How Precision Farming will feed 9 billion people in 2050

Why:
Water scarcity - CO uses over 80% of water for agriculture
               - Increased drought seasons and length of time; desertification of previous agricultural breadbowls
               - Rapidly decreasing fresh water supplies and aquifers
Food Security - Global output is down by 15 percent, while in 10 years we need to be producing a third more grains
              - Increased meat consumption leads to higher need for grain output

Ways Open Data mingles with farming:

Integration with Autopilot Machines:
- self-driving (drone) combines manage larger farmlands
- connected to satellite and GPS tracking, giving analytics for how much grain is harvested and where.
- Sensor-Sprayer relationship: Sensor in front measures nutrient needs and sends data to sprayers in rear of combine to give optimal nutrients. All in one run down the line.

Lower-Tech (but probably more important):
- Using global weather satellites to track weather patterns and update farmers with needed info before it happens. Done in India and Kenya.
- Above was also done with fisheries in the Congo, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria. Need more info on this, but I may be straying from agriculture if I go down the road for fisheries.
- Basically harnessing open data to communicate via SMS; still the most reliable way to reach people in less developed countries.

If I have time: Drawbacks of Open Data - Big Ag marriage:
Giant conglomerates that control both the information and the means for proper farming:
- Monsanto silently buying agri-data companies.
- John Deere cornering market in tractor-combine sensors.