biological and agricultural systems engineering. Specifically, in precision agriculture, soil and water engineering, and sensing technology applications in agricultural systems. She is actively engaged in research and teaching activities at NDSU, focusing on the application of engineering principles to enhance agricultural practices and improve resource management in the field.
