08/07/24 Artificial intelligence for agri market research, Lakenheath Fen, vertical salad farm

Farming Today

From interpreting pigs coughs to detect disease to analysing biodiversity data; all this week we’re going to be talking about artificial intelligence and its use in agriculture. Today, how AI is being used to sift out inaccurate agricultural market research.

A year ago the RSPB started turning land that was once arable fields, next to its site at Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk, into a wetland habitat. The hope being that they’d see many species of rare wildlife return, and it’s working. It’s giving the marsh harrier and wildlife more space to thrive.

Indoor vertical farms claim to provide the solution to unpredictable weather, growing salads in controlled conditions under lights and stacked in layers. But it's an expensive way to grow, and involves high energy consumption. We visit the Jones Food Company vertical farm in Gloucestershire.

Presented by Helen Mark and produced by Beatrice Fenton.