Next up was Sona Raziabeegum, Senior Director of Global Strategy, Precision Tech at CNH Industrial for her keynote presentation titled “Harvesting Insights, Action, and Innovation from Data”. Sona focused on the key to unlocking a farm's true potential: harnessing the power of data. Thanks to the latest advancements in edge computing and digital platforms, we can deliver precise action and data-rich insights to farmers. Sona showcased equipment that is infinitely smarter, optimizes performance in real-time, and allows farmers to analyze and make informed decisions that will drive grower efficiencies throughout the season.
We then heard from Brandon Leander, NA Business Head, Sales Enablement at Syngenta for his presentation titled “Using Data to Drive Product Placements and Supply Chain Efficiency”. Brandon explored how Syngenta uses data direct from the farm field to power seed recommendations and how those recommendations can be consolidated to drive supply chain efficiency. He then provided examples of how his team is innovating around identification of demand signals in specific geographies, and the effect more accurate forecasts are having on manufacturing and distribution approaches.
Past, Present, and Future of Data + AI
Next, we heard from Alec Rowen, Software Product Leader at AGI. His presentation, titled “The Future of Farm Data: Monetizing Agriculture's Digital Exhaust”, shed light on the untapped potential of farm data and how it can be monetized. Through partnerships with technology companies and data-driven service providers, farmers can sell their data, allowing agribusinesses and researchers to gain insights, develop tailored solutions, and optimize agricultural practices. This symbiotic relationship between farmers and data consumers can result in new revenue streams, improved efficiency, and sustainable farming practices.
After Alec, we moved on to a Generative AI showcase from two of Kin + Carta’s Data + AI leaders, Nick White and Jarrod Luker. They addressed the hype around Generative AI, which as of late has been deafening, going beyond the hoopla to bring much needed clarity to the topic. During their presentation titled “Real Business, Not Show Business: The True Value of Generative Al”, they highlighted the work our Labs engineers have been doing, which gave event attendees a realistic look at what it can do, where they can start, and the challenges involved.
Addressing an Industry Problem
Lastly, we wrapped up the presentation portion of the event with a lively panel discussion with all event speakers plus Scott Sahli, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Microsoft. The topic was “Solving Agriculture’s Data Tension”, which addressed the topic of data interoperability. Participants covered perspectives about how companies can advance data in agriculture in the long and short term, and discussed roadblocks on the journey to value, including lack of data, minimal data sharing, and ethical considerations. Key themes of transparency and reciprocation surfaced as each panelist discussed data as the key to the future of agriculture and its potential to help growers optimize their actions to maximize yield and profit.
