Agriculture In The Twenty-First Century
Every century is characterised by agricultural peculiarities which are influenced by various factors from population to technology, security, and production.
For instance, some of the peculiarities of the nineteenth-century include farmers performing their tasks manually and using wagons to transport themselves and their harvests.
However, things have changed with time, thanks to technological advancement. By the mid to late nineteenth century, agricultural systems had experienced a major turnover that simplified farming for farmers.
Equipment like tractors, ploughs, and milling machines began to grow in popularity, and as the world evolved, so did agricultural systems. Today, agriculture is a blend of various innovations that occurred in past centuries.
Here are two distinctive features of agriculture in the 21st century:
1. Technology: Because of the stride technology facilitates, farmers today do not have to rely on manual labour to manufacture and transport their goods.
It is faster and a lot more efficient, which is why most farmers employ the latest farming equipment to care for their crops and animals, and also ensure large-scale food production.
Some farmers install Wi-Fi, webcams, and climate control system for a better farming experience.
These days, farmers do not need wagons to transport their goods to the market alone before they make sales.
Social media has added a level of sophistication to the process that all they need to do is put up posts of their products online, get customers, and hire a delivery service company to transport them.
2. Agricultural education: in previous centuries, farmers did not bother with education because most did not see a need for it.
However, that is not the case with the 21st-century as farmers now have a higher education or a vocational certificate.
Universities also offer courses in Agriculture so that more people can formally learn about agricultural systems.
The team leader of the USDA-NIFA sponsored National Centre of Agriculture Literacy, Debra Spielmaker says, by 2050, it is projected that the world’s population will reach a billion people, requiring agriculture production to double. To meet the challenges of the future, it is imperative that youths and adults are informed consumers, advocates, and policymakers.
