Yesterday's decision on the renewal of the glysophate license was received warmly by the farming industry but with sceptism amongst environmental organisations.

However,a new Agritech firm the Small Robot Company has added a different slant to the news that the EU has renewed the licence for glysophates.

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The company harnesses the power and precision of robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the way that food is produced and minimise chemical usage.

"While this is a huge concern today, the end is in sight for glysophate pollution. The big problem is blanket application. Unfortunately, if you treat the whole field the same, overuse of chemicals is inevitable. 

But agritech robotics will almost entirely remove the worries around the application of chemicals on our food. The first farmbots are already in trials, and their advent will be transformational. Farms that use robotics will see up to 95% reduction in chemical use. 

"Within 10 years, these concerns - and the disruption this causes - could be over. Robotics is a relatively simple change, but with a radical impact. Our bread - and our insects - will be safe," says Ben Scott-Robinson, co-founder, Small Robot Company.

Agricultural robots also make everyday work in the fields easier. Another robotics company Deepfield say that on the basis of leaf shape, their agricultural robot can autonomously detect and physically obliterate individual weeds in a tenth of a second. With the help of a rod, it gets rid of weeds mechanically, rather than with weed killer. Undesired plants are simply and swiftly rammed into the ground.

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The EU Commission had also taken new technology into account in their decision making saying:

 “Additional information on glyphosate is being published at an exceptionally high rate compared to other active substances. Therefore possibilities of rapid future developments in science and technology should be taken into account when deciding on the length of the approval period of glyphosate”.

The proposal at the EU’s Appeal Committee got 18 votes in favour and nine against, with one abstention, ending months of deadlock.

The Commission says the new five-year licence will be ready before the current one expires on 15 December.