“Smart Farming” Is What Indian Consultant Deepak Talwar Advises, That We Filipinos Adopt 5G Technologies To Improve Our Agriculture

I'm a very wide reader, a Filipino and an 82-year old agriculturist greatly interested in communication for village development in the 21st century (CoViD21) – but today is the first time I encounter 5G being advised for adoption in agriculture in countries like our dear Philippines. Now, what is 5G?

Ericsson says “5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks” and is “up to 100 times faster than 4G” (ericsson.com). Well, we have 4G and 5G Internet connections right now near Metro Manila – but I don’t see “100 times faster.” (As to another kind of speed, my CoViD21 is faster than anybody’s: I blog almost every single day! Check out my Towards A New Eden, towardsaneweden.blogspot.comwhere I now have almost 1K essays in 1K days.)

Now, now, Mr Talwar, where is “Climate Change” in your 5G advice? Where is “Smart Farming” if all you are avoiding is manual labor and ignoring the greenhouse gases (GHGs) that chemical agriculture (CA) keeps producing whose effects redound to the detriment of humans & the rest of the world?

Science must serve the people, and not the other way around!

Mr Talwar implies for the Philippines (“Smart Farming As A Service 5G In PH Agriculture: A Transformation In Waiting,” 12 Aug 2022, Inquirer.net, business.inquirer.net):
(5G image from Farming Paradise, farmingparadise.com)

… a slow-growth industry ravaged by natural disasters, urbanization and COVID-19 [can be transformed] it into a profitable, growing sector that creates value for business owners and customers alike.

Mr Talwar is saying we Filipinos must ration out irrigation water and schedule pesticide applications. Now, now, Mr Talwar, you are assuming that pesticide applications are necessary!.

No Sir, you are assuming, and therefore approving, the use of pesticides to combat pests and diseases of crops. That is chemical agriculture, and that is not smart farming at all!

Your 5G technologies cannot fight pests and diseases without pesticides. The farmer will have to resort to organic agriculture to defeat the pests and diseases – and thus reduce the generation of GHGs in agriculture. Mr Talwar, your 5Gs promote artificial intelligence but not natural intelligence, whereby the farmer allows the forces of nature to level things up – via organic agriculture.

Your 5G agriculture, Mr Talwar, allows “agribusinesses to make the quantum leap to smart farming systems designed to increase farming precision” – but not necessarily to increase farming net income, and necessarily to increase GHGs generated in farms. High-tech agriculture may translate to high income but not high ecological intelligence.

No matter what you claim, Mr Talwar with your 5G – edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of things (IoT), robotics – you minimize wastes & costs and maximize yields – but AI & IoT & all we are still biting the hand that feeds us! You squeeze Mother Nature dry with your robotics – and literally leave her high and dry!

I have no objections to any science if it serves the people – until then, Mr Talwar, your Smart Farming is neither for the farmers nor consumers – nor the Planet!@517

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