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.
The Date Palm Innovation Platform is a collaborative work is a platform for research, technology and innovation for the integrated production system of the Date Palm. The platform has been developed by the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Cotton, a major crop worldwide, is harvested in mechanized production systems once at the end of the growing season. To facilitate harvest and maximize fiber quality, the plants are typically defoliated when about 60% of the cotton bolls are open. Due to non-uniform maturation, the bolls that have opened early expose their fiber to weather until harvest, commonly for weeks, degrading fiber quality. Furthermore, high capacity harvesting machines are heavy, potentially compacting the soil that in turn reduces hydraulic conductivity in the wheel tracks and reducing yield.
Climate change is threatening development gains and intensifying global inequities—putting peace and important gains in human well-being at risk.
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.
Providing farmers with essential agricultural information and training in the era of COVID-19 has been a challenge that has prompted a renewed interest in digital extension services. There is a distinct gender gap, however, between men’s and women’s access to, use of, and ability to benefit from information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Livestock have strong empowerment potential, particularly for women. They offer millions of women in the Global South the opportunity to provide protein-rich foods for home consumption and sale. Livestock provide women with income and opportunities to expand their livelihood portfolios and can strengthen women’s decision-making power. Fully realizing livestock’s empowerment potential for women is necessary for sustainable livestock development. It requires, though, that gender-equitable dynamics and norms are supported in rural communities.
La publicación “Guía para el fortalecimiento de las capacidades funcionales para la innovación en la agricultura” fue desarollada por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO) y el Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA) con el apoyo de la Red Latinoamericana de Servicios de Extensión Rural (RELASER) y la Plataforma de Agricultura Tropical (TAP). El propósito de esta guía es contribuir al desarrollo de las capacidades funcionales entre individuos y organizaciones que apoyan la innovación en América Latina.
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.