Assessing or understanding the agriculture innovation system (AIS) is an essential step to better understand the needs, new skills and functions needed by the actors and the system. To accelerate the uptake of innovation and progress towards eradicating poverty, there is an urgent need for well-coordinated, demand-driven, and market-oriented information, knowledge, technologies and services.
Agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) has brought new changes to agricultural production. It not only increases agricultural output but can also effectively improve the quality of agricultural products, reduce labor costs, increase farmers' income, and truly realize agricultural modernization and intelligence. This paper systematically summarizes the research status of agricultural IoT. Firstly, the current situation of agricultural IoT is illustrated and its system architecture is summarized. Then, the five key technologies of agricultural IoT are discussed in detail.
Droughts are causing severe damages to tropical countries worldwide. Although water abundant, their resilience to water shortages during dry periods is often low. As there is little knowledge about tropical drought characteristics, reliable methodologies to evaluate drought risk in data scarce tropical regions are needed.
The Digital Innovation Strategy (DIS) of the Regional Office for Africa (RAF) of FAO has been prepared to respond to critical challenges facing inclusive and sustainable agrifood system transformation in sub-Saharan Africa. It is enshrined in the new Strategic framework 2022–2030 that aims to accelerate the "transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind".
Digitization in agriculture is rapidly advancing further on. New technologies and solutions were developed and get invented which ease farmers’ daily life, help them and their partners to gain knowledge about farming processes and environmental interrelations. This knowledge leads to better decisions and contributes to increased farm productivity, resource efficiency, and environmental health. Along with numerous advantages, some negative aspects and dependencies risk seamless workflow of agricultural production.
This article extends social science research on big data and data platforms through a focus on agriculture, which has received relatively less attention than other sectors like health. In this paper, I use a responsible innovation framework to move attention to the social and ethical dimensions of big data “upstream,” to decision-making in the very selection of agricultural data and the building of its infrastructures.
In Nepal, the Plantwise programme, in collaboration with International Development Enterprises (iDE), has established networks of locally owned plant clinics, run by community business facilitators (CBFs) trained as plant doctors, who provide practical plant health advice. This study examines how gender is integrated into this programme in three purposively selected study districts. It presents the experiences of farmers, the challenges they faced in accessing plant health services through a gender and social inclusion lens.
ICARDA scientists along with CGIAR LIVESTOCK developed a cloud-based genetic database platform to boost breed improvement programs in community-based livestock breeding programs in Ethiopia.
Accurate and operational indicators of the start of growing season (SOS) are critical for crop modeling, famine early warning, and agricultural management in the developing world. Erroneous SOS estimates–late, or early, relative to actual planting dates–can lead to inaccurate crop production and food-availability forecasts. Adapting rainfed agriculture to climate change requires improved harmonization of planting with the onset of rains, and the rising ubiquity of mobile phones in east Africa enables real-time monitoring of this important agricultural decision.
This study aims to clarify the Japanese characteristics of the spread of smart agriculture utilizing digital technology, which is expected to spread worldwide, and to provide policy implications for further dissemination of the technology. We conducted a questionnaire survey on actual conditions related to smart agriculture on Japanese farms. We have also proposed creation of a Smart Agricultural Kaizen Level (SAKL) technology map by applying the evaluation method used in management technology theory for the manufacturing industry.