Agriculture in Transition
Farmers around the world are facing increasing challenges: growing demand for food, increasing regulations, and visible effects of climate change. Without a shift to more sustainable and efficient agriculture, farmers will not be able to overcome these challenges in the long term. Our research shows that farmers around the world are open to change. But they also have clear expectations of manufacturers and technology companies.
of the farmers want from their technology partners affordable prices for new machinery and equipment.
would like to have the option to upgrade or retrofit existing devices and machinery instead of making expensive new purchases.
request training and further education on the correct use of the technologies used.
Key facts
Topic
Together with the market research institute Innofact AG, Continental asked more than 500 farmers worldwide about their daily work, challenges and concerns. Sustainability and digitalization in agriculture were two of the main topics.
Survey period
The online survey was conducted from September 21, 2023 to October 5, 2023.
Participants
A total of 503 farmers from the five key markets Brazil (n=100), Germany (n=100), France (n=101), Japan (n=100) and the USA (n=102) were surveyed, who are themselves users of agricultural equipment and work on farms of more than 30 hectares.
Method
Respondents were recruited from online access panels. A random sample was invited by email to participate in the online survey. Access to the main survey was only possible after passing the relevant screening questions to define the required target group of respondents.
Everyday challenges slow down transformation
of the farmers believe it is important that the machinery and equipment used on farms contribute to sustainability.
According to a United Nations forecast, the world's population will reach around 8.5 billion people by 2030 – around half a billion more than in 2023. But food is already scarce in many places. This all poses a monumental challenge for the agriculture industry. At the same time, farmers around the world are struggling every day with a whole range of challenges too. In the Continental study, around 72 percent of the farmers surveyed said that price pressure, in particular, was a major issue.
While the prices for their products continue to fall on the global markets, the cost of energy, fertiliser and staff continues to rise. Furthermore, more than half of farmers said that poor soil quality (around 69 percent), the quality and availability of machinery (around 68 percent), climate change (around 63 percent), political requirements and legislation (around 59 percent) and a shortage of skilled labour (around 53 percent) were making conditions more difficult for them. And so the Continental study reveals that farmers are confronted with various challenges in their everyday lives, leaving them little time to prepare for the urgently needed transformation.
Farmers want sustainable change, but need support
Droughts, floods and soil erosion are not just headlines for farmers around the world. Around two-thirds of farmers experience climate change and its effects, such as changing weather and environmental conditions, on a daily basis. This is an acute threat to the entire agricultural industry and a clear call to action for technology manufacturers. Farmers need support to realize their vision of a more efficient and sustainable agriculture. This is the conclusion of Continental's "Agriculture in transition" study...
Please click here for the complete Off-Highway Magazine article "Climate Change Felt Every Day"
Digital gap among farmers calls for technologies for every stage of digitalization
Some farmers are already using artificial intelligence and robotics solutions. The use of these technologies will increase massively in the coming years. A digital gap is already opening up in agriculture today: The smaller the farm, the more likely it is to be a digital desert. The results of the Continental study "Agriculture in transition" suggest that this gap will widen in the coming years. After all, digitalization does not yet seem to play a major role on some farms. One in five respondents does not use digital technologies at all...
Please click here for the complete Off-Highway Magazine article "Digital gap among farmers"
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