If farming intends to feed the global population, it would have to achieve the rate of growth as delivered by manufacturing. Fortunately, future farming trends are already pointing in that direction. Whether it is technological innovations or the farm-to-table movements, farming is experiencing a fundamental shift that is no less than a revolution.

Factors Affecting Farming

While farming, in the role of a producer, may be perceived as the foundational activity that supports several other secondary industries, it is not immune to disruptions. To illustrate this point, here are the various factors that can affect farming:

Economic Factors

Modern-day farming has assumed an economically competitive and complex role. Here’s how immigration and labor laws, subsidies or governmental incentives, and commodity prices impact farming:

• Immigration and labor laws: Despite the many advancements, farming continues to remain a labor-intensive industry. As a result, migrant laborers that offer cheap services form the backbone of farming.
• Subsidies and incentives: Farmers generally receive subsidies and incentives from the government to cultivate a certain crop over the other. Such measures offer economic stability to farmers and food security to the nation.
• Commodity prices: Farmers growing cash crops depend on weather conditions, market demand, and investor speculation, which may determine the commodity cost of the yield. This price may also vary depending on macroeconomics, such as the global exchange rate.
  
  

In addition to the factors mentioned above, infrastructural network and connectivity, cost of land, markets, and capitals are other influential aspects.

Climatic Factors

Naturally, climatic factors affect crop health, yield, and quality. The abiotic elements involved include:

• Light: It is a well-known fact that light is an essential component of chlorophyll. However, it also contributes to other critical functions like phototropism, photomorphogenesis, stomatal movement, mineral absorption, abscission, and translocation.
• Water: Different crops need different quantities of water to grow and develop. Apart from reliance on precipitation and humidity, well-planned irrigation could double the farm’s output.
• Temperature: The external temperature can promote or stunt a plant’s growth. Optimum temperatures can stimulate enzymatic actions that allow plants to mature early.
• Air: Air quality and wind speeds affect the external conditions that help plants grow. Additionally, they also play an instrumental role in pollination, which in turn influences the development of fruits and seeds.

Physiogeographical Factors

The geographic location, the natural environment, and the access to resources (such as seeds or fertilizers) also play a role in determining the farm output. Some of these factors are:

• Topography: The natural relief or topography indicates how easy or difficult it is to till the soil, how susceptible it is to soil erosion, and whether the location enjoys last-mile connectivity. Farmers would have to adapt their produce, techniques, and equipment accordingly.
• Climate: As we have seen in the previous segment, climatic conditions play a critical role in determining the growth and development of the yield.
• Soil: While loamy soil supported by proper drainage are the best for farming, it also depends on the nature of the crops. Some plants will grow better in acidic soil, while others will thrive in sandy soil. You may have to supplement the soil’s natural mineral content using fertilizers.

The Interdependence of Farming and Other Industries

Interestingly, the dependence of farming does not merely rest on external factors such as location, climate, etc. In fact, farming has a symbiotic relationship with other industrial sectors, such as food processing, transportation, etc. Let’s examine how farming contributes to these industries and vice versa.

Contributions of Farming to Other Industries

• Farming and agriculture supply raw material to various industries.
• The farming surplus that can be spared for non-agricultural industries can act as wage goods.
• Cash crops can bolster foreign trade through exports. This revenue can offset import costs.
• Farming and farming activities create supply and demand for different industries. For instance, it creates a demand for fertilizers while aiding the supply of processed foods.
• The farming yield can contribute to the expansion and diversification of a particular industrial sector.
• It provides capital and labor to other sectors.

Contributions of Other Industries to Farming

• Industries are offering modern inputs in the form of machinery, fertilizers, pesticides to the farming industry.
• As industries aid farmers in increasing their yield, they mitigate the pressure of rapidly increasing population on land resources.
• Industries contribute to the growth and development of various infrastructural setups, such as electricity, transport, BFSI, health and education, research, etc., for farmers.

Trends Beyond 2020

According to experts, we may be in the midst of the Fourth Agricultural Revolution, which indicates that we can expect various changes in the years to come. Some of these are summarized below:

The Rise in Conscious Eating

The popularity of organic products was one of the first indicators of fitness-conscious consumers. With the increase in disposable incomes, modern-day consumers have a proclivity towards healthier, nutritionally-denser food items. Hence, organic farming will continue with its upward climb.

Emphasis on Sustainability

All the clamor surrounding organic farming also pertains to its eco-friendly approach. With the use of natural and organic inputs, organic farming leaves behind a minimal impact on the environment. As such, it suits the palate of the ecologically conscious and responsible buyer.

New Techniques for Crop Production

The change in end-user and consumer behavior will lead to the adoption of new farming techniques, such as urban agriculture, vertical farming, seawater farming, hydroponics, desert agriculture, use of algae feedstock, etc.

Increasing Technological Interventions

Virtually every industrial sector has experienced the Midas’ touch of technology, and farming is no exception. We will see the incorporation of cross-industry technologies, such as drones, bots, AI, data analytics, IoT, and Blockchain, to facilitate innovative applications like food sharing, crowd farming, and precision agriculture. Smart farming will allow growers to make better, data-driven decisions depending on a mix of variables.

The Dominance of Commercial Farming

Companies like John Deere, Syngenta, DuPont, etc., are eyeing the farming market and working on the development of crop management systems. With the heavy usage of information technology and augmented supply of resources, they will revolutionize commercial farming to enhance food security. Resultantly, industrial agriculture will also see a steep rise.

Maturation of Gene Editing

Gene-editing allows scientists and researchers to manipulate DNA for improving crop variety and yield. Gene-edited crops will enjoy drought tolerance, disease resistance, and improved oil and nutritional content.

Conclusion

Upon closely examining the farming industry, it becomes evident that it changes in response to various factors. Conversely, it also triggers a shift within other industries. As a result, farming beyond 2020 would be a complex web of interconnection. 

It is a fact that food demand will continue to increase with the rising population and purchasing power. Hence, the farming industry will have to adapt to these changes rapidly.