AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES GIVE FARMERS IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD A WAY TO GROW
While digitalization is transforming the sector in advanced economies, farmers in developing countries continue to face decades-old challenges By Anna Ilaria-Mayrhofer and Nicholas K. Smith, OPEC Fund
D
igital technologies have transformed the agriculture sector in ways that
would have been difficult to imagine even a decade ago. Sophisticated satellite technology with remote sensing mapping, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and other means of automation speed up productivity and output. New technologies nearly always carry a high initial price tag and require a high level of expertise to operate. As such, these tools have been historically available only for large-scale farms in developed countries.
Technology access aside, farmers in
developing countries are facing some of the same challenges they faced decades ago: insufficient or unsuitable inputs, lack of technical assistance and training, lack of connectivity to marketplaces and major losses along the entire supply chain, and the lack of affordable finance. The effects of climate change exacerbate the situation, as small farm holdings are less resilient, threatening not only household incomes but broader food security issues. According to the World Bank’s report
“Harvesting Prosperity: Technology and Productivity Growth in Agriculture,” undernourishment affected more than 821 million people as of 2017. Despite these seemingly unsurmountable challenges, the collaboration and innovation of several organizations, NGOs and researchers show some promise in helping farmers from developing areas realize their agricultural potential and optimize their yields. Through a variety of apps, databases, forecasting models, and other digital platforms, today the technological barrier to entry is lower for smallholder farmers, who have greater access to tools once only available in the developed world.
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Our app was created as a knowledge- transfer tool accessible to small- scale farmers in developing countries – even those in remote areas.
Pierre Munzel, PEAT CFO
PHOTO: PEAT GmbH
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