TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS AND NEW APPROACHES IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

Increasing global competition, steady population growth on the one hand, and, paradoxically, labour shortages on the other, pose new challenges to agricultural producers. These are the main reasons for the growing interest in technological innovations and new approaches to agricultural production. Digital technologies are transforming agriculture due to their ubiquity, portability and mobility, and can therefore be used in a variety of ways to improve inefficiencies in the production, processing, storage and transportation of agricultural products. It is also important to mention that digitalization, and especially automation or robotization, requires high investments that ultimately represent a financial burden per unit of product. Therefore, it is important to find the optimal equipment level in terms of quantity, quality and price of the final product. Technologies such as sensors, communication networks, artificial intelligence, blockchain, high-performance computing, the Internet of Things, the 5G network, robotics, and advanced machines are already improving access to information, inputs, and markets, increasing production and productivity, streamlining supply chains, and reducing operating costs. Each of these technologies brings some value, from data collection to management and control. By using these technologies, it has become possible to get an overview of the entire company in just a few clicks, so that decisions are no longer made based solely on experience and tradition, but in real time based on analysed data. In addition to all the benefits offered by new technologies, there are also some challenges to overcome, such as: Cybersecurity and data protection, labour replacement and re-education, the risk of creating a digital divide between economies, sectors or individuals with differing abilities to adopt new technologies.