I doubt such an organic process could be fully automated - but why would you, given there's plenty of people around? It isn't going to be cheaper I'm sure.

Anyway, there's been experiments with biodiversity that is compatible with machinery by alternating rows of plants. This reduced e.g. the proliferation of pests between rows.

Most existing farms in the US/Canada already have trouble finding enough labor to work much simpler processes.

Every market runs the price level where there's some haggling and marginal cases.

I would hope that wages will rise across the world, making manual labor intensive processes obsolete. This would be a good thing.

> I would hope that wages will rise across the world, making manual labor intensive processes obsolete. This would be a good thing.

I don't know if this fully makes sense. If wages were to rise manual labor would thrive too. While some people enjoy working in offices same is true of manual labor, some people really do enjoy manual labor (excluding dangerous or demeaning jobs), and of course where it makes sense with tools to make it more efficient.

The only way to raise living standards is to become more productive. Manual or not manual is not really the point. The point is output per hour worked.

Producing far less per hour worked than what is possible is either low paid work or a hobby.

Except historically this is not what's happened when production has become more efficient.

Of course it's what happened.

A bit of truth in both your statements. Productivity increases are usually due to investments in equipment and training, and employers are keen to recoup this cost.

So the employees have to demand a share in increased wages. This may not happen. It is absolutely not automatic. No employer turns over increased profits to the employee (well not usually.)

So what has happened during our lifetime is that jobs have been exported to lower wage markets, since the employer reasons that they can invest in higher productivity in a cheaper job market and pocket the difference.

Wage increases are fundamentally automatic, because there is a limited pool of labor and higher productivity means companies have more goods/services with which to bid on that labor.

In the last three decades of the 19th century in the US, wages doubled despite union membership being at historically low levels. The rise in wages was driven by the same process seen globally in every country that has experienced rapidly growing per capita GDP. As companies produce more per worker and compete for a limited pool of labor, they bid higher for workers. This results in greater value, in terms of goods/services, offered to the average worker, which, in monetary terms, translates to higher inflation-adjusted wages.

Oh really.

Then tell me, what's the history of the minimum wage, adjusted for inflation, compared to cost of living?

The minimum wage is a government imposed price floor, not an average wage.

Defend that.

I was simply explaining why wages rise automatically, not making any comment on government price floors. But since you ask: there should be no government price floors or caps. The price paid should be based on mutually voluntary agreements.

That idea sounds excellent and combines old and new ideas in an unexpected way. Hacker News can facilitate wonderful syntheses sometimes.

I think farmers are wary of relying on tech like that and ending up depending on some FaaS, or at least the independent ones that aren't just some huge corporation.

I'm from an agricultural region (though more ranching than crop farming). This is absolutely the case. Everyone got fucked over by John Deere and is now extremely wary of such things.

Any startup working on this in EU?

Don't know about startups or the EU, but "big ag" in North America definitely is.

From quick Google it looks like there are a lot with different exact focuses!

Yup, but on a tiny scale - 1 square meter instead of 1 hectare at a time: https://farm.bot

It's a converted CNC router machine with cameras and water and weeding attachments.

Though I'm sure you can mount a big version on a wheeled vehicle that drives around tending the farm.

This farm bot is so neat, very interesting. It has my pondering if I should get one since I just moved out into the country.

I suppose I should first just get a planter and do some regular growing first and then I'll be better positioned and understand its benefits.