Identifying Food Supply and Distribution Networks and Providing Technical Training

Analog Devices (ADI) announced a collaboration with the Cornucopia Project and ripe.io.

Through this collaboration, the company plans to identify regional food supply and distribution networks and, based on this, transfer next-generation agricultural technology to students at ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough, New Hampshire, USA, and local farms in the region.

The project educates students on the utilization of Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technology and tracks the status and movement during grain production to enable decision-making that can advance crop quality, yield, and profitability, thereby helping to practice the "farm-to-fork" movement. The project funding is jointly supported by the Cornucopia Project, ADI, and ripe.io, while ADI and ripe.io also provide technical training.

Through this project, Analog Devices provides a prototype of a crop monitoring solution. The prototype helps farmers measure environmental factors that assist in making correct decisions regarding crop-related tasks such as irrigation, fertilizer application, pest and disease management, and harvesting. An IoT solution connected to sensors and the cloud supports farmers in making better decisions based on accumulated data through near real-time monitoring. The 24-hour measured data, when combined with a compact near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer that supports non-destructive analysis of food quality—which was impossible in previous farm environments—provides significant benefit to farmers.

Kevin Carlin, Vice President of Automation, Energy and Sensor Group at Analog Devices, stated, "Through this project, which is an extension of the 'Internet of Tomatoes' project, we help farmers make better decisions throughout the growing cycle, resulting in improved harvest quality and positive economic and environmental outcomes. Our crop monitoring solution provides reliable and accurate information to students and local farmers, enabling them to cultivate healthier, fresher, and more delicious agricultural products. This project demonstrates how our crop monitoring solution innovatively expands the value and potential of IoT."