Robotic Farm Workers Won't Cut Food Prices or Labor Costs
As summer fruits and vegetables adorn picnic tables, advancements in robotic agricultural machinery are underway, influenced by economic, technological, and political factors. According to the National Center for Farmworker Health, the illegal agricultural workforce comprised approximately 50% (1.5 million workers) from 2007 to 2009, with proposed immigration laws potentially impacting this dynamic. The USDA reports that labor expenses represent 42% of the variable costs in US fruit and vegetable farming. Companies such as Vision Robotics and Blue River are developing machines for harvesting and other agricultural tasks, aiming for increased efficiency. Nonetheless, initial models can surpass $1 million, and while automation may stabilize labor, it might not address food pricing or labor cost challenges.
Key facts
- Robotic farm equipment is being developed to spray, manage, and harvest crops.
- Proposed immigration legislation could reduce the illegal workforce in agriculture.
- Illegal workforce in agriculture was estimated at just under 50% between 2007 and 2009, roughly 1.5 million workers.
- Labor costs make up 42% of variable costs for fruit and vegetable production in the US.
- Mexico's improving economy is shrinking the immigrant pool.
- Vision Robotics is teaching multi-armed orange picking units to capture 3D images.
- Blue River, a Stanford-launched company, is developing robots that visually spot weeds and inject lethal doses of fertilizer.
- First-generation industrial robotic units can cost upward of $1 million.
Entities
Institutions
- National Center for Farmworker Health
- US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service
- Vision Robotics
- Blue River
- Stanford
Locations
- United States
- Mexico
Sources
- Quartz —