Challenge: how to digitise smallholder farming
Despite engaging around half of Africa's working population, the agricultural sector is not producing enough to effectively address food insecurity on the continent. That could all change, if African governments find a way to successfully integrate digital technology into farming, according to NAI's researcher Emmanuel Orkoh. Photo: World Bank
The agrarian sector in Africa is lagging far behind other economic sectors when it comes to adopting digital technology. Digital apps for supporting food production, combined with advanced tools such as robots and drones, could be instrumental for addressing Africa’s food security challenge, according to NAI’s researcher Emmanuel Orkoh.
Currently however, the digital economy is in effect pulling workers, particularly the young, away from farming towards the services and manufacturing sectors.
“African governments need to invest in both education and infrastructure in order to turn this trend around. The adoption rate of digital apps among farmers is low due both to a lack of skills and high costs for data usage. In addition, states must support acquisitions of robots and drones to further increase production levels,” Orkoh says.