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Originally published in the Illinois Field & Bean magazine

How can we meet the world’s food needs while respecting the environment? With the population set to grow to more than nine billion by 2050, answering the question is becoming more urgent. Arable land is decreasing by 100,000 hectares per year, and global agricultural production needs to double in the next 30 years to cope with demand. Add to this the impact of climate change and mass urbanization and it is clear the agricultural sector faces a monumental challenge.

Technology and data can open new opportunities and help solve problems with production, traceability and natural resources preservation. Despite its traditional image, agriculture is adopting new technological innovations and leveraging the cloud, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) to increase productivity while protecting our environment.

From 2013 to 2015, use of professional agricultural mobile applications jumped by 110 percent; a sign the sector was adopting digital technology and seeing the benefits. Today, precision farming allows more accurate, efficient crop monitoring through rationalization of plot management. This makes it possible to optimize yields, taking into account different environmental factors that can affect growth, such as soil pH, irrigation, fertilizer and sunshine. There also is the guarantee of increased food safety and better respect for the environment.

CLICK to continue reading on page 5 of the July issue of Illinois Field & Bean magazine. 

Talend is a global leader in cloud and big data integration solutions that helps companies turn data into a strategic asset that delivers real-time, organization-wide insight into customers, partners and operations. Ashley Stirrup as chief marketing officer is responsible for driving market leadership, global awareness, product management and demand generation.