As climate change accelerates and global food demand continues to rise, agriculture is progressing rapidly through the use of new technologies. Embracing sustainable practices is no longer optional—it is crucial for ensuring food security, preserving natural resources, and supporting farmers' livelihoods.
This article highlights five key technologies shaping farming’s future. Each one addresses pressing challenges while balancing environmental responsibility with economic sustainability.
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Autonomous Electric Crop-Spraying Drone
Efficient crop protection is crucial for receiving high yields, but traditional crop dusting with airplanes can be costly, inaccurate, and harmful to the environment.
Helicopters and small planes spray large areas but often miss targets or spread chemicals to unintended places.
Until now, regular drones have been too small to manage large fields.
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The Guardian Agriculture SC1 is an autonomous electric drone that aims to solve these problems.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved this SUV-sized quadcopter in 2024. It can carry up to 200 pounds of liquid fertilizer or pesticide and uses advanced guidance for precise applications. With a 16-foot spray boom, it can cover tens of acres per hour and reduces overspray.
In California trials, the 600-pound SC1 has shown that it can effectively replace traditional crop dusters by delivering accurate applications to meet farmers' needs.1,2
The SC1 drone prioritizes sustainability, safety, and efficiency in agriculture. It is fully electric, meaning it does not produce carbon emissions like traditional agricultural aircraft. Its large battery and quick battery swaps allow it to work continuously while flying low over crops, ensuring accurate application with minimal chemical drift.
The drone can navigate independently and return home automatically, lowering labor costs and improving safety by eliminating the need for a human pilot.
With over $100 million in pre-orders, the SC1 shows a strong demand for environmentally friendly technology in crop protection and highlights a commitment to sustainable farming practices.1,2
Biodegradable Packaging from Agricultural Waste
Startups are finding ways to turn crop waste into biodegradable packaging.
Dr. Nasim Amiralian from Australia has developed a method to change sugarcane waste into packaging that keeps food fresher for longer than regular plastic.
Sugarcane waste. Image Credit: SUN IMAGE/Shutterstock.com
This material was made available by C4C Packaging in 2024 and is now used by Australian wineries and Ready-to-Drink beverage companies. This innovation helps reduce food waste and decreases the use of fossil fuel-based plastics.3
Similarly, EverGrain, a subsidiary of AB InBev, upcycles spent barley grains from beer production into high-protein packaging films. Launched in late 2024, these films are fully compostable and cost-competitive with synthetic alternatives.
By using agricultural byproducts, such innovations support circular economy principles and meet the growing consumer need for eco-friendly solutions.
Analysts expect that the global market for packaging made from agricultural waste will grow by 5.5% each year until 2030.4,5
Robotic Harvesting with Vision AI
Labor shortages and rising wages have accelerated the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered harvesting robots. These robots can reduce post-harvest losses and operational costs by supporting high-value crops dependent on manual labor.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Field Robotics, scientists developed an advanced robotic system for selectively picking strawberries. This system aims to tackle challenges when picking in dense clusters. It has a modular design and a special picking head that moves in multiple ways, avoiding damage to the strawberries while harvesting.
Image Credit: Phonlamai Photo/Shutterstock.com
The built-in perception system can accurately detect 95% of ripe fruit, allowing for 87% harvesting efficiency across different strawberry varieties.
A startup called Advanced.Farm has introduced a robot that uses stereo cameras and food-safe grippers to identify and pick fresh produce based on its size and ripeness.6,7
Another breakthrough comes from Robovision, which has developed a new AI system for planting tulip bulbs in partnership with Dutch horticulturists. This system uses 3D deep learning to sort and plant bulbs, working twice as fast as humans. It helps solve labor shortages in the Netherlands’ tulip industry. Since it started operating in early 2025, this technology now manages 50% of tulip production worldwide. It is scalable and reduces soil compaction, helping to maintain soil structure for future planting cycles.8
Green Hydrogen from Agricultural Waste
Green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy, is a clean alternative for powering farm machinery and processing facilities.
Australian company HydGene Renewables has launched a pilot system that turns crop leftovers, like straw and sugarcane waste, into hydrogen through solar-powered electrolysis.
Each unit produces 1 kg of hydrogen daily, enough to run a small farm's irrigation systems. This process also helps reduce methane emissions from waste that would otherwise decompose.3,8
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This innovation works well with agrivoltaics, where solar panels are placed above crops to generate energy and protect plants from extreme heat. Trials in Arizona and Kenya in 2024 showed that agrivoltaic systems increased tomato yields by 15% and cut water usage by 20%.
By 2025, HydGene plans to partner with US corn growers to set up commercial-scale reactors, turning agricultural waste into a source of energy and income.8,9
Modular IoT Sensor Networks for Small Farms
While large-scale farms have long used Internet of Things (IoT) devices, 2024 marked a turning point for smallholders.
Bulgarian startup Agrila developed a solar-powered sensor station that measures soil moisture, temperature, and wind speed at a much lower cost than traditional methods. These sensors help farmers save water and increase crop yields by sending real-time irrigation alerts.7,10
Complementing this, Farmer’s Hive in Canada introduced a low-cost IoT ecosystem for greenhouses and family farms. Their wireless sensors remotely monitor microclimates and crop health, sending data to a cloud platform via LoRaWAN networks.
These innovations make precision agriculture more accessible, allowing farms of all sizes to adopt sustainable practices.10
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The Future of Sustainable Agriculture
Recent agricultural innovations reflect a sector in transformation where technology and ecology combine to create productive and sustainable systems.
From autonomous crop-spraying drones to robots harvesting strawberries, these advancements are not just small improvements but foundational shifts toward a more resilient food future.
Startups and researchers are actively developing innovative technologies, but bringing these tools to farmers in developing regions remains a significant challenge. Overcoming this gap requires collaboration across governments, businesses, and local communities. With the right partnerships in place, sustainable agriculture can move from being a popular idea to a practical, widespread reality.
Continue Reading: What is Sustainable Agriculture?
References and Further Reading
- Lindzon, J. (2024). Guardian Agriculture SC1: the 200 Best Inventions of 2024. TIME. https://time.com/7094876/guardian-agriculture-sc1/
- Miller, D. (2023). CNH Reveals Advanced Spraying, Guardian SC1 Autonomous Drone Earns FAA Approval. DTN Progressive Farmer. https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/equipment/article/2023/05/24/cnh-reveals-advanced-spraying-sc1
- Six agrifood innovations to watch in 2025. (2024). growAG. https://www.growag.com/highlights/article/six-agrifood-innovations-to-watch-in-2025
- Key AgriFood Tech trends to watch in 2025 - Bright Green Partners. Bright Green Partners. https://brightgreenpartners.com/blog-insights/insights-agrifood-tech-trends-2025/
- Agricultural Packaging Market Size. Market Research Company - Mordor Intelligence™. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/agricultural-packaging-market
- Parsa, S. et al. (2023). Modular autonomous strawberry picking robotic system. Journal of Field Robotics. DOI:10.1002/rob.22229. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rob.22229
- Uncover the Top 10 Agriculture Trends for 2025. StartUs Insights. https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/agriculture-trends-innovation/
- Top 5 Agricultural Technologies 2025: Shaping the Future of Farming. (2025). Robovision. https://robovision.ai/blog/top-5-agtech-trends-in-2025
- Asa'a, S. et al. (2024). A multidisciplinary view on agrivoltaics: Future of energy and agriculture. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 200, 114515. DOI:10.1016/j.rser.2024.114515. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032124002387
- Uncover the Top 10 Agriculture Trends, Technologies & Innovations in 2024. Farming Portal. https://www.farmingportal.co.za/index.php/agri-index/74-tegnology/9997-uncover-the-top-10-agriculture-trends-technologies-innovations-in-2024
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