For any sector to thrive, disruptive technologies and innovations must fall into place. In agriculture, farmers constantly seek new ways to increase the yield per acre, and at the same time, deal with rising input costs. Investment and innovation in robotics has been a big focus in agriculture recently, with reports from Wintergreen Research projecting an anticipated $16.3B market size by 2020.

In the ongoing effort to improve food safety and traceability, technologies are constantly evolving to bring more accurate information to retailers and consumers about where their food comes from. The Produce Traceability Initiative, sponsored by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, aims to bring accurate, electronic traceability to every step of the food supply chain. From brand specific universal product codes in grocery stores, to blockchain tracking an individual head of lettuce, it all starts with the case and pallet tags growers provide.

Imagine if you had the ability to control exactly how much sun, and rain your crops got. What if you could set the ideal temperature for everything you grow, and could control the humidity and air flow with perfect precision? Grappling with the effects of the environment while producing food has always been the farmer’s biggest challenge. But Vertical Farming takes all the uncertainty out of growing by creating and maintaining the perfect climate for whatever you’re growing.

The development of agriculture has always been closely tied to the interpretation and prediction of weather. The first standard rain gauge was developed in 1441 and since then, humans have been attempting to better predict the weather using increasingly advanced tools to protect their crops.