General operating regulations on the use of drones for agriculture

Drones are an emerging and rapidly expanding technology all over the world, that has demonstrated its benefits for the agrifood systems. These include monitoring (vegetation indices among others), rapid action and evaluation of situations, possibility of carrying out precision agriculture strategies and automation of processes among other things.

As in many cases the emergence of new technologies, or the new way of doing things, disturbs the ruled routine, the upscaling of the drones in agriculture, forestry management, emergency and other operations may require changes in the existing regulatory frameworks to ensure adequate equitable access to the technology and its safe use and to promote a healthy and appropriate expansion that can help achieve sustainable outcomes.

Yet, the regulatory landscape for drones' use vary considerably around the globe. The different realities in the field generate particularities that need to be addressed in the design of this regulatory framework, starting with the particularities of operating drones in a rural environment compared to other more urban environments.

While some countries, like the European Union member states through the European Union Aviation Safety Agency(EASA), China through the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) or Japan through the Ministry of Land2,Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) do have established a regulatory framework in this field. Other countries of the world, however, appear to lag behind in providing a conducive regulatory climate for the use of drones in agriculture. The purpose of this discussion is to gather opinions and previous experiences on the ground to understand what could be the collaborative mechanisms that could lead to the establishment of this inclusive and healthy regulation adequate to the current realities of the field.

Key questions in this context are:

• What are the most common policy issues regarding the flight of drones for agriculture in countries where it already exists?
• What are the risks of not having an adapted regulatory framework: over or under regulated spaces?

Which mechanisms and stakeholders to be involved in collaboration with policymakers in the countries could promote the establishment of an adapted regulatory framework? How can the real use in the field by early adopters contribute?

Relevant Content:

• Use of drones for early detection, surveillance, and outbreak management of animal diseases
• E-agriculture in action: Drones for agriculture
• FAO supports the Use of Drones in Agriculture in Grenada
• Ethiopia: Training of trainers on the Application of Drone Technologies for Agriculture and Water Resource Management

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