The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF), a global non-profit association working to ensure the interoperability between agricultural brands and technology platforms, recently exhibited at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ (AEM) second “Celebration of Modern Ag on the National Mall” event. More than 12,000 people attended the three-day event in Washington, D.C., to visit with 25 AEM members and 30 AEM partners featuring ag equipment such as tractors, combines, irrigation equipment as well as numerous ag innovations.
This years’ sustainability-focused event allowed the AEF to meet with policymakers, cybersecurity experts, the USDA, the media, association members and potential members, and the general public to educate them about the organization and its goals for the future.
“The AEM event on the National Mall was an excellent opportunity for policymakers and others to understand how an association such as AEF is creating a foundation critical for shaping sustainable agriculture,” said Norbert Schlingmann, Managing Director, AEF. “The ag industry really has a collaborative, practical approach towards improving farm efficiency and productivity, and the AEF is helping to develop the digital infrastructure to make that possible.”
In addition to the exhibits, award-winning podcaster and content producer Dusty Weis hosted a variety of live on-stage interviews focused on sustainability, including a podcast discussing the importance of brand interoperability and how it relates to agricultural sustainability for the future. The panel included AEF’s Schlinmann; John Schofield, Marketing Communications, CLAAS; and Jeremy Wilson, the EVP and COO, AgGateway.
“Interoperability is extremely important, and it will be even more important in the future,” said Schlingmann. “The AEF and ISOBUS-certified machines lower fuel consumption, and enhance sustainability by enabling greater precision for more efficient applications of nutrients and pesticides. Going forward, my vision is that we can work seamlessly together, exchanging data, for the benefit of the farmer.”
During the 1990s, the agriculture equipment industry was riddled with interoperability issues. After the ISO-11783 standard was developed, the agriculture industry created the AEF to help solve compatibility problems. The association is tasked with organizing the pathways and forums for the equipment manufacturers and other participants in the agricultural industry to collaborate on precision farming technology through dedicated project teams of volunteers. Currently, the AEF offers an ISOBUS database, a conformance test, and ISOBUS functionalities. It guides a wide variey of project teams and will be developing an Ag Interoperability Network (AgIN) and Wireless Infield Communication (WIC), among other projects.
