Technological advances have revolutionised the farming industry, speeding up production processes, and creating sustainable solutions. One company who has been keen to implement environmentally-friendly practices into its work is New Holland Agriculture. The New Economy speaks to Brand President Carlos Lambro to hear about developments in the industry, the organisation’s carbon footprint calculator, and what its future ambitions are.

The New Economy: Carlo, one of your founders of course is Henry Ford, who really revolutionised the whole production process. Tell me about some of the recent advances.

Carlo Lambro: Indeed: Basildon, the plant where we are now, was established as a Ford tractor factory in 1964. This year we are celebrating 50 years of continuous tractor operation, with more than 1.6 million tractors produced, and 3.1 million engines produced, here in Basildon.

Today these modern plants follow the world-class manufacturing programmes common to all the CNH industrial plants, focused on energy reduction, improving efficiency, and elimination of waste at the manufacturing facilities.

And this real revolution in the production process is applied throughout all our plants in the world.

New Holland is committed in driving the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and sustainable agriculture

The New Economy: In the last decade there’s really been a shift towards more environmentally-friendly and climate change focused practices. How are you incorporating these views into your own company?

Carlo Lambro: New Holland is committed in driving the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and sustainable agriculture. That’s what our clean energy leader strategy is all about.

Since 2006, it has driven many pioneering initiatives, shaped around the needs of the farmers.

We have a full range of highly efficient equipment that is very well suited to conservation agriculture.

For example, our T7 tractor range, which offers a very low power-to-weight ratio, which provides excellent traction and reduces soil compaction.

We’ve also developed a new range of seeding drills, for example, to facilitate precession seeding and the exact application of chemicals.

These are only a few examples for a win-win agricultural solution for both farmer and environment.

The New Economy: How can farmers use technology to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels?

Carlo Lambro: Biomass is one of the most viable solutions. The biomass digesters transform biomass on the farm – like surplus straw, maize straw, or animal manure, into biomethane.

This means that farmers can produce the energy to run their farm. They can sell any surplus back to the national grid, and they can even use the biomethane to run our methane powered tractor, creating a virtuous cycle and a really energy-independent farm.

The New Economy: Your clean energy website highlights your emphasis on carbon footprinting. Tell me, how have your farmers benefitted from it?

Carlo Lambro: Consumers are increasingly asking for farm produce with a reduced carbon footprint. And to support farmers in facing this new challenge, New Holland has developed a carbon footprint calculator.

This system enables the farmer and the contractor to calculate the carbon emissions of their current fleet, and at the same time it shows how they could reduce them by replacing some of their equipment with the newest machines that are compliant with the current emissions standards.

And thanks to New Holland ECO Blue SCR engine technology, fuel consumption is lowered up to 10 percent. And we have dramatically reduced emissions over the last decade.

A tractor of today can run more than 100 days and produce the same amount of emissions as a machine of 10 years ago would have produced in just one day.

The New Economy: Farming of course is considered a risky business, because even a small change can affect a farmer, costing them millions of dollars. Tell me: how has technology mitigated those risks?

Carlo Lambro: Doing more with less. Less risk, less environmental impact, less input, less fatigue for the operator, and less waste. That is our vision of modern agriculture.

New Holland’s Precision Land Management (PLM) solutions can increase yields up to 40 percent through a better management of resources.

With the PLM, farmers can save up to 50 percent by using less fertiliser, and correct and precise placement of seeds. And this not only leads to higher yields, but it also prevents potentially harmful and wasteful surpluses from damaging the environment.

It guarantees a uniform planting and crop protection. It’s a powerful technology that requires a deep knowledge, and we are offering an intensive partnership to our customers, to help and train them in achieving the full potential of this technology.

The New Economy: Finally, what’s next for New Holland Agriculture?

Carlo Lambro: Looking towards the future, we keep on developing new products, new tractors, new harvesters, using state-of-the-art technology, and bringing agricultural mechanisation in all emerging countries.

All this with an eye on the sustainable impact of the farm.

Next year we will be a partner of the World Expo Milano 2015. We will show how we interpret the present, and prepare the future of farming.

A sustainable and fair future, where the production of high-quality food and clean energy are part of a virtuous cycle based on the use of renewable resources, the respect of the land, and the elimination of wastage.

Sustainability is the future of agriculture; our future; the future of all mankind.