The growth of ICT in the last decade has provided many opportunities to overcome some of the challenges faced by the agriculture sector. Recent developments such as the increase in the use of mobile-broadband access devices, the Internet of things (IoT), drones, smart networks, capacity for big data analytics, and artificial intelligence have provided agriculture stakeholders with some key tools and technologies to improve production and marketing processes, for example, in agriculture and allied fields. One of the most discussed technologies of late is Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT); Blockchain is one implementation of DLTs. This publication aims to demystify the technology, provide some thoughts on the opportunities and challenges in implementing blockchain-based systems as well as document some case studies on the use of blockchain for agriculture.

The FAO-ITU E-agriculture strategy guide (available at http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5564e.pdf) is actively being used to assist countries in the successful identification, development and implementation of sustainable ICT solutions for agriculture.The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, and connected analytics has great potential to support and address some of the most pressing problems faced by agriculture in terms of access to actionable real-time quality data. Goldman Sachs predicts that the agriculture sector will be the second largest user of drones in the world in the next five years. Sensor networks based on the Internet of things (IoT) are increasingly being used in the agriculture sector to meet the challenge of harvesting meaningful and actionable information from the big data generated by these systems. This publication is the second in the series titled E-agriculture in action (2016), launched by FAO and ITU, and builds on the previous FAO publications that highlight the use of ICT for agriculture such as Mobile technologies for agriculture and rural development (2012), Information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development (2013) and Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development (2015). The ultimate aim is to promote successful, scalable, sustainable and replicable ICT for agriculture (ICT4Ag) solutions.

What Is Agricultural Robotics Every day, we are reminded that the robot revolution is advancing. From self-driving cars to automated cashiers, robots are increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives. While most of our attention has been focused on robots in the manufacturing industry, there is one essential field of activity that they may affect more than any other. Indeed, Food is an absolute requirement that must be produced at whatever cost. As a result, we require either more farmers or new methods of producing food with little manpower. The robots are on their way to save the day. Are you prepared for agricultural robotics? How You Will Benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Agricultural Robot Chapter 2: Agricultural Drone Chapter 3: Driverless Tractor Chapter 4: Farmbot Chapter 5: Open-Source Ecology Chapter 6: Cloud Seeding Chapter 7: Aerial Seeding Chapter 8: Mechanized Agriculture Chapter 9: Agricultural Machinery Chapter 10: Precision Agriculture Chapter 11: Information and Communications Technology in Agriculture Chapter 12: Machine Vision (II) Answering the public top questions about agricultural robotics. (III) Real world examples for the usage of agricultural robotics in many fields. (IV) 17 appendices to explain, briefly, 266 emerging technology in each industry to have 360-degree full understanding of agricultural robotics' technologies. Who This Book Is For Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of agricultural robotics.

According to Forbes, we generate almost 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. The next generation of agriculture heavily depends on data. The ability to capture, sort, analyze and extract actionable intelligence from large data sets to reveal patterns (human, climate, market) and related trends is an important emerging field. The increase in the use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices would only add to this data deluge. The Economist rightly called data as the world’s most valuable resource , while some calling data the new oil . Agriculture would be one of the major users of IoTs. How can individuals, organizations and governments build capacities and processes in place to take advantage of this huge influx of data. This coupled with existing data streams (weather, satellite imagery, markets etc.,) would create an ecosystem which if managed efficiently would provide rich dividents especially in the agriculture sector where the right information at the right time will make a great influence in the livelihoods of people involved in agriculture and allied activities. This publication looks at how various initiatives are leveraging data, related to agriculture value chains, to influence decision making and efficient service delivery together with addressing key building blocks such as interoperability, data sharing, data security and the necessary policies and regulations that are needed to be implemented to sustain the data ecosystem.

This book provides an insight into ways of inculcating the need for applying mobile edge data analytics in bioinformatics and medicine. The book is a comprehensive reference that provides an overview of the current state of medical treatments and systems and offers emerging solutions for a more personalized approach to the healthcare field. Topics include deep learning methods for applications in object detection and identification, object tracking, human action recognition, and cross-modal and multimodal data analysis. High performance computing systems for applications in healthcare are also discussed. The contributors also include information on microarray data analysis, sequence analysis, genomics based analytics, disease network analysis, and techniques for big data Analytics and health information technology.

The objective of this study is to provide insights into potentialities, steps, and best practices in applying blockchain technology (BCT) to use cases in agriculture in the context of climate change, to explore the opportunities and challenges in applying the BCT in agricultural sectors with the aims of reducing greenhouse gas emission, increasing carbon sequestration, as well as supporting farmers’ adaptation to climate change. Furthermore, this study also aims to shed light on policy options and propose policy guidance adapted to developing countries on blockchain applications.

'Blockchain applications in agriculture: Revolutionizing the food supply chain' is your definitive guide to the transformative impact of blockchain technology on agriculture and the modern food supply chain. In this comprehensive volume, we begin with “Introduction to blockchain technology,” laying the groundwork for readers of all backgrounds. From there, we delve into the intricate relationship between blockchain and the agriculture industry in “Overview of the agriculture industry”. The heart of the book explores practical applications in agriculture and the supply chain, including “Blockchain-based supply chain management,” “Farming and crop management,” “Livestock management and animal welfare,” and “Food safety and quality assurance.” We also explore how blockchain revolutionizes “Agricultural finance and insurance” and fosters “Sustainable agriculture and supply chain sustainability”. Drawing on “Case studies and real-world examples,” you’ll see blockchain in action, offering invaluable insights for farmers, supply chain professionals, academics, and policymakers. Our forward-looking chapter, “Future Trends and Challenges of Blockchain,” anticipates the evolving landscape of this groundbreaking technology. This book stands out for its depth, practicality, and relevance. It is equally suitable for reference, as a methodological guide, for classroom adoption, or as essential reading for researchers and practitioners in the fields of agriculture, technology, supply chain management, and policy. Whether you’re seeking to optimize farming practices, enhance supply chain transparency, or understand the regulatory implications, 'Blockchain applications in agriculture' equips you with the knowledge and inspiration needed to navigate the future of food production and distribution. Join the agricultural revolution today.

Digital Agricultural Ecosystem The book comprehensively explores the dynamic synergy between modern technology and agriculture, showcasing how advancements such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and smart farming practices are reshaping the landscape to ensure food security in the era of climate change, as well as bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and practical implementation. Agriculture has historically been the foundation of human civilization and benefits communities all around the world. Agriculture has a creative, adaptable, and innovative history, and as the digital age draws closer, agriculture is once again poised for change. Each of the 20 chapters explores the connection between agricultural and technological advancements, and are divided into four key areas. Part 1 covers knowledge sharing in the digital agricultural ecosystem. In the context of modern agriculture, the chapters underscore the importance of information flow. Through comprehensive reviews of literature and assessments of farmer participation on social media platforms, these chapters illustrate the value of information sharing for sustainable agriculture. Part 2 explores the adoption and impact of digital technologies in agriculture. The use of cutting-edge digital technologies in agriculture is examined thoroughly in this section. The chapters included here outline how precision, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology have the potential to transform methods of agriculture and improve food systems. Part 3 addresses smart farming and sustainable agriculture. This section focuses on sustainability and offers details on eco-friendly production methods, the significance of smart farming in many nations, including India and the UK, and cost-effective fertilizer sprayer technologies. Part 4 examines the modeling and analysis of agricultural systems. This last section explores how mathematical modeling and data analytics are used in agricultural systems, with insights on everything from the study of credit access constraints in rural regions to water resource management in irrigation systems. Audience The diverse readership includes farmers, agronomists, agricultural researchers, policymakers, environmentalists, information technologists, and students from academic and professional fields who are eager to learn more about how digital innovation and sustainable agriculture can be used to address global issues such as climate change, food security, and smart farming.

Blockchain, Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence provides an integrated overview and technical description of the fundamental concepts of blockchain, IoT, and AI technologies. State-of-the-art techniques are explored in depth to discuss the challenges in each domain. The convergence of these revolutionized technologies has leveraged several areas that receive attention from academicians and industry professionals, which in turn promotes the book's accessibility more extensively. Discussions about an integrated perspective on the influence of blockchain, IoT, and AI for smart cities, healthcare, and other business sectors illuminate the benefits and opportunities in the ecosystems worldwide. The contributors have focused on real-world examples and applications and highlighted the significance of the strengths of blockchain to transform the readers’ thinking toward finding potential solutions. The faster maturity and stability of blockchain is the key differentiator in artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. This book discusses their potent combination in realizing intelligent systems, services, and environments. The contributors present their technical evaluations and comparisons with existing technologies. Theoretical explanations and experimental case studies related to real-time scenarios are also discussed. FEATURES Discusses the potential of blockchain to significantly increase data while boosting accuracy and integrity in IoT-generated data and AI-processed information Elucidates definitions, concepts, theories, and assumptions involved in smart contracts and distributed ledgers related to IoT systems and AI approaches Offers real-world uses of blockchain technologies in different IoT systems and further studies its influence in supply chains and logistics, the automotive industry, smart homes, the pharmaceutical industry, agriculture, and other areas Presents readers with ways of employing blockchain in IoT and AI, helping them to understand what they can and cannot do with blockchain Provides readers with an awareness of how industry can avoid some of the pitfalls of traditional data-sharing strategies This book is suitable for graduates, academics, researchers, IT professionals, and industry experts.

In the world of internet, wide adoption of computing devices dramatically reduces storage costs with easy access to huge amount of data, thus posing benefits and challenges to e-business amongst organizations.This unique compendium covers current status and practices of e-business among organizations, their challenges and future directions. It also includes studies of different perspectives and markets of e-business.The must-have volume will be a good reference text for professionals and organizations who are updating their e-business knowledge/skills and planning their e-business initiatives.