Research pick: Technological food security - "An examination of internet of things in the South Korean agricultural industry: the case of Samsung"

Research in the World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development discusses how the integration of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data, and cloud computing can bring about significant change in agriculture. This point is particularly relevant in South Korea, where there is a growing demand for affordable, nutritious, and healthy food.

The research by Sean Watts of the International Business Keimyung Adams College at KeiMyung University in Daegu, South Korea, and colleagues in Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, focuses on Samsung as a leading player in IoT and the role it might play in improving efficiency and sustainability in agriculture.

The team has taken a mixed-methodology approach, including qualitative action-based research, to investigate how a company might expand its IoT services into South Korean agriculture. Surveys conducted with representatives from the South Korean Farmers’ Agricultural Association (Nonghyup) identified four promising IoT-based smart grid initiatives. The research points out that despite Samsung’s strong brand presence and the potential benefits of IoT, its use in South Korean farming is still limited and not yet widely recognized.

The combination of AI and IoT could lead to new opportunities for a company well positioned to support farmers in their quest for improved efficiency and the demands of sustainability given the environmental and socioeconomic issues we currently face globally. There is also the potential for consumers to use technological advancements to grow their own food in kitchen gardens and on allotments more effectively. This would extend the benefits of IoT technology well beyond conventional farming environments.

Globally, a lack of food security affects almost 700 million people where they lack easy and affordable access to sufficient, nutritious, and safe food, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In Asia, a grain deficit of 10.8 million tonnes has resulted in well over 300 million people facing food insecurity, a crisis surpassed only by Sub-Saharan Africa. If the global population expands by 1.7 billion by the year 2050, the pressure on food production resources will worsen. Technological solutions might be the only way to continue to put food on the table.

Watts, S., Hoa, N.T.T., Martens, W., Doan, D.T. and Guzman, A. (2024) ‘An examination of internet of things in the South Korean agricultural industry: the case of Samsung’, World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp.374–396.