IER estimates the impact of new technology on jobs and skills in agriculture

Historically, technology has been a driver for more jobs, rather than less, and research from the University of Warwick suggests this may continue to be the case as agriculture and horticulture continues to evolve. However, it is clear that regardless of the net impact on the number of jobs in farming and growing moving forward, the skills that the workforce uses will need to change.

According to the research, there are six key technology areas which are already driving change in the industry: autonomous robots, biological pest controls, carbon and green technologies, remote sensing, big data analytics and precision breeding.

And while these innovations are already present, the study shows these will play a growing part in the evolution of agriculture and horticulture.

For more information on the study findings and recommendations, download the executive summary published on The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) website.