In this article, we discuss the 5 most advanced countries in agriculture technology. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the agricultural industry, the looming food insecurity problem and trends to watch in 2023, go directly to 12 Most Advanced Countries in Agriculture Technology.
5. China
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 368
China is one of the biggest producers of agricultural products in the world. Its agriculture industry contributed a significant 7% to its GDP in 2021. It’s also the most populous country in the world, with a population of 1.4 billion people as of 2021.
The country has to feed over a billion people in the face of rising agricultural constraints, which has led it to invest considerably in agricultural technologies due in part, to the country’s vision to be self-sufficient in food security.
Its smart-agriculture market has rapidly grown from $14 billion in 2015 to $27 billion in 2020, as per figures from Statista, leading to emergence of agritech startups like FJ Dynamics, an autonomous systems manufacturer for multiple industries including agriculture.
However, it is worth mentioning that very few startups in the Chinese agritech ecosystem are trying to solve agricultural unsustainability. Most are focused on using technology for efficiency and business scaling.
4. Australia
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 526
Australia is another oceanic country on the list of most advanced countries in agriculture technology. It has a total of 526 agritech startups providing smart-agriculture products and services.
The country is implementing various technologies like precision agriculture, smart irrigation for water conservation, through companies like Farmbot, Goanna AG and Stacked Farm to name a few.
3. Canada
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 632
Canada has 632 agritech startups trying to accelerate the country towards sustainable agriculture and efficiency. It is one of the most advanced countries in terms of agriculture technology.
The market share of precision agriculture in Canada has reached close to $0.9 billion in 2021, showcasing an 11.5% YoY increase. Some of its most notable companies working in the smart agriculture industry include Semios, Goodleaf Farms and 80 Acres Farms. Canada’s 2021 exports of agriculture amounted to $82 billion.
2. United Kingdom
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 689
The United Kingdom has 689 startups in its agritech and smart-agriculture ecosystem. Vast swathes of land in the country have slowly degraded over the past 200 years due to intensive agricultural production.
In 2017, Michael Gove, the then secretary of environment of the country, warned that the UK is 30 to 40 years away from fundamental eradication of soil fertility in many parts of the country.
The crisis has led the UK to invest heavily in agritech solutions, which led to the emergence of the smart-agriculture industry that was valued at $17 billion in 2018.
In 2021, the industry added a further $1.6 billion to its value through large scale deals in venture capital and crowdfunding as reported by Business Weekly. Some notable agritech startups in the country include FarmDrop, Eider Vertical Farming and Intelligent Growth Solutions.
1. United States
Number of Agri-Tech Startups: 3,475
The United States is the most advanced country in terms of the number of companies it has that are working on agri-technologies, which surpasses all other countries’ startup numbers by a huge margin, at 3,475. Some of the notable names in the industry include Apeel, Plenty, Indigo, GrubMarket and Ginkgo Bioworks.
There are many technologies implemented in the US agriculture sector like Precision Agriculture and Indoor Vertical Farming.
You can also take a peek at 5 Most Advanced Countries in Military Technology and 5 Most Dangerous Countries in the World in 2022.
