In this article, we discuss the 5 most advanced countries in agriculture technology. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the agtech industry and the looming food crisi, go directly to 13 Most Advanced Countries in Agriculture Technology.
5.China
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 660
China is not only a large economy but also one of the biggest producers of agricultural products in the world. Agriculture sector’s share in 2021 GDP was recorded at 7%. As one of the most populace countries, China also faces the challenge of feeding over a billion people.
This, along with the country’s vision to be self-sufficient in food security, has spurred considerable investment in agricultural technologies. Its smart-agriculture market has rapidly grown from $14 billion in 2015 to $27 billion in 2020.
Thus, it is no wonder that many startups, like Origin Agritech Limited (NASDAQ: SEED), have emerged over the years. XAG is a provider to local enterprises in drones that deliver pesticide-spraying services to the farmers. Livin Farms is a developer of insect-based alternative proteins.
4. Australia
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 863
Australian economy relies to a great extent on their agriculture. However, they are beset with various problems in agriculture ranging from dry weather, soil salinization to land degradation. Thus, it is no surprise that the country has felt the need for a move towards agritech and transformed itself into one of the most advanced countries in agriculture technology. It has a total of 863 agritech startups providing smart-agriculture products and services.
The country is actively pursuing multifarious technologies like precision agriculture and smart irrigation for water conservation, through companies like Farmbot, AgriWebb and SwamFarm Robotics.
3. Canada
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 1,143
Canada is the world’s fifth largest exporter of agriculture and agri-food products, with 2021 exports of agriculture amounting to $82 billion.This has also led to one in eight jobs to be found in the agriculture industry.
In addition, it is among the most advanced countries where agriculture technology is concerned. The market share of precision agriculture alone in Canada has been estimated to be about $0.9 billion for the year 2021, which is a 11.5% YoY increase. Furthermore, the country is committed to keep on advancing in the field. Ontario Federation of Agriculture, has just recently submitted a proposal for Sustainable Agriculture Strategy.
Some of its most notable companies working in the smart agriculture industry include Semios, Goodleaf Farms and 80 Acres Farms. Semios uses M2M technology to give data and analytics that can increase crop value for fruits and vegetables. 80 Acres Farms, meanwhile, is an integrated business working for soil-less cultivation of green vegetables, herbs and supply of produce.
2. United Kingdom
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 1,224
While the agriculture sector in United Knigdom is highly mechanized, more intensive and efficient than most European ones, the GDP contribution is 0.5% only. In the past 200 years, large scale agricultural production has led to vast areas of land in the country to be destroyed. The government, in 2017, had predicted that 30-40 years would see some extensive soil erosion in various parts of the country.
However, the country has been successful in warding off the crisis by encouraging and investing in agricultural technology, thereby, spurring the growth of smart-agriculture industry that reached an impressive value of $17 billion in 2018. Business Weekly has further aggregated this figure by $1.6 billion in 2021 as increase in crowdfunding and venture capital has been reported.
Some agritech startups in the country include Small Robot Co — providing robotics-based precision agriculture solutions, Intelligent Growth Solutions — developer of automated vertical farming solutions and Breedr — provider of livestock farm management system.
1. United States
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 6,319
The number of agritech companies far surpasses the number that we have seen for other countries and therefore, the US can be called the most advanced country in terms of agtech startups. Furthermore, the US is the largest exporter of many agribusiness products. The sector is responsible for growth and survival of many other related industries in the economy of the country as well.
There are many technologies implemented in the US agriculture sector like Precision Agriculture and Indoor Vertical Farming. The government continues to support and invest in research as well. Only recently, USDA announced a $12.5 million investment where 76 small businesses would be supported to conduct high-quality research, catering to scientific challenges and opportunities in agriculture.
Some of the agritechs in the industry include Arcadia Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RKDA), Apeel, Plenty, Indigo, GrubMarket and Ginkgo Bioworks. Indigo is provider of microbe-based plant protection products. Ginkgo Bioworks is known for gene editing-based cultured ingredients for agriculture.
You can also take a peek at 15 Most Advanced Countries in Military Technology and 25 Most Developed Countries in the World.
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