Technology is Driving Sustainable Shift in Agriculture: UAG

The integration of advanced technologies into the agricultural sector can help to ensure sustainability, profitability, and food security. According to research from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG), innovation is the main tool for modernizing agricultural and livestock production amid global challenges such as climate change and a constantly growing demand for food.

"The use of technology in agricultural systems generates a push towards much more sustainable and resilient productivity. Technology does not seek to replace the producer's knowledge but to enhance it, creating a synergy between traditional knowledge and new digital tools," reads UAG’s analysis. This highlights that modernization is not an end in itself but a means to strengthen the sector's capabilities against uncertainty.

Mexico’s agricultural sector is facing significant pressures. Climate change is introducing unpredictable weather patterns, water scarcity is intensifying, and soil degradation is threatening the productive capacity of the land. Simultaneously, the world population is projected to continue its expansion, which translates into a greater demand for food. In this scenario, traditional production methods are insufficient to guarantee a stable and sustainable supply, says UAG. 

The adoption of technology can help mitigate these risks and ensure the long-term viability of the agricultural sector. Modernization allows for a shift from a reactive model to a proactive one, where data analysis and automation facilitate more informed and precise decision making.

This technological revolution covers a broad spectrum of tools and applications. Precision agriculture, for example, uses sensors installed in the field to measure soil moisture and nutrient levels in real time. This information allows for efficient management of irrigation and fertilization, applying inputs only where and when they are needed.

Additionally, the use of drones and satellites offers a panoramic view for monitoring crops and livestock. These technologies can detect water stress in plants early, identify the presence of pests, and apply inputs locally, optimizing their use and reducing costs and environmental impact.

Large-scale data analysis and AI are other fundamental pillars. These tools process large volumes of information — such as climate, soil, and historical yield — to generate predictive models that allow producers to anticipate crop yields, identify pest risks earlier, and diagnose nutritional deficiencies in crops. In irrigation, smart and automated systems that combine sensors with AI can accurately determine the water needs of crops, achieving reductions in water consumption between 30% and 50%, reports the UAG.

In livestock farming, automation is also having a significant impact. Automated systems handle waste collection, egg selection in poultry farming, and constant monitoring of environmental conditions in farms. The use of devices like collars with sensors on cattle allows for real-time verification of their health and reproductive cycle, improving animal welfare and productive efficiency.

In the future, this technological convergence is expected to not only increase productivity but also promote a circular economy. A circular economy would reuse organic waste for the production of compost or bioenergy, closing the nutrient cycle and reducing the sector's ecological footprint.