Agriculture in the information society

Agriculture in the Information Society is analysed by a review of recent pu blications on the subject. The development of a future Network Society is f oreseen to imply significant changes in the use of information technology ( IT) in agriculture. Farmers' hitherto modest use of IT is explained by the economic argument, that simplification of farming methods and application o f cheap externally produced inputs have been more efficient ways to reduce farming costs than IT. It is predicted that this situation will change due to restrictions on chemicals and certain production practises. Information technology will become important due to a need for a higher precision in th e use of chemicals and in the care of farm animals, and due to demands for food documentation. The restrictions and demands will be enforced by govern ments and by the food industry. Farmers will want IT applications that supp ort the operational aspects of farming, i.e. real-time decision support on high-bandwidth wireless Internet connections. E-mail and chat applications enriched by photos, videos and sound will become important elements in a re vived agricultural extension service in a future Network Agriculture. (C) 2 000 Silsoe Research Institute.