Question 1

Question 1. What are the potential entry points for government to address challenges and foster the development of digital agriculture?

Proposed information for the concept note - The challenges that face our global food and agricultural system are enormous and some entry points that government have to address are:

Inadequate access to information: often, there is insufficient access to information and, in particular, to technical and not-technical knowledge of the agri-tech industry.
Inadequate digital literacy and new skills development: labour is not yet competitive in a world where digital technologies are able to replace human labour.
Inadequate access to financial resources: especially in poor and rural areas, these dynamics are worsened by the higher difficulty in accessing financing to obtain the initial investments needed to adopt digital solutions.
Inadequate infrastructures: the impossibility of relying on proper infrastructures undermines the diffusion and the benefits of any sort of innovation or technological development.
Inadequate support by the innovation system: digitalization in agriculture is also obstructed by the absence (or the inadequate awareness) of supporting elements such as policies, standards and regulatory frameworks.
The increase of socio-economic divides between developing and developed countries.

Digital divide: gap between demographics and regions with access to modern ICTs and those that do not have access;

Gender divide: gap between genders in access to technologies;
Geography divide: gap between different geographical areas.

Lack of investments in non-developed countries: Private sector organizations that are commercializing the latest technologies are often hesitant to begin working in countries that do not ensure sufficient levels of intellectual property (IP) and property protection.
Low affordability of new solutions: if not well regulated and managed, the development of new technologies and innovation will increasingly exclude the poorest because of their high costs of adoption, especially when it comes to ICT services.
Trust of information: the increasing number of digital platforms which make information available to actors of the agri-tech value chain (farmers in the first place) present issues of trust of the information source, as well as on the quality of the information provided, due to the underlying interests of the information provider .
Data ownership: it is not always clear how information gathered from farming and in-field activities by digital tools and technologies are used by technology providers or other actors.

Further guiding questions related to Q1 for your consideration:-

Do you think the global challenges highlighted are conclusive?
According to you, what should be added or removed?

Post your comment

Emmanuel NwiteNational agricultural Seeds CouncilNigeria

21.10.2019

The potential entry point for government in addressing the challenges and foster development of digital agriculture will includes the following:

1.In African,greater percentages of those practicing agriculture is inadequately trained or untrained,let alone in digital agriculture. Government have to sincerely harness people of interest and not money dependent political officcials.

2.Many remote areas where Agriculture is practiced lack access to networks and that can affect the use of GPS gadgets. Government have to finance the availability of network in the rural areas.

3.Government have to provide an enabling environment ranging from good polices,laws and allow for private participation.

Jean Claude NdayambajeDigital Opportunity Trust (DOT Rwanda)Rwanda

21.10.2019

Bring the Youth and the center and enable them to own the process

Thembani MalapelaFood and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsItaly

24.10.2019

How can the youth be brought on board? Their representation ?

Fostina ManiBetta GrainsKenya

23.10.2019

Governments need to update their existing website and provide up to date current information on their website.
Governments need to make it very clear to their staff that research information on agricultural development does not belong to the individual staff members but belongs to the citizens of those countries, therefore such information must be made accessible to the public in a timely manner and efficient manner.
Many Government signed and agreed on Open Data Portal for purposes of making information access to the public. Many Government continue to not avail or update agricultural data and information which is essential for the citizens and other in making information discussion in agricultural production and trade.

Saripalli suryanarayanaProfessional Engineer-Administrator-40 years experience-water,irrigation and infrastructure Projects conceptulationIndia

23.10.2019

A serious need is village officers needs to be trained in to the technologies,and deliver same to the agriculture community.

2.Start a tab-in smart phone,and let the regional connectivity,digital/video/radio connectivity-interactive to e established.

3.Insurance companies needs to be linked to the owner/or land holder along with their Adahar or social security number.

4.Village development officers shall be able to byepass the immediate bosses when needed.

5.In put materials needs to be inside roofed buildings,having-silos,bins etc.Modernise the age old systems for people to use.[Bins-silos were in every house at least 70 years back]

James WireConsultantUganda

24.10.2019

Most governments in the developing countries tend to move slow on new technologies. Take the case of drone technology and the rigid processes entailed in their importation. There is a big scare in line with security and this has rustrated innovators.

There is a need to relax this.

Harish JanaWater Technology CentreIndia

25.10.2019

the basic requirements for the farmer :

1) Best quality of seeds

2) Fertilizers/Bio fertilizers

3) Agrometeorological services for remote areas (for controlling major loss during folds or dry spell)

4) Marketing services

Above mentioned four (4) services addressed by the government by direct or indirect it helps to foster the development of digital agriculture.

The digital agriculture can also help to farmers related new schemes, subsidy or technology

Gullapalli Koteswara Raoviswamatha farmsIndia

26.10.2019

The land holdings in developing countries like India is very small.Networking of small holding farmers to increase the acarage as single large piece of land by FPO's & NGO's is essential.Governmnt should focus on it to develop Digital Agriculture.
Latest technologis which are suitable for the small farm lands are Drones & Robots .These technologies should be promted and utilized.
There should be a separate individual polisy to encourage Digital agriculture by the Governments and it should be govern byAgriculture research institutions, Agricuture Machinery manufactures,Progressive farmers.
Government should allocate sufficient funds to develop innovative technologies which are suitable to small & Marginal farmers.
In order to reduce Suicidal deaths in the farming sector, the governmnt should provide farm inputs,Machinery, loans at lower interest rates with minimal documentation and also provide Minimum support price by establishing digital Agri markets and make sure that digital markets are implementing with out fail.The Digital markets to be audited for fair practices.

Dele RaheemArctic Centre, University of LaplandFinland

28.10.2019

The challenges are definitely inconclusive.... As an on-going initiative that seek inputs from stakeholders, the needs for different communities are expected to change over time. An important aspect for the council will be to effectively liaise with national governments to build their "analog infrastructures" that will support the envisaged digital solutions in the new 'Digital Council for Food and Agriculture'. How close the operations of the Council be to the end users will be crucial in its delivery.

David DionFAOTunisia

01.11.2019

The private sector has been eager to step up and provide innovations when the appropriate conditions are in place. Where governments can be most effective is in supporting a regulatory environment that encourages the sharing of information and the development of digital infrastructure, in particular in rural areas. It is costly to provide the core infrastructure components, such as the telecommunications networks and the central hosting or cloud services and the government could step in, perhaps in partnership with private sector actors, to facilitate and accelerate the building of this infrastructure.

Another area where governments can provide an important imput is in training. From technical colleges to universities, high schools to extension services, it is crucial to build a cadre of digitally skilled advocates to spread the knowledge and the mentality of digital transformation.