The adoption of new technologies in agriculture is a slow and complex process, often hindered by a fragmented ecosystem and a multitude of suppliers providing solutions that are not always interoperable. This was the central theme discussed by Romain Faroux, the chief operating officer of La Ferme Digitale, during a recent interview. Faroux highlighted that tech entrepreneurs often underestimate the need for adequate infrastructure and sufficiently robust solutions, which are crucial for the successful integration of new technologies in the agricultural sector.
The agricultural sector in France, for instance, is characterized by a vast number of farms and suppliers, making it a highly fragmented market. With 400,000 farms and 85,000 suppliers, technology providers must understand the specific needs and use cases of farmers rather than imposing top-down solutions. The dynamism in this market is driven by profitability for distributors, notably the cooperatives that account for 90% of French agriculture. These cooperatives have become essential local intermediaries, facilitating the adoption of new technologies through education and the development of user-friendly solutions.
Faroux emphasized that technological adoption requires a great deal of time, education, and the development of user-friendly solutions. For data to be fully exploited, it needs to circulate more easily between the various players: farmers, suppliers, and public institutions. This is a significant challenge, as agricultural data is often fragmented and underutilized. For example, yield maps generated by agricultural machinery are not always fully utilized because farmers may not understand their benefits.
Infrastructure is key to facilitating the deployment of technological solutions and go-to-market strategies. Farmers require specific skills and support when adopting new technologies, which must work reliably 24/7, regardless of their location. This necessitates a stable network that extends over the entire area of a farm. Farmers do not derive any benefit from systems that work intermittently; they need robust solutions, and tech entrepreneurs aren’t always sufficiently conscious of this fact.
Part of La Ferme Digitale’s work is to raise awareness of the need for reliability and the difficulty of crossing the chasm, an adoption gap likened to Death Valley, that exists between early adopters of technology and the mainstream market. This gap highlights the importance of developing technologies that are not only innovative but also practical and reliable for farmers.
Data plays a crucial role in precision agriculture, but its utilization is still limited. For data to be fully exploited, it needs to circulate more easily between the various players: farmers, suppliers, and public institutions. At the same time, it should also be integrated into practical, easy-to-use solutions. The future of agricultural technology depends on the better integration of data and interoperable solutions. Free circulation and massification of data will be essential if we are to create more effective and sustainable agricultural solutions.
Investment in IoT is also growing, mainly in controlled environments like greenhouses, where there is certainty about the availability of the necessary network infrastructure. Investors are keen to finance projects that combine technological innovation with the creation of tangible value for farmers, such as weather sensors and robotic milking systems. This trend underscores the importance of developing technologies that seamlessly integrate into existing farming methods and deliver tangible value from the outset.
