Researchers seek farmer input on AI and net zero tools
Farmers are being urged to share their real-world experience of artificial intelligence and digital tools to help shape future support for net zero agriculture.
Farmers, land managers and industry stakeholders across Wales are being invited to take part in new research looking at how technology is being used on farms, what is already proving useful and what barriers remain.
The study will explore how digital tools could support more sustainable farming and help Welsh agriculture move towards net zero. Researchers also want to understand what support may be needed in future.
Digital technology is already becoming more common across agriculture, from GPS-guided machinery and livestock monitoring systems to soil sensors, mapping tools, farm management software and carbon accounting platforms.
Researchers want to understand how these systems are being used in practice, where they are proving useful, and where they may be adding cost or complexity.
The study will also look at barriers to adoption, including cost, connectivity, data confidence, skills gaps and whether digital systems are practical for smaller or more remote farm businesses.
It will examine whether digital tools can help farmers measure emissions, improve input use, monitor soil and grassland performance, reduce waste and make more informed decisions around livestock, crops and land management.
Farmers can take part through a series of focus groups this summer, including an online stakeholder session on 1 July from 2pm to 3.30pm, an in-person farmer session at the link text on 22 July from 9.15am to 11am, and a further online farmer session on 4 August from 12pm to 1.30pm.
The Royal Welsh Show session will give farmers the chance to discuss the issue face-to-face with researchers during one of the sector’s busiest agricultural events of the year.
The findings could influence future advice, funding, skills support and policy around digital farming in Wales, making farmer input important at an early stage.
The study is being led by Bangor University and the Countryside & Community Research Institute at the University of Gloucestershire.
The project forms part of Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales, a Local Policy and Innovation Partnership involving universities, communities and stakeholders. It aims to strengthen the evidence base for more inclusive and sustainable rural development.
As part of the study, researchers will examine the opportunities and challenges these technologies present for farmers and land managers.
They will also look at the skills, knowledge and support needed to use digital technology effectively.
The team is particularly keen to hear from farmers already using digital tools or AI in their day-to-day work. Those willing to host a visit may be invited to take part in walk-and-talk interviews on farm.
Researchers said these visits would help them understand how technology is used in real-world settings and how it fits into everyday farm decision-making.
The study will also consider how emerging forms of digital expertise can work alongside long-standing practical and experiential knowledge in agriculture.
Dr Sophie Wynne-Jones, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Bangor University, said farmers’ experiences would be central to the research.
“This research is about learning directly from farmers and land managers about what is already working in practice, as well as understanding the challenges,” she said.
“Their insights will play a vital role in shaping future support and policy.”
Researchers said the findings would contribute to future policy and support for Welsh agriculture.
They said the aim was to ensure the transition to net zero is grounded in the experience and knowledge of farmers and land managers, rather than assumptions about how technology is used.
The research is funded by UK Research and Innovation.
