[Throw73849]

Or maybe use illegal cheap labour from another country. Something like feudalism, but more modern!

[samwillis]

You joke, but there are a lot of crops that can't easily be machine picked, and probably never will be. Although I'm a proponent for legal safe immigration for sessional work with a route to permanent residency. The lack of legal routes results in unsafe working conditions and modern slavery.

[tuatoru]

I don't know about never. Strawberry picking robots seem to be in the piloting phase (out of the lab, not yet in mass production). Same with harvesting salad greens, and grape picking. Other fruits and vegetables look like just a matter of time and investment.

As we move down the robotics learning curve, prices will fall to the point where investment for designing blackberry pickers or cherry pickers (for example) is affordable.

[ianai]

Ah but now supplemented with a push to legalize child labor in the US.

[samwillis]

Child labour is already legal (to some extent) in agriculture, unfortunately.

[ianai]

And even more often overlooked by those benefiting from it.

[Throw73849]

Why would I joke? People are cheaper than machines.

Edit: "illegal" in terms of work law, minimal salary and safety standards. Legally imported workers are probably even cheaper and easier to exploit!

Until we establish socialism, human labour will always be exploited and cheaper than machines!

[samwillis]

My mistake, I usually assume someone openly proposing illegal immigration, rather than safe legal immigration, as a solution is joking.