A new report has charted the听听future for Africa鈥檚 food systems 鈥� use of digital technologies.
According to the 2023听Africa Agriculture Status Report, 鈥�,鈥� digital technologies will be key in addressing the three persistent problems in Africa鈥檚 agricultural industry 鈥� inefficiency, exclusivity, and unsustainability.
The report is by AGRA (Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa 鈥� an Africa-led organisation that seeks to catalyze agriculture transformation on the continent through innovation.
There is already evidence that Africa鈥檚 agriculture is on the way to becoming more efficient, inclusive and sustainable, the report听observes.
But, in spite of the technological gains, food insecurity is worsening in Africa as chronic undernourishment increases and numerous countries face acute food shortage triggered by a combination of factors, including the听听Ukraine crisis and climate change.
The report itself aptly captures this situation. In 2022, for instance, the prevalence of under-nutrition in Africa was 19.7听per cent, a slight increase from 2021, the report shows.听
In 2022, the prevalence of hunger also rose across Africa with hunger increasing from 22.2听per cent to 22.5听per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, which translates into 9听million more people experiencing hunger compared to 2021, adds the report.听
Citing the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAF), Market Data Insight for Actionable Strategy (FSIN), and Oxfam International, the report says the prevalence of under-nutrition in North Africa rose from 6.9听per cent to 7.5听per cent with nearly 2听million more people facing hunger in 2022.听
The nature of food systems in the region, it notes, is characterized by underdeveloped markets and is driven primarily by smallholder farmers who operate on small and fragmented farms.听
How can this be?听
Experts from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPR) pointed to underdeveloped markets and the struggles of 鈥渟mallholder farmers who operate on small and fragmented farms.鈥�
The good news is these experts already see evidence of digitalization鈥檚 positive impact on the efficiency, inclusiveness and sustainability of African agribusinesses.
The launch of this report before some 5,400 delegates from over 90 countries gathered for the 2023听, themed听鈥淩ecover, Regenerate, Act鈥�听in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, offered some hope to Africa.
It took place against the backdrop of extreme weather events, recurring crop disease, inadequate infrastructure and policies, risk averse investors and ongoing conflicts, which have disrupted food and energy markets.听
Forum participants acknowledged the continent鈥檚 current status, but they refused to accept it as the status quo.听
Instead, they resolved to 鈥渉arness Africa鈥檚 potential鈥� by engaging youth in sustainable food production; adopting regenerative farming methods at local levels; collaborating across borders, sharing good practices and pooling resources to lift up smallholder farmers.听
They also agreed to improve soil health, grow more nutritious crops, and include women and marginalized communities in all these efforts.听
To support all these, countries are to pursue innovative financing strategies and embrace 鈥渄igital technologies, e-commerce and innovative market platforms.鈥�
- C么te d鈥橧voire听launched its 鈥淒igital Solutions Program for e-Agriculture,鈥� and the World Bank helped to support the country鈥檚 online agricultural platform that shares good farming practices with remote producers.听
- Kenya听worked with UNDP to create a digital literacy program where farmers are learning how to access agricultural data, weather forecasts and market data through their smartphones.
- Rwanda听has begun digitalizing parts of its agriculture sector, such as advisory services for farmers. The government also developed the听E-Soko听platform, which publishes market data online so that farmers can get fair prices for their produce.听
- Still in听Rwanda, the Bank of Kigali digitalized the supply chain management of the government鈥檚 subsidy program in cooperation with the Rwanda Agriculture Board.
- South Africa听has focused on precision agriculture, which incorporates drones, artificial intelligence, and remote sensors to monitor crop conditions, all to increase crop yields and use resources more efficiently.听
- Legume planters in听Tanzania, rice growers in听Nigeria听and farmers in听Ghana听and听Niger听have all leveraged information and communications technologies to improve their livelihoods and transition to more sustainable techniques.
Digitalization supports larger goals and aspirations
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its report,听, defines digitalization as 鈥渢he use of digital technologies and data as well as interconnection that results in new or changes to existing activities鈥� in, say, food systems.听
Digital technologies and related products and services can transform production, management, and governance systems.
听By 鈥済oing digital,鈥� Africa can align its food systems with听SDG 2: Zero Hunger, to achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Digitalization also resonates with the听, which aspires to 鈥渁 prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development 鈥� underpinned by science, technology and innovation,鈥� with 鈥渉ealthy and well-nourished citizens鈥� and 鈥渕odern agriculture for increased proactivity and production.鈥�
Electricity to power agricultural change
To power digital transformation, the continent requires cheap, adequate and reliable energy. Africa鈥檚 energy paradox 鈥� scarcity amid plenty 鈥� poses a different challenge to digitalizing its food systems.听
In its听, the African Development Bank reported that, to deliver electricity to the nearly 1.3 billion Africans, some 645 million of whom are off the grid, the continent needs investments of $32鈥�$40 billion annually in the energy value chain.
Without universal access to electricity, the rollout of digital innovations in agriculture across Africa has been uneven. Even so, many countries are making progress.
In the 2023听Africa Agriculture Status Report, the听IFPR experts pointed out some success stories, where smallholder farmers were already accessing real-time pricing information, conducting secure financial transactions and linking to other members of their value chain.
