(ISO: Geneva) -- Companies created quite a buzz this year with the announcement that their plans to use drones to deliver packages are becoming a reality. As the technology continues to evolve, the number of users of, and uses for, unmanned aircraft systems has risen to new heights. The need for an International Standard is clear, but what’s the link with farming?

More than seven billion lives depend on humankind’s unique ability to scratch into the shallow surface of our planet and grow plants. And though the crops are firmly rooted in the soil, the mysterious thing that makes it all work can only be grasped by looking to the skies.

Water and carbon dioxide are transformed by plants into sugar (and water), fueled by the power of the sun. But ask the farmers who make their living from this miracle and their take on it is probably more down to earth: while sunshine and air for photosynthesis are free, labor, fuel, sprays and fertilizers comprise a substantial cost. Often, even water comes at a price, both financially and environmentally. In order for farmers to stay in business and keep up with our burgeoning population (in fact, it has grown by about 50 people since you started reading this), we have to use these resources better, and that’s where precision agriculture comes in.

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