How the Fourth Industrial Revolution has Affected the Agricultural Sector in Western Cape - Economics Assignment Help

Assignment Task

How the fourth industrial revolution has affected the Agricultural sector in Western Cape
 

Introduction
From Commercial farmers to subsistence farmers, the fourth industrial revolution has affected the agricultural sector in the Western Cape. The fourth industrial revolution fuses the virtual world with the physical world. The fusion of these two worlds by farmers in the Western Cape is accomplished by making use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, big data, and UAV imagery to gain profit and contribute to food security. Although there are benefits of using this technology, the disadvantages such as inequality and loss of jobs that is brought forth by what is described as the convergence of communication and information technology (), cannot be ignored. One may argue that the fourth industrial revolution has dramatically improved business efficiency in the agricultural sectors furthermore improved the natural environment through technology. This essay will elaborate further on how the fourth industrial revolution is more beneficial than harmful to the agricultural sector in the Western Cape.

Benefits of technology in the agricultural sector in Western Cape
Technologies of the fourth industrial revolution such as artificial intelligence and data technology has increased transparency, efficiency and allow for precision in agricultural production. For example, the Western Cape commercial agriculture is based on fruits and wine, technology such as UAV imagery takes high resolution pictures which allows the commercial farmers to detect problems with their crops using the images obtained and deal with the repercussions allowing farmers the ability to manage their crops. The fourth industrial revolution technologies pose as an answer to the Western Cape weather related problems, weather plays a huge role in the production of citrus fruit and technologies such as the internet of things (IOT) will measure humidity and the amount of sunlight hence increasing productivity in farms. The fourth industrial revolution has been described as agricultural friendly and will solve most problems faced in this sector. ( page 6 g auto)
Disadvantages of 4IR in the agricultural sector in Western Cape
The new innovative technologies used in the fourth industrial revolution will substitute human labor with robotic technology (g auto). Manual and physical skills demand will drop by 14% (pg. 235) and the loss of jobs and automation will remain a concern. Underdeveloped subsistence farmers who are unable to gain access to this merging technology will be poorer while the inequality gap widens. Land dispossession also plays a role in the agricultural sector, black farmers who gained land from the land reform scheme in the Western Cape are unable to manage the farms due to lack of resources and capital thus these black farmers will trail behind when the fourth industrial revolution is fully operational due to lack of accessibility to these emerging technologies. The commercial farmers will be able to access this technology and will be the benefactors (small horse). Only a small fraction of individuals will benefit from the 4IR and unfortunately only the monied are favored while the poor get poorer.
Impacts of the 4IR on the agricultural sector in the Western Cape
Agriculture is one of the most important sectors in the Western Cape for their economic contribution of more than 10% regional economy, exports and contribute to 20% of South Africa’s agricultural export (usb.ac.za). The use of technology in precision agriculture is one of the sustainable ways to increase the quantity of productions made by farmers while preserving the natural environment they are from. Precision agriculture is made simpler with the technologies of the 4IR which in turn increase productivity for the exportation of goods. Western Capes total exports to Africa are high and is dominant in the market share of supplying products to the African continent due to it leading in technologies of precision agriculture. (pg. 17 A macro) High exportation in products lead to a larger economy and improved margins.

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