## 2 Characteristics of the Sectors in Focus
### Smart Agriculture
The necessity of SmA implementation is globally conditioned by the pressures of the following factors:* _Providing food for the growing population_--from 1800 to the present, the global population has grown from 1 billion to 7 billion, and the estimated population in 2100 is 11 billion [12]; at the same time, the average global life expectancy has grown from 28.5 to 73 years [13]; during the same period, the total global agricultural area has grown from 1.35 to 4.87 billion ha (i.e., an increase of 361%), and further acquisition of the acreage for agriculture would be possible only at the expense of forested areas (impossible due to global environmental protection policies); currently, the arable land needed per unit of crop production represents 30% of that required in 1961 [14] so further growth in the volume of food production can be achieved by its increase in efficiency;
* _Economical availability (affordability) of food_--not only is the production volume important but also the price for the consumer; therefore, it is necessary to increase the cost efficiency of food production, as the room for the state subsidization of it in various countries is limited; one way to enable this is, e.g., SmA-driven productivity growth in terms of both labor and equipment, which could lead to a 20-30% reduction in work time [15], as well as an 85% reduction in pesticide usage and a 10% reduction in fuel usage in agricultural treatments [16];
* _Policies on environmental protection and counteracting the effects of climate change_--an element of the prevention of environmental contamination is the increasingly strict control and limitation of the use of pesticides and fertilizers to avoid their unnecessary or excessive application (e.g., in the European Union (EU) [17; 18]); there is also increasing legal pressure to reduce energy consumption, especially from fossil fuels;
* _Energy intensity of agriculture_--both agotechnical treatments and manufacturing (mineral fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) consume energy (although the machinery consumes mainly oil-based fuels, the chemical synthesis is fueled by natural gas); further increases in agricultural production must not be accompanied by a proportional increase in energy consumption;
* _Crisis on the global energy-carrier market_--sharp increases in the prices set by energy carriers, which were triggered as early as 2021 and then accelerated by the war in Ukraine and its international repercussions (sanctions against Russia, retaliatory measures by Russia), caused a rapid rise in fertilizer prices and a drop of their availability due to the temporary limitation of their production; furthermore, Russia is one of the biggest exporters of mineral fertilizers, which have also been subject to sanctions;
* _World food crisis_--before the Russian aggression, Ukraine was globally the fifth highest exporter of wheat, the fourth highest exporter of maize, and the highest exporter of sunflower oil (about 50% of global exports) [19]; as a result of the war and the blockade of Ukraine's seaports by Russia, there was a sharp drop in food exports, which mainly affected countries in Africa and Asia; additionally, as a result of military operations, there was a significant decrease in the sown area in Ukraine, which will have an impact on the yields of the current and subsequent growing seasons in the event of a prolonged war; as a result of the above, a renewed increase in global migration is expected, especially from African and Asian countries to the EU. The above-mentioned factors imply the need for increased efficiency in the use of agricultural inputs and the maximization of harvested yields. The capability to fill the gaps in the worldwide food supply and availability, facilitated by the widespread implementation of SmA, will be crucial in the context of global food security.