Why Is Agricultural Entrepreneurship Important? Agricultural Entrepreneurship Practices That Increase Productivity

There is a widespread belief that agriculture, the most traditional field of activity, is one of the industries with low technology use. However, factors such as rapidly increasing world population, excessive urbanization and climate change increase the need for technologies and practices that will increase productivity in agriculture. At this point, the concept of entrepreneurship in agriculture comes into play. The definition of agricultural entrepreneurship includes the adaptation of traditional agricultural producers to the use of technology in agriculture, as well as the development of new technologies in the agricultural industry.

Why Is Agricultural Entrepreneurship Important?

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data, approximately five billion hectares of agricultural land in the world covers 38 percent of the global land surface. About one third of the land in question is used for agricultural production and the remaining two thirds are used as pasture and meadow in the livestock industry. On the other hand, with the increase in the world's population, the need for food is increasing rapidly. This situation brings with it concerns about the use of land and water, which are limited resources.

Sustainable agriculture, which has not fallen off the agenda of countries in recent years and has an important place in the 2030 vision of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is the most important way to eliminate current concerns. This is only possible through the development and adoption of innovative practices powered by technology in the agricultural industry. This is where the importance of agricultural entrepreneurship emerges. In short, businesses of all sizes operating in the field of agriculture need to play an active role in agricultural entrepreneurship, both to increase productivity and for a sustainable future.

Agricultural Entrepreneurship Practices That Increase Productivity

The dizzying pace of technology advances productivity across all industries and brings businesses closer to operational excellence. Modern farming methods also contribute greatly to productivity in the agricultural industry. Let's look at concrete examples of how agricultural technology can increase productivity.

Efficiency of Existing Resources Increases with Agriculture 4.0

Since the 1960s, more fertilizers, pesticides and machinery have been used and more irrigation has begun to increase productivity in the agricultural sector. However, the environmental costs of this situation became clear later. It has become inevitable to use smart agriculture technologies, that is, environmentally friendly agriculture 4.0 applications, for more efficient use of existing agricultural lands. Agricultural 4.0, which promises advantages such as monitoring agricultural areas through cloud-connected and camera drones, continuously monitoring values ​​such as humidity and temperature with the help of digital sensors, and harvesting products with robotic devices called agrobots, has the potential to significantly increase productivity.

Agricultural Production in Urban Areas is Possible with Vertical Agriculture

Vertical farming is one of the most popular concepts in the farming industry. Vertical agriculture, which is an effective way of creating agricultural land, especially in cities where vertical construction is common, that is, in inefficient areas, enables agricultural production all year round. Vertical agriculture, which is generally carried out with soilless farming practices, thus providing benefits such as less water use and lower carbon emissions, is very important for a sustainable future. Vertical farming can help meet the growing need for food beyond providing fresh local produce, as the world's population is predicted to exceed 2050 billion and the rate of urbanization to reach 9% by 70.

​Using Resources Efficiently Is of Great Importance

One of the permanent ways to increase agricultural productivity is to be conscious about the use of resources. There are many innovative ways to do this. Tractors equipped with advanced sensors and GPS; It enables seed, fertilizer and pesticide applications to be more precise. Traditional irrigation methods, which have high environmental costs, are being replaced by alternatives such as drip irrigation and micro-sprinkling. Hydroponic farming techniques, which are classified as hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics, and which are becoming increasingly common, continue to be a powerful and efficient alternative to traditional agriculture.