b'One thing about value chains, once established, you get so much use out of it. Claudia RoesslerAnd some of the most significant technology advancements only happened in the last decadesuch as processing large amounts of data at the speed and cost neededsuch as genom-ics or large amounts of image data, Roessler says. As an example, Roessler shares the vast improvements seen in imagery data in just the past few years. She cites a 2017 initia-tive in which the Microsoft environmental sustainability team worked with the Chesapeake Land Conservatory to update their maps by using image recognition and satellite images. The team was able to update seven-year-old maps, which previously were updated manually and were at 30 meter resolution. The team brought the maps down to 1 meter resolution in only a few days by using satellite image data.Today, that same Microsoft team is launching a Planetary computer, that will help with what can be observed by imagesAzure FarmBeats is a business-to-business offering available in such as climate, biodiversity and agriculture challenges such asAzure Marketplace from Microsoft. predicting pest infestations, surplus rainfall, drought conditions, and other atmospheric trends, she says.Thats how I prove authenticity, sustainability and that it was ethi-Yet another Microsoft team is tackling the challenges of ruralcally produced, she says. connectivity, using TVWS TV White space or the unused broad- And from a food safety perspective, being able to trace back casting frequencies between television channels, to transmitto a specific field, rather than a region, is a huge advantage for data on farms where there is no broadband available. TVWS isevery stakeholder in the value chain. both a cheaper and faster way to deploy internet connectivity,What we are going to see is a combination of having good compared to traditional fiber, and the technology can travel longdatafrom strategic sensors and probes on the farmand distances. then we augment the missing piece with data and analytics, The FarmBeats platform then brings different data inputssays Roessler. One thing about value chains, once established, such as from satellite, drones or sensors and allows for decision- you get so much use out of it. making opportunities. Roessler shares a Microsoft case study involving the compa-All of these solutions create viable opportunity for improve- nys work with coffee-giant Starbucks coffee-grower program. ment on the farm, and as more technologies are adopted, theyThe goal, from the outset, was to show the consumers, where become more affordable.their cup of coffee comes from, and that Starbucks coffee beans were sustainably grown and ethically sourced. The culmination Connecting the Value Chain was a connection between the farmer, consumer and a cup of Roessler says that every farm should be thinking about thecoffee. things they are growing and doing on the farm, and where dataWhat they did was establish a connection with the value collection can make a differencenot just on the farm, but inchain, and what happened was that they improved consumer the value chain.experience, and being able to show farmers where their coffee A connected farm goes beyond the farm, Roessler says.beans were going had a direct and significant impact on their We see that with AGI SureTrack, its about seed and harvest andmotivation and satisfaction to grow for Starbucks. But, perhaps storage, but its also about what the goal is for the grain beyondwhats even more important and differentiating are the poten-the farm and bringing in external data to make those decisions.tial benefits for coffee farmers to know where their beans go Knowing the value of grain, even before the seed meets theafter they sell them. Starbucks is sourcing coffee from 380,000 soil, being able to make the management decisions needed tofarmers, she says. Once you establish it (a value chain), it is maintain grain characteristics throughout growing, harvest andan investment and there are multiple ways for it to pay back storage and then having the ability to share that story with thebecause it involves many, many players.rest of the value chain and the end consumer is where RoesslerAt the end of the day, Roessler says that farm size doesnt says farms can find the greatest value from a connected farm.really matter; its about being able to make better decisions, And if you think about grain in another, context, perhaps as afinding a trusted party to aggregate data and using those gained high-quality leather article, Roessler says the value of that storyinsights to accomplish the goals of your operation. It isnt all becomes even clearer.about high-tech, but rather making the technology and collected If Im a seller of a high cost leather article, is it worth beingdata you do have work for you. able to trace back to the farm the leather came from? Absolutely.Its about problem solving, not technology, she says.SW56/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2021'