Global standardization creates greater opportunities, efficiencies for farmers, equipment makers.

March 7, 2013 — Work on a global ag electronics communications standard by the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) will create greater opportunities and efficiencies for farmers and equipment manufacturers, states the Agrievolution Alliance. The alliance has published a white paper officially supporting AEF in recognition of the two groups’ shared focus on increasing agricultural productivity worldwide.

“Precision farming and agriculture is very much linked to the efficiency of the equipment being used. … AEF has seen the need for manufacturers to work together to insure compatibility and deliver combinations of equipment that will work properly together to meet the farmer’s expectations,” noted the alliance white paper.

AEF promotes the compatibility of tractors, implements and farm management software through the applications and benefits of the ISOBUS electronics communications standard.

“AEF’s work will help the world’s farmers profit from smarter, compatible equipment which will ultimately increase global agricultural productivity; it will enable machinery manufacturers to manufacture a piece of equipment in any country and sell it anywhere in the world without the need for regional standards and regulatory modifications. Member companies from all of the alliance organizations around the globe would realize the same benefit,” said Charlie O’Brien, Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) senior vice president and agriculture sector leader.

The Agrievolution Alliance is a global coalition of agricultural machinery manufacturing associations. Founded in April 2012, it represents thousands of agricultural equipment manufacturers around the world. AEM holds a seat on the group’s steering committee and serves as alliance secretariat.

The alliance’s mission is to share data, create awareness, exert influence and offer guidance and perspective on current global industry issues and future challenges. In addition to the U.S.-based AEM, alliance members to date represent the EU, Germany, Brazil, France, India, Italy, Russia, Turkey and United Kingdom.

AEF Work Will Change the Ag Products of the Future

The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation was formed in 2008 through the efforts of several agricultural equipment manufacturers, plus the German VDMA and U.S.-based AEM machinery associations. AEF now numbers more than 140 member companies.

The alliance white paper cites the growth in AEF membership as showing “the need and value placed by the manufacturers on standardization and the sharing of information. The work being done by AEF project teams today will change the Ag products of the future  and make the world’s farmers more productive with smarter equipment.”

Alliance Represents Major World Areas

Current member associations of the Agrievolution Alliance are:

• ABIMAQ (Brazilian Association of Industrial Machinery and Equipment)
• AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association, UK)
• AEM (Association of Equipment Manufacturers, USA)
• AXEMA (Association for Industrial Agricultural Equipment, France)
• CEMA (European Agricultural Machinery Association)
• FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
• ROSAGROMASH (Russian Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers)
• TARMAKBIR (Turkish Association of Agricultural Machinery & Equipment  Manufacturers)
• UNACOMA (Italian Farm Machinery Manufacturers Association)
• VDMA (German Agricultural Machinery Association)

For questions, please contact the Agrievolution Secretariat at cobrien@aem.org. Find more information online at Agrievolution Alliance (www.agrievolution.com), Alliance White Paper (http://www.agrievolution.com/IndustryInitiatives/) and AEF (http://www.aef-online.org/en/)