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Economic drivers

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The Precision Farming Revolution

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Abstract

By and large, the greatest reason that farmers interviewed gave for adoptions into precision farming systems were the economic gains and benefits. This chapter takes a look at the political economics of the precision farming revolution at national and local farm levels. It details local farmers’ economic reasons for investment, such as pursuit of profits, labour reductions and external factors such as market competition forces, market volatilities and government incentives. Local-level, ethnographic research observes interactions between local farmers and industry experts to discover how trust relations were forged as farmers opted into precision farming systems. Local-level research is discussed in relation to geopolitics, marketing ideologies and general academic theories of progressive modern agriculture. The chapter concludes that whilst farmers were marketed precision farming technologies on economic efficiencies, cost benefits and returns on investments, following the adoption of precision farming the local farmers interviewed found it impossible to detect any material input reductions, financial savings or profitable gains. It suggests that a more useful way of thinking about precision farming is as more of a cultural method rather than in economic terms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bath, UK

    James E. Addicott

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Addicott, J.E. (2020). Economic drivers. In: The Precision Farming Revolution. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9686-1_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9686-1_3

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-9685-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-9686-1

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