Big data is the sure seed for green revolution
By Alberto Leny, September 10, 2019Africa’s biggest annual agriculture meeting ended last Friday in Accra, Ghana as governments grappled with the numerous challenges affecting the sector.
The African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2019 once again appealed to governments to urgently act in favour of agricultural transformation and improve a lot of the continent’s farmers.
Discussions on megatrends driving agrifood transformation in Africa highlighted the urgency of an agricultural transformation if the continent will succeed in its quest to feed itself and better the lives of its people.
Expert diagnosis of these major trends in agri-food systems in Africa has revealed the link between low productivity of land, scarcity of arable land and the lack of agricultural policy and growing demand for food due to changing demographics.
This trend, a panel on the megatrends driving agrifood system transformation at the forum noted, makes Africa largely dependent on food imports.
One key takeaway from AGRF 2019 organised by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), was the lesson that despite recent and rapid advancements in digital technology, significant challenges remain in leveraging of data for agricultural transformation.
Good data can help to shape and inform agrifood systems, guide leadership decisions on crop production and investment and provide clear pictures of food supply and demand.
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Director-General Shenngen Fan informed the forum the key areas that need improvement – underinvestment in Research and Development and infrastructure, with countries often overlooking research in favour of other agricultural developments.
Policy coherence is lacking, while major gaps exist on diets and nutrition. More reliable and credible data is required to guide research-based options and strengthen accountability.
Echoing the words of AGRA’s founding chairman Kofi Annan, the forum declared “without good data, we’re flying blind”.
However, alongside these challenges and uncertainties, clear opportunities exist. For example, it is projected that over 50 per cent of the population of sub-Saharan Africa will have a mobile phone by 2025. This rise in mobile penetration is making it easier to harvest big data and devise inclusive digital solutions.
In governance, data and digitalisation provide opportunities to promote evidence-based leadership. The CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture 2017-2022 is looking at the use of satellite weather data to guide agricultural policies.
The CAADP Biennial Review and the AATS scorecard are helping African governments to assess agricultural performance and drive improvements. The African Continental Free Trade area is another example where data can be applied to inform leadership.
AGRA President Agnes Kalibata is urging African leaders to collectively pursue a model that allows each country to gain from evidence-based competitive advantage.
She notes that most governments are focused on establishing export and import bans when they should be looking for data to distinguish areas of surplus for production from areas of deficit.
Kenya is working to develop a Digital Food Balance Sheet to improve the accuracy of the information on crop deficits and surpluses, Agriculture PS Hammadi Iddi Boga told the forum.
AGRF 2019 has provided vital lessons that will help Kenya chart its agricultural transformation path and give impetus to the food security component of the Big Four agenda. — albertoleny@gmail.com