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Review Article

Agriculture 4.0 – innovations for sustainable development

Renata Pilarczyk ¹ , Małgorzata Bąkowska ², Piotra Sablik ¹, Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak ², Bogumiła Pilarczyk ²

¹Research Team of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Animal Research Methods, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Klemensa Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland

²Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology and Environmental Hygiene, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Klemensa Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 23(2), 2024, 3‒12
2. DOI: 10.21005/asp.2024.23.2.01

Abstract. Agriculture faces the challenge of providing food for 9 billion people by 2050, while simultaneously increasing the consumption of natural resources, such as water. In response to these challenges, Agriculture 4.0, also known as smart farming, leverages modern technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), drones, Big Data, and biotechnology to enhance production efficiency and balance agricultural processes. These technologies include, among others, sensors that monitor environmental conditions and crop status, precise weed control systems, drones, robots, advanced animal health and nutrition monitoring systems, as well as technologies enabling precise seeding and fertilization. The implementation of Agriculture 4.0 solutions can lead to reduced production costs and lower consumption of natural resources. However, barriers such as high implementation costs, lack of necessary skills among farmers, the “digital divide’’, data security concerns, and insufficient trust in new technologies present significant obstacles to the widespread adoption of these innovations. To effectively implement Agriculture 4.0, financial support, farmer education, and the development of appropriate infrastructure in rural areas are essential, enabling the sector to meet future challenges.

Keywords: Agriculture 4.0, artificial intelligence, drones in agriculture, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), sustainable production, environmental monitoring, animal health monitoring