Page 12 - The European Baking Ingredients Market Report 2022 - Volume 1

12 European Baking Ingredients Market Report 2022
TECHNOLOGY
Smart Farming

Concerns, especially

about animal welfare

seem to be a strong driver

regarding public

acceptance.

Perception of smart farming ‘innovative’. Consumers showed
In contrast, opinions about smart a clear interest in this technology
farming, without being given a and saw the benefits of precise
definition of what smart farming application of plant protection
was, appeared to be very different. products, which can contribute to
Smart farming was strongly higher resource efficiency. At the
associated with milking, including same time, however, they worried
mentions of milking robots and about noise and whether the
automatic milking, probably due technology might be dangerous.
to the fact that this technology has Some mentioned that they are Smart farming for animal
been on the market for quite some generally opposed to plant production
time and the public is well aware protection products and instead of Clearly, more critical were
of its existence. It is especially reducing them, they should not be statements for the two smart
interesting to note that the used at all. farming technologies in the domain
pictures that participants named in of animal production. Consumers
connection with traditional farming For hoeing robots, again, were especially critical of virtual
focused more on plant production, consumers expressed interest fences. Animal welfare benefits
whereas for smart farming, milking in the technology, stating that it of the technology and possible
was the dominant topic. contributed to sustainable farming danger for hikers or children were
and that it was innovative. They among the main concerns. When a
Furthermore, frequent mentions did worry, however, about the cow approaches the virtual fence,
included specific technologies such high costs associated with this its collar first emits a sound. The
as drones, GPS or autonomous technology – this is a concern sound increases in volume the
machines. In total 11 out of 287 that applies to most smart farming closer the cow gets and when the
were not able to name anything, technologies – a shift from cow tries to exit the fence area, the
which is a strong indication that traditional farming to smart collar emits an electrical signal to
they did not understand what farming always comes with high stop the cow from leaving.
smart farming involves. Still, the technology costs.
ratings were positive and even Though the strength of the
more positive than for traditional Participants further worried about electrical signal is smaller than
farming, suggesting that the potential damage to soil, as for the amount that common fences
public approves of smart farming instance regarding soil compaction. emit, consumers perceive this as
technologies being used in Experts, however, are aware that harmful to the animals. Similarly,
agriculture. hoeing robots have less weight due to the invisibility of the fence,
than traditional tractors and they stated it could be dangerous
Smart farming for crop production are therefore beneficial for the to hikers or to children. Despite the
For spray drones, primarily soil as compared to traditional fact that some consumers thought
positive associations were farming methods. Overall, both the technology was interesting or
recorded, including terms such as technologies were evaluated quite innovative, the overall assessment
‘reasonable’, ‘efficient’, ‘modern’ and positively. was rather negative.

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