Authors: Josephat Okemwa and Yvonne Gitu
Background to the webinar
Africa’s population is expected to reach about 2.6 billion by 2050, up from the current 1.4 billion. This will require an increase in agricultural and food production by up to 70% to fit the population’s needs, a serious challenge for the agriculture and food systems. Such requirement, in the context of resource scarcity, climate change, COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, soaring food prices, and very harsh socioeconomic conjecture, is difficult to attain without the intervention of emerging technologies and innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) to leapfrog the transformations required in the sector. Therefore, there is a need to advance responsible development, deployment, and scaling of homegrown artificial intelligence research and innovations to tackle pressing challenges in the agriculture and food systems (AFS) in Africa.
The webinar’s presentation focused on the potential of AI to transform the agricultural sector in Africa and demonstrated what has already been done to achieve this objective. The webinar attracted over 65 participants from within and outside Africa. The speaker of the webinar was Prof. Nicholas Ozor (Executive Director, African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)), Nairobi, Kenya. The session was moderated by Dr. Ann Kingiri, Principal Research Fellow and the Director of Research and Innovation at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS).
Key Messages
- STI plays a vital role in supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
- Responsible AI offers innovative pathways for sustainable agriculture and food systems.
- Climate adaption and resilience will be enhanced through the use of AI in agriculture and food systems.
- African research and development environment must be equipped with enabling research infrastructure, policy and regulatory reforms, institutional and financial support to support develop and deploy an inclusive, robust, and ethically responsible AI in AFNS
- Research institutions must form strong synergy with private sector and CSOs to effectively develop, deploy and scale responsible AI systems.
Introduction
Dr. Ozor initiated the discussion by posing several questions to enable the participants to understand and value what Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) can bring to the society, and were as follows; Why is the population of farmers in Africa so high and yet we cannot feed ourselves? Why is Nigeria the leading producer of cassava in the world, but a major importer of starch? Why is it that the trees that produces paper grows freely in Zambia (pines and eucalyptus) but Finland is the world’s leading producer of paper? Why are African leading disease conditions persistent (both in human, crops, and livestock) yet the leading research and treatment is coming from outside Africa? Reflecting on this concerns, Africa’s ability to meet its human welfare needs, participate in the global economy and protect its environment. Evidence has shown that STI led development is key in transforming the society in various aspects including political economy, governance and sustaining development as such, there is a need for Africa to invest in STI and grow its home-grown STI capacity.
Emerging technologies and innovations for agriculture and food systems.
Dr. Ozor highlighted that several diverse technologies and innovations to support agriculture and food system development have been deployed to ensure adequate agriculture food and security in Africa. These technologies range from indigenous technology, mechanical, biological, and biochemical, biotechnological and nanotechnology and has played a key role in sustaining agricultural food systems. More recently, the adoption of Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), Machine learning, Drone technology are now transforming the way we do business in sustaining agriculture and food system. Dr. Ozor reiterated why it’s important not to wait as in the case of the Industrial Revolution but to join the bandwagon of other nations and embrace these emerging technologies. Artificial intelligence is the capacity of a machine to perform cognitive functions that are associated with human minds, such as reasoning, learning, interacting with the environment, solving problems, and even exercising creativity. However, when we talk of AI in agriculture and food systems as an emerging technology, Dr. Ozor noted that it is a technological innovation that can sustain agriculture and food system security on the continent. It is important to promote responsible AI since at times it can be very disruptive. Responsible AI is the practice of designing, developing, and deploying AI that are lawful, ethical, robust, societal and environmentally friendly with good intention to empower people that is gender equitable and social inclusive.
Rationale for Artificial intelligence in agriculture and food systems in Africa
Dr. Ozor highlighted several reasons as to why it’s inevitable to ignore AIin agriculture and food systems in Africa. To start with, the population of Africa is continually growing and is expected to reach about 2.6 billion by 2050 from the current 1. 4 billion people as of May 2023. As such, there is need to produce enough food by up to 70% that will be able to cater out for this population. Also, we embrace and know that there are a lot of challenges that are confronting the agriculture and food systems value chain, including the issue of resource scarcity, climate change, COVID-19 Pandemic, wars and conflicts across the globe, and very harsh socio-economic conjecture. Therefore, interventions by emerging technologies, such as an innovation such as the AI, will help countries leapfrog development in the sector so that we are able to produce smartly and to produce enough that we be able to feed these growing number of people. We no longer need to produce more by expanding the arable land but invest in STI.
Areas where Artificial Intelligence can be applied.
Dr. Ozor indicated that there are several priority areas along the food systems where AI can be applied and aligns with the four components of food security as highlighted by UNCAD (2017) and FAO (2019) namely, availability, access, utilization, and stability. Under food availability, AI can be used to predict crop yields, predict soil management properties, farm management systems such as planting, pests and disease detection, smart mechanization, and livestock surveillance, for instance for monitoring illnesses amongst the livestock injuries or even livestock that are pregnant and in your farm. Under access, AI can help increase supply chain efficiencies in the following areas which include food demand monitoring, supply chain management, food transportation and storage, and inventory management. Underutilization, AI is applied in modern processing techniques where software algorithms for enhancing heating, cooling, milking, smoking, cooking, and drying to ensure high quality and quantity of agri-food products and at the same time avoid overutilization of resources and wastages. Also, it can be used to minimize post-harvest loss because there are tools for preservation, processing, and for safe storage. Under stability, Al can help farmers increase yields and profits without risking the crops or livestock from climate vagaries of weather. AI has been utilized in decision support, in the extension system, and in training, education and knowledge exchange and access to production factors such as land, inputs, capital, and labor. In summary, across all facets of food production, processing, storage, and utilization, you can find a place for AI, it’s just where you want to deploy it.
Dr. Ozor highlighted some of the research and innovation projects their organization are currently carrying out across Africa including a project on monitoring AI tools for smart agriculture in Cape Verde. They are using IoT and AI to develop solutions to increase production level, which will enable farmers to mitigate the impacts of climate change. In Tanzania, they are working to develop a machine learning model for crop, pest and disease diagnosis based on crop imagery data. There is another project in Tanzania looking at enhancing farm-scale crop yield using a prediction tool that can know exactly how much can be produced per unit area through applying metrological data, and satellite data. In Nigeria, they are using AI to enhance production, management and marketing of a popular Vegetable crop called Nsukaa yellow pepper. In Uganda, they are using AI to develop early crop disease detection. In Kenya, they are using AI to develop pest occurrence early warning systems and diagnostic tool development using Geo-information and AI. Another project in Kenya is empowering smallholder farmers, they are using the IoT and AI tools to increase production by monitoring the climate information and advising farmers accordingly. All these projects show that we can develop, deploy, and scale AI tools, innovations, and technologies in the African continent.
Discussion and Conclusions
Dr. Ozor noted that STI policy is the mother of all STI policies. It provides the framework and guidelines for the implementation of some key activities within the sector as such, there is need for countries to include AI in their STI policy. Regarding whether there will be job loss, it has been projected by World Economic Forum by introducing AI, about 85 million jobs will be lost, but on the other hand, about 97million more will be created. Therefore, AI will create opportunities for other smarter, highly skilled jobs to come. On whether AI will ensure gender and social inclusion Dr. Ozor noted in the projects he is implementing; conscious deliberate efforts has been made to ensure that women are not left out and youth because it is only technology that can attract youth into agriculture. Concerns on whether AI has led to the Invasion in rice in Nigeria, Dr. Ozor emphasized that all crops in Africa has the potential for AI to be deployed along the value chain, from production to processing to utilization. As to whether it is good to mix the different technologies, Dr. Ozor noted that the best solution to for a country or community to do a situational analysis to understand what your challenge is and how can you what can be done to resolve this problem. Lastly, it was emphasized that it is time for Africa to develop and scale homegrown AI and the government must be involved to lead through continuous knowledge dissemination, policy and regulations, curriculum reviews, and capacity building.
Recommendations
Strengthening the capacity to develop, deploy and upscale AI in AFNS.
There should be an active drive for data acquisition relevant to Africa’s, environment to ensure just application of data to increase capacity to deploy AI in AFNS. There is need to acquire massive data to be able to train models that will enable us undertake AI research and innovation. There is need to build capacity at individual, institutional and systematic levels e.g. curriculum reforms to support capacity development in AI systems.
Strengthening institutional synergy and collaboration.
There is need for collaboration between and amongst institutions, in government, in research, in the private sector, amongst even farmers and farmer organizations to work together to develop and deploy AI technologies that are responsible.
Increased funding for STI
Funding has always been a problem. Increased investments in agricultural R&D at the continent and national level will support STI. African countries must invest up to 1% of their GDP in R&D would be a better option. Kenya is doing well with 0.8% of their GDP on R&D. Private sector investment is very key to effective development, deployment, and scaling AI development.
Strengthening the STI pro-AI policy in Africa
There is need for African governments to adopt the right policies and create an enabling environment for research and development to even occur. And by this, we are sure that we will join in the League of Nations to say that we are part of developing, deploying, and scaling artificial intelligence for agriculture and food systems in Africa.
Speakers
Prof. Nickolas Ozor holds a double Ph.D. in Agricultural Extension from the University of Nigeria and in International & Rural Development from the University of Reading, United Kingdom. He is currently the Executive Director of the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) in Nairobi, Kenya. He was formerly a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Extension, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Prof. Ozor has led and is currently leading many internationally funded research projects bordering on STI; agriculture and food systems; climate change; policy development, analysis, and advocacy; technology management and transfer; and private sector engagements among others. He is a member of many professional organizations and has published over 120 articles in reputable international peer-reviewed journals and other multimedia channels.
Dr. Ann Kingiri is a Principal Research Fellow and the Director of Research and Innovation at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS). She is also the Secretary General of The African Network for the Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems (AfricaLics – www.africaLics,org). She is a Co-PI in the Trilateral Research Chair in Transformative Innovation (TRCTI), at the University of Johannesburg. More about Dr. Kingiri, see – https://www.acts-net.org/dr-ann-kingiri