All participants will add their ideas, inspired by virtual events held around the world by the local organizers of each city. The one with the most ideas will receive the award for the most creative city.
Agriculture has been, is and continues to remain a vital field of human activity today. Agriculture is the only source of food, an important supplier of raw materials for industry and a major market for its production. Following this lockdown, many agricultural lands remained uncultivated, many companies / countries were unable to find labor and as a result many crops could not be harvested. As the media suggests, "if the coronavirus won’t kill us, our hunger will." It is a well-known story of a Kenyan woman who boiled stones to deceive her children that she was "cooking". We must not end up in this situation and people, governments must think about the future. I believe that in a modern, digital, technological world, a modern technological must be a priority and a reality of all countries
Global population - especially countries with a high level of economic development.
The importance of agriculture differs from country to country, but it is a major branch of the national economy in all countries, including the highly developed ones. Experience has shown that the problems of the world economy cannot be solved without taking agriculture into account, and during this period it is a problem. Agricultural land is a source of food for people, but also a source of stopping pollution but a place where technology can develop, leading robotics to unimaginable heights. With the help of technologies it will be possible to reduce pollution and minimize the risks that lead to the loss or destruction of crops.
Many technologies are in the idea stage, but they should become a reality as soon as possible:
Farmers who will be able to deal more easily with problems in finding employment.
Agriculture is essential to the life of the Welsh community and the Welsh language, as it is the basis of the rural economy in Wales. Agriculture contributes significantly to the economy and job market in Wales, representing a higher economic value in Wales than in the UK as a whole (the flagship product is Welsh lamb - the Welsh brand). A multi-function robot to help the Welsh farmer in his daily tasks would be very useful and appreciated by farmers.
My main resource is Business Wales, the Welsh Government's flagship support programme, which provides independent and financial support and advice to people starting, running, and growing a business in Wales, especially innovative ideas that can help the businesses become more competitive and enter new markets. With the support of the farming specialists from Farming Connect and the Food Cardiff organization, I will be in direct contact with robotics specialists, farmers willing to take part as partners in the project, and use the new agricultural technology from their own farm.
I and my team will work closely with Cardiff Commitment and Pearl Costello- Sustainable Food City Co-Ordinator who has already engaged with our youth council and we will contact the Welsh Government - Business Wales.
Besides Financial support from the Welsh Government (Business Wales) and the local authorities - Cardiff Council, we will utilise the key contacts within the agriculture industry through Cardiff Commitment and we will get their support to involve agricultural scientists and farmers.
My team members have connections and can contact the university teachers, lecturers, and researchers who are experts in mechatronics and robotics who are able to develop rapid prototyping techniques and low-cost processors, adaptable to Welsh agriculture.
Given the current lockdown situation, the first meetings will be organized virtually through ZOOM or TEAM platforms.
I will be working closely with Cardiff Youth Council, Cardiff Council, Cardiff Commitment, and Food Cardiff. I have key contacts to put this project into practice and create a good level of exposure to reach out to potential people and industry partners who might be interested in the project.
Cardiff Youth Council- the youth and student organization in Cardiff.
Cardiff Child-Friendly City (UNICEF UK) - is committed to improving the lives of children in Cardiff by realising their rights.
Cardiff Council - the governing body of Cardiff, the capital of Wales that could lobby for support,
Cardiff Commitment - brings together the public and private sectors to work in a partnership that connects young people to the wide range of opportunities available in the world of work.
Food Cardiff - Pearl Costello is the Sustainable Food City Co-ordinator. Cardiff was one of six cities in the UK to get funding through the Sustainable Food Cities Programme. The Sustainable Food Cities Network helps people and places share challenges, explore practical solutions, and develop best practices on key food issues, bringing together public and private, and third sector organisations.
Farming Connect - is one of four new schemes within the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is focusing significant investment from the Welsh Government and the EU to revitalise rural communities and provide support for agriculture and forestry in Wales.
My idea is unique because it challenges new and modern agricultural techniques by implementing mechatronics and robotics in agriculture. Robotics is the field with the greatest potential to allow the automation of agriculture, the robot being a device capable of performing tasks without the need for human labor. There are some examples of robots, already in development on the market, but they are not considered so far. Moreover, this idea would be revolutionary in Welsh agriculture and would lead Welsh universities to create more courses in technological agriculture, robotics, and mechatronics. All these courses would attract more students which would lead to major economic growth.
The project aims to establish strong links between education, technology, economics, agriculture, and other key think tanks to solve a wider global problem. The focus is on promoting extensive collaboration in the industry to bring together the best resources needed to address the lack of labor in agriculture, but also to create a modern, automated, and ecological agriculture.
Wales as a country with a rich agricultural past provides a very conducive basis to kick start this project. As Wales heavily relies on livestock farming, exploring innovative and disruptive ways of crop farming could be game-changing. Starting from farms around South Wales in the initiation phase is going to be an ideal choice to start with.
Knowledge means:
Technological means:
The next step in the process will be to convert this document into a deliverable plan. The new technology will feature the gradual replacement of manual human labour with robotic labour which has a profound impact on agricultural practices.
Initial funding from local authorities: Cardiff Council and Business Wales - Farming connect will be essential to kick start the project. Initially, I will look at a 24 -months budget-focused around spending on the key essentials like recruiting scientists, partnerships with technology partners, and pitching the idea to potential industry partners and sponsors.
As the project gains traction over time, sponsorship from key industry partners with Cardiff Commitment like Admiral Wales, Deloitte Cardiff, BT Group, Principality Stadium Cardiff, Welsh Rugby, Wales Millennium Centre, charities, private beneficiaries, and potential sponsors will ensure continuity of the project.
The aim will be to ensure costs are kept to a minimum and utilizing an existing pool of resources that are not funding-intensive to ensure the financial viability of the project in the long run. Since farms, in general, have a very different infrastructure, the first robots could be able to operate only on a given farm and only to a limited extent across different farms.
The funding plan will evolve over time but the primary focus will always be the long term impact and continuity not just financially but operationally as well.
In the future, the agricultural sector should be better equipped to cope with climate change, a growing global population, and global health challenges. Automation offers the potential for continuous data capture, allows more timely and effective intervention, and reduced production costs.
