The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series Automation of US Agriculture || Peter Zeihan
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Sep 4, 2025 Discover how U.S. agriculture is at the forefront of automation, shifting from manual labor to cutting-edge technology. Delve into the challenges faced in automating various sectors and the consequences this transformation may have on pricing and labor dynamics. It's a fascinating look at the future of farming and its implications for the workforce!
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U.S. Agriculture Already Highly Automated
- U.S. agriculture is already highly automated compared with other sectors and past eras.
- Modern combines, planters, elevators, and mills perform most field and processing tasks with minimal human labor.
Farmers Supervise GPS-Driven Machinery
- Modern farm equipment uses GPS and advanced controls so operators largely supervise rather than manually drive.
- Farmers intervene when systems fail, but routine planting and harvesting follow programmed patterns.
Meat And Produce Remain Hard To Automate
- Higher-value areas like meat and produce remain labor intensive because each item varies and requires eyes and fingers.
- Automation reduced some labor during COVID but only shaved maybe 5–15% off manpower in meat processing.