The agricultural sector is a signi?cant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for an estimated 19-29 percent, according to the
With the global population expected to double by 2050 - and the resulting increased demand for food - emissions from agriculture are expected to increase. To counter that trend, what action can be taken to stem the harm to the environment?
Agricultural technologies can reduce environmental damage from food production.
The solution lies in embracing agricultural technology - known as
Soil health technologies are also important for transforming the output of agricultural land for increased food production and soil sequestration. Soil mapping and monitoring enable farmers to apply the appropriate nutrients in the right quantities, leading to enhanced crop productivity and increasing the capacity to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Additionally, through regenerative agricultural practices like cover cropping, reduced tillage, and agroforestry, agtech actively contributes to carbon sequestration.
Other global climate goals also are linked to climate-smart agriculture. Digital technologies for weather forecasting and data-driven analytics can provide farmers with real-time information on rain patterns, crop diseases, and market conditions. As a result, farmers are equipped to make climate- smart decisions, such as adjusting planting schedules, selecting suitable crop varieties, and adopting climate-resilient farming techniques. The AgriBot co-developed by
The AgriBot provides valuable agricultural information to farmers through SMS and social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. Deployed in two Kenyan counties since 2020, the Bot today serves 47,470 farmers with vital information on good agronomic practices, pest management, weather prediction, and insurance as well as linkages to county approved agrodealers and certi?ed seed varieties. The same is being scaled to three other counties in
African farmers - and the environment - benefit from leveraging data to make decisions.
Precision farming involves the application of data collected using drones and sensors to drive precision irrigation and nutrient management. This minimises wastage of resources, prevents pollution from excess chemicals, and decreases the overall carbon footprint of agricultural operations.
CropIn's Smartfarm is a good example of farm monitoring and management solutions that utilise advanced analytics to help farmers geotag their land, digitise their records, and optimise their use of water, fertilisers, and pesticides. The tool also supports the real-time monitoring of crop performance.
So far the initiative has digitalised 10,626 village-based advisors in six countries -
The optimisation of agricultural value chains is critical in advancing food and nutrition su?iciency without increasing the amount of land under cultivation. Technologies like blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) enable better tracking, traceability, and management of agricultural products throughout the value chain. This reduces post-harvest losses, optimises transportation routes, and ensures timely delivery, thereby lowering energy consumption and emissions.
A good example is the deployment of
Yet, even with the transformative nature of the technologies, many remain beyond the reach of a vast majority of smallholder farmers in
Sustained investments in agricultural research and development remain crucial, as has been shown in developed countries, which increased their adoption of agtech by committing 3.25 percent of their GDP compared to only 0.52 percent in developing countries. The increasing disparity in research and development expenditure exacerbates the gap in productivity, thereby rendering the poorest countries incapable of rapid progress.
Nixon Gecheo is a Senior Programme O?icer at
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