Agricultural drones are taking off globally, saving farmers time and money

Drones have become integrated into everyday life over the past decade – in sectors as diverse as entertainment, health care and construction. They have also begun to transform the way people grow food. In a new study published in the journal Science, we show that use of agricultural drones has spre...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Belton, Ben, Baldiga, Leo
Format: Opinion Piece
Language:Inglés
Published: The Conversation 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/177516
Description
Summary:Drones have become integrated into everyday life over the past decade – in sectors as diverse as entertainment, health care and construction. They have also begun to transform the way people grow food. In a new study published in the journal Science, we show that use of agricultural drones has spread extremely rapidly around the world. In our research as social scientists studying agriculture and rural development, we set out to document where agricultural drones have taken off around the world, what they are doing, and why they have traveled so far so fast. We also explored what these changes mean for farmers, the environment, the public and governments.