Smart farming (SF), the use of advanced technologies such as sensors, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and automation, holds great promise for increasing agricultural sustainability as it enables a reduction of inputs while maintaining yield. A general assumption is that biodiversity will benefit from reduced synthetic inputs. We argue that biodiversity benefits will not come automatically, especially within agricultural fields. Rather, technological developments need to embrace ecological targets during future innovations. Done right, with a new framework that integrates ecological and agronomic objectives in decision-making algorithms, SF could restore biodiversity in agricultural landscapes of the Global North, and preserve it in the Global South, while closing the yield gap. However, making agriculture more biodiversity-friendly through SF requires a more interdisciplinary research by scientists, targeted research funding schemes, incentives for the application of these technologies, and supporting strong national and international policies that drive widespread and equitable adoption.
- Rafael Achury
- Robin Heinen
- Wolfgang W. Weisser
