Accra, Ghana//-Agriculture still contributes heavily to the gross domestic product (GDP) of many African countries and it employs more than half of the rural population across the continent.
In Ethiopia for instance, agriculture is the backbone of the economy as it employs over 70% of the population. In Ghana, agriculture employs 52% of the workforce and accounts for 17% of the GDP.
In Zambia, agriculture contributes 20% of the GDP and employs 54.8% of the population. This contribution is evident across many African countries.
Despite the positive effect of agriculture across the continent, the sector remains unattractive to young people. Many young Africans move to the urban areas and have no interest in taking up agriculture as a source of livelihood.
The rural population comprising mostly smallholder farmers practices subsistence farming, and for many, there is a lot of uncertainty that comes with farming.
Issues like climate change, lack of technology, illiteracy, and access to opportunities pose a great threat to their source of income.
Many of these farmers, despite their years of farming experience, are faced with the problem of low productivity caused by a combination of adverse climatic conditions and harmful farm practices.
Even though smallholder farmers are faced with the problem of low productivity, they have found it difficult to adopt the technology that will help them scale their farms and remove the uncertainty attached to their means of livelihood.
Innovators have begun to rely on technology such as artificial intelligence, remote sensing, geographic information softwares, virtual reality, drone technology, application programming interface technology and precision technology to provide an accurate measure of rainfall, pest control, soil information, soil productivity, and farm size and productivity potential.
In Africa, there have been innovations to help farmers produce and earn more. Startups like ThriveAgric in Nigeria, Grainpulse in Uganda, Agrocenta in Ghana and Agriprofocus in Tanzania are using technology to improve the capacity of the agriculture sector in Africa.
Despite this potential of technology to change Africa’s agriculture sector, smallholder farmers are faced with the challenge of incorporating technology in their agricultural practices.
To fully understand the perception of stakeholders towards these problems, a research study was carried out to survey youths, smallholder farmers and agriculture technology organisations in 11 countries.
The goal was to understand the lack of interest in agriculture among the youth, the reasons behind low productivity and low technology adoption among smallholder farmers, the barriers to technology adoption and the innovation in agriculture on the continent.
This study surveyed these stakeholders in addition to conducting desktop research on the eleven countries in focus. The research suggests that efforts geared towards providing financial capital, capacity building and access to land will spur the youths’ interest in agriculture.
Smallholder farmers will embrace technology if their capacity is developed and there is affordability in the cost to adopting technology.
Innovation in agriculture will act as a pulling power for every stakeholder in the agriculture sector as it will create opportunities for young people to participate more, increase productivity for smallholder farmers and create a positive economic climate that will benefit businesses greatly.
Perception Of African Youth Towards Agriculture
Youth are a vibrant demographic, and in many countries they make up the largest number in terms of population. Many are unemployed or underemployed, and there is a shift to urban migration because of lack of opportunities in rural areas.
Their perception towards agriculture suggests that lack of funding is the biggest barrier towards their interest in the sector. There is also the need to increase their capacity as many do not have the required knowledge or skills to take advantage of the potential of the agriculture sector.
Access to technology is another challenge for this group, and innovation in the sector will create change in the perception of youth and transform their mindset about the sector.
Agric-Tech Adoption Among Smallholder Engaged In Agriculture
Many smallholder farmers face the challenge of low tech adoption and this creates a circle of low agricultural productivity, hampering their ability to innovate to produce more.
Low technology adoption is also noticeable among young farmers as short messaging service (SMS) technology accounts for the only type of technology employed on farms.
The solution to this is education that relies on introducing farmers to technology and its potential application in the agriculture sector.
Education on innovation in agriculture and its effects on yields and income will motivate farmers to adopt technology in their farming.
Affordability and ease of use of technology is a key factor to consider due to the socioeconomic and literacy conditions of the farmers.
Innovation In Agriculture
Technological innovations have helped smallholder farmers solve many agriculture related issues. The impact of technology is evident in terms of providing information about weather and climate, input supply, smart farming technology and information services.
Other areas where technology has impacted farmers include digital finance, precision farming tools, storage technology and agriculture ecommerce.
Although these areas are still in their infant stages of impact, the farmers have evidence of its usability and potential. Innovation in agriculture will be embraced through a combination of education, information access, and capital.
Strong linkages have to be developed between the smallholder farmers, agric-tech startups, research institutes, international funders, youth and governments for a greater impact of innovation on the sector.
Critical Success Factor Of Technology Solution In The Agriculture Sector
Development of technology and innovative solutions in agriculture will attain a step towards continental popularity if bottlenecks facing business and youth stakeholders can be addressed.
Access to capital, human resource/employment, working capital and regulatory and policy environments has to be addressed to encourage businesses and young people to develop innovative solutions for the agriculture sector.
Solutions developed after bottlenecks have been addressed will be geared towards addressing low productivity, irrigation problems, changing environment, access to finance, access to markets and literacy among farmers.
A combination of innovative solutions and empowered smallholder farmers will create a ripple effect on the economy of many African countries.
Business And Education Stakeholders Are Vital For Agriculture Revamp
These stakeholders such as agribusinesses, agric-tech startups, agriculture research institutes, innovation hubs, agriculture-focused non-profits and indigenous private enterprises will create a development pathway for smallholder farmers and youths.
These organisations are part of vital networks of farmers on the continent, and are the first step towards introducing any technology or innovation to the farmers.
Due to their track record, confidence and trust has been developed and they serve as the ears and eyes of many smallholder farmers.
Trust is vital towards encouraging smallholder farmers to adopt new technology, and the business and education stakeholders have gained the trust of farmers as a result of years of working in the local communities.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Food insecurity in the continent continues to grow at a disturbing rate. Smallholder famers on the continent have limited access to improved farming techniques, markets, and inputs.
Africa’s young population is a key determinant in supporting the food security issues the continent faces. This research clearly shows that young people have a keen interest in agriculture, understand the importance of technology and are considering working in the sector.
The challenges and barriers they face are herculean, from lack of access to land, adequate skills set, sustainable financing and access to markets that ensure a fair price.
The recommendations proffered are not exhaustive and consider existing programmes by Heifer International. A review of existing programmes targeted at smallholder farmers and youths must be conducted to determine if the current strategies support the African farmer with the use of technology. Innovation must be viewed within the context of the current realities.
Beyond a smart app, providing linkages to local and regional markets will go a long way in improving the financial bottom-line of every farmer.
Digital literacy must be a key consideration. Smallholder farmers in rural areas will not have access to smartphones or internet access.
However a basic phone is a good starting point in introducing the use of technology, through weekly SMS on prevailing market prices and best input bargains.
Youths with a keen interest in agric-tech must work collaboratively with smallholder farmers to get a better understanding of their challenges and how to provide sustainable and affordable solutions.
There is a need to capture data to provide evidence-based results on the immediate benefit and long term impact of the use of technology by smallholder farmers.
The importance of training and mentoring programmes was strongly echoed. The importance of hand-holding young farmers is critical to their success.
Training programmes must include exchange programmes, internships, and mentoring. Mentors with agriculture and business start-up experience must be engaged to support youth programmes in a structured and measurable manner.
Stakeholder engagement with governments to provide access to land, tax waivers and fiscal policies that deliberately support youths in the sector should be a component of every programme. Youths who took part in the focus group discussions stressed their lack of access to markets to sell their produce.
The importance of creating a bespoke-country specific marketplace, both virtual and physical where farmers and off takers can connect is important.
Online branding and marketing communications are key. Establishing a digital presence on social media in order to aid marketing across various locations is an important step which can support product sales.
Access to opportunities which drives innovation is key in motivating youths’ involvement in Agric-Tech. Sustainable opportunities such as competitions which reward participants with the means to carry technological innovations are important for youths interested in agric-tech and smallholder farmers.
This research emphasises the need for in-depth data collection on smallholder farmers in Africa. This will aid evidence-based innovation localised for their use.
Creating an agric-tech solution in itself is an end to a means, but a careful process test-run before full adoption is quite important. Innovation in agriculture will drive growth in African countries.
Encouraging innovation by supporting programmes geared towards accelerating agric-tech startups, youth-owned agriculture businesses, and other business stakeholders along the agriculture value chain will serve as a catalyst for economic development in Africa.
Curled from The Future of Africa’s Agriculture – An Assessment of the Role of Youth and Technology 2021
