2. DEEP SMART FARM

Agtech

AgTech is an industry that combines agriculture and technology, with the most representative field being 'Smart Farming' Farms or fields operated through smart farming collect and analyze data on agricultural environmental conditions to effectively enhance productivity.

Smart farming is an intelligent agricultural system that enables farm operations to be tailored to farm facilities and environmental conditions including temperature control and automated irrigation. This concept is expanding from outdoor to indoor farming, utilizing vertical crop placement for efficient space utilization, employing robots, and installing specialized lighting for plants, all aimed at reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

Agriculture, one of humanity's oldest industries, is evolving in conjunction with the advancement of cutting-edge ICT (Information and Communication Technology) technologies. Smart farming technology integrates advanced ICT technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, big data, mobile, and AI into the traditional agricultural sector. This integration aims to pursue added value creation in the entire agricultural industry, including production, distribution, and consumption, by enhancing productivity, efficiency, and quality.

Smart farming is experiencing simultaneous global growth in recent times, driven by the application of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and it integrates cutting-edge technologies like ICT, IoT, Big Data, Cloud, and AI into the cultivation and husbandry of crops and livestock. Beyond offering services such as automation, intelligence, and connectivity, smart farming leverages advanced ICT technologies to enable various tasks, including environmental control actions tailored to the current state of the farm, to be performed autonomously.

Applying ICT technology, smart farming technology for ornamental crops enhances productivity and added value by monitoring temperature, humidity, CO2 levels, and more in greenhouses or polytunnels using PCs or mobile devices. It enables remote and automated control of actions like window opening and nutrient supply. This helps maintain the optimal growth environment for crops, leading to increased productivity.

Recently, the application areas of smart farming have become more diverse. Representative fields include 'smart horticulture, smart livestock farming, smart open-field farming, and smart distribution.'

International Trends

As of 2023, the current global agricultural technology market size is estimated to be $218.9 billion, and it is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2% until 2030, reaching an estimated $433.7 billion by the year 2030.

As of 2023, the value of the North American AgTech market exceeds 9 billion dollars, which is more than double the value of other regions. It is expected to surpass 14 billion dollars by 2025. Following closely is Europe, with an estimated valuation of 6 billion dollars.

Internationally, there has been a growing concern for food safety issues, especially after the BSE (mad cow disease) outbreak. This has led to the implementation of traceability systems primarily focused on agricultural and livestock products. Europe, Japan, North America, and other regions have been gradually adopting traceability systems.

FDA's Requirement for Additional Traceability Records for Specific Foods

The US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has announced a final rule on Food Traceability, which aims to more effectively trace contaminated foods. This final rule is a core component of FDA's New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint and implements Section 204(d) of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). It covers specific foods listed in the Food Traceability List (FTL), such as fresh cut leafy greens, nut butter, packaged fruits, and ready-to-eat deli salads. The rule requires additional traceability records to be maintained by manufacturers, processors, packers, and holders of these specific foods. The FDA aims to work collaboratively with the industry to rapidly and effectively identify the origin and distribution of contaminated foods, preventing or mitigating foodborne illness outbreaks and minimizing significant health and death threats. The rule is expected to reduce the need for widespread recalls and extensive recommendations.

Key Data Elements (KDEs) must be recorded and retained when growing, receiving, producing, processing, or transporting items listed in the FTL. The specific information to be recorded may vary based on the critical tracking events (CTEs) but typically includes details such as product information, timing and location of growing, processing, producing, receiving, and transporting, relevant entity information, and contact details.