Digital Foundations for Agriculture Strategy

The Digital Strategy for the Agriculture industry outlines Australia’s approach to accelerating the development and adoption of digital technologies which identifies identifies five foundational focus areas: Leadership, Skills, Data and Governance, Opportunities and Value Proposition, and Connectivity and Infrastructure.

With potential to increase agricultural production value by over $20 billion annually, the strategy aims to position Australia as a mature adopter, developer, and exporter of digital agriculture technologies by addressing key barriers to adoption, investing in national coordination through a new National Centre for Digital Agriculture, and supporting farmers with practical digital solutions. This forms a critical component of Australia’s National Agricultural Innovation Agenda and supports the industry’s goal of becoming a $100 billion sector by 2030.

Strategic Context and Opportunity

Digital technologies are foundational to the next major wave of agricultural productivity, with potential to add over $20 billion in gross economic value annually to Australian agriculture.

• The strategy aligns with broader government initiatives including Australia’s Digital Economy Strategy 2030, Delivering Ag2030, and the National Agricultural Innovation Agenda.
• Australia aims to be a mature adopter, developer and exporter of digital agriculture, which is one of four National Agricultural Innovation Priorities.
• The global agritech market is estimated to be worth $500 billion, expected to increase to $730 billion by the end of 2024.
• One in three new jobs in agriculture over the next 10 years is expected to be technology-related

Five Strategic Focus Areas

1. Leadership

– Strategic actions include fostering collaboration across the agricultural innovation system, pooling resources, promoting Australia as open to agritech, accelerating commercialization, and creating “try, test and learn” cultures.
 
– The Australian Government is investing $30 million in a new National Centre for Digital Agriculture to provide national leadership and coordination.
 
– Digital officers will be placed in each of the eight regional Innovation Hubs to drive on-ground adoption of digital technologies.
 
– Key initiatives include Agricultural Innovation Australia, Smart Farming Partnerships, growAG and evokeAG platforms.

2. Skills

– Strategic actions focus on developing digital agriculture skills, implementing the National Agricultural Workforce Strategy, attracting skilled workers, and increasing investment in organizations that will grow digital agriculture.
 
– By 2030, one in three new agriculture jobs will be technology-related, requiring STEM specialists.
 
– Key initiatives include Digital Officers in Innovation Hubs, AgATTRACT program, and Next Generation Emerging Technology Graduates Program.
 
– Emphasis on lifelong learning to maintain a skilled workforce that can capitalize on technological opportunities.

3. Data and Governance

– Strategic actions include building trust in data use, streamlining regulation, supporting data collection and use for business decisions, implementing interoperability frameworks, and establishing standards.
 
– Key initiatives include the Australian Farm Data Code, National Soil Package ($214.9 million investment), and Australian AgriFood Data Exchange.
 
– Focus on simplifying data ownership, establishing trust between producers and service providers, and creating clear rules for sharing agricultural data.
 
– Governance frameworks will help unlock value between agritech applications and avoid siloed applications.

4. Opportunities and Value Proposition

– Strategic actions include creating a culture of digital uptake, building an enabling regulatory environment, demonstrating value through productivity and profitability, increasing non-government investment, and enabling commercialization.
 
– Key initiatives include the Producer Technology Uptake Program, Busting Congestion for Agricultural Exporters package ($328 million), and agricultural traceability investments ($68.4 million).
 
– Focus on helping farmers understand the value digital agriculture can bring to their businesses and removing affordability barriers.
 
– Streamlining operating rules across jurisdictions to support product development and market access.

4. Connectivity and Infrastructure

– Strategic actions include building understanding of connectivity options, investing in telecommunications, fostering partnerships for multiple solutions, developing regionally-based solutions, and utilizing skills across agriculture.
 
– Adopting internet-enabled digital technologies could have a $15.6 billion impact across the agriculture sector by 2029-30.
 
– Key initiatives include the Connecting Regional Australia initiative ($811.8 million), Regional Connectivity Program, and Regional Tech Hub.
 
– Addressing the challenge of connectivity in a large continent with diverse topography and geography.

Implementation and Measuring Success

– The strategy will be monitored and evaluated based on an innovation baseline, key outputs, and innovation outcomes.
 
– The government is investing $2.7 million over four years to establish a robust baseline for monitoring the National Agricultural Innovation Agenda.
 
– The National Data Centre and digital officers in Innovation Hubs will provide ground-level intelligence to inform monitoring and evaluation.
 
– Success will be measured by adoption rates of digital solutions, creation of new services and markets, job opportunities, supply chain efficiencies, and sustainability improvements.