A Review of Practice and Implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT) for Smallholder Agriculture

Anish Paul Antony,Craig Jolley,Kendra Leith,Daniel J Sweeney,Jennifer Lu

doi:10.3390/su12093750

Abstract

In order to feed a growing global population projected to increase to 9 billion by 2050, food production will need to increase from its current level. The bulk of this growth will need to come from smallholder farmers who rely on generational knowledge in their farming practices and who live in locations where weather patterns and seasons are becoming less predictable due to climate change. The expansion of internet-connected devices is increasing opportunities to apply digital tools and services on smallholder farms, including monitoring soil and plants in horticulture, water quality in aquaculture, and ambient environments in greenhouses. In combination with other food security efforts, internet of things (IoT)-enabled precision smallholder farming has the potential to improve livelihoods and accelerate low- and middle-income countries’ journey to self-reliance. Using a combination of interviews, surveys and site visits to gather information, this research presents a review of the current state of the IoT for on-farm measurement, cases of successful IoT implementation in low- and middle-income countries, challenges associated with implementing the IoT on smallholder farms, and recommendations for practitioners.

Highlights

In the 1930s, one farmer in the United States could grow enough to feed four people
1 billion people worldwide are involved in agriculture, and the total number of farmers are declining, the demand for agricultural crops is expected to double as the world population reaches 9 billion by 2050 [2]
Articles that report on applications in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are included, relevant precision agriculture research from across the globe is included

Summary

Introduction

In the 1930s, one farmer in the United States could grow enough to feed four people. Today, one farmer can feed 155 people [1]. 1 billion people worldwide are involved in agriculture, and the total number of farmers are declining, the demand for agricultural crops is expected to double as the world population reaches 9 billion by 2050 [2]. This will require an increase in agricultural productivity, especially from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Recent technological advances have contributed to the rise of precision agriculture, enabling farmers to make better decisions with more information about their soil, water, crop, and local climate [3,4] Uptake of these advances has been limited to commercial-scale and cash-crop cultivation [1]

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