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Tech-led innovations steer next wave of agriculture revolution

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The agriculture industry is facing several pressing concerns, including extreme vulnerability to climate change, labor shortages, inefficient agri-food system, and evolving consumer preferences for transparency and sustainability.

In this context, innovations in technology are driving the next wave of revolution in agriculture, paving the way for more sustainable, efficient, and resilient agricultural practices, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Kiran Raj, Practice Head of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData, comments: “Emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, IoT, robotics, data analytics, and connected sensors continue to shape the innovation trajectory in agriculture. However, these advances will require all the industry players to collaborate to unlock the new pockets of value in terms of enhanced productivity, improved efficiency, and greater sustainability.”

Shagun Sachdeva, Project Manager of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData, comments: “Supply-chain disruptions resulting from COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war accentuated the necessity of widespread digitization and responsible innovation in the agriculture industry. Smart agriculture practices in terms of exploring smart crop varieties, discovering novel genetic features, and advanced digital farming solutions renewed a sense of optimism. Signals from all angles right from policy-makers, investors, technology companies, to researchers suggest that there will be growing momentum behind the shift toward agriculture 4.0.”

The Innovation Explorer database of GlobalData’s Disruptor Intelligence Center reveals some of the key innovation areas in agriculture to obtain higher yields, lower costs, and improved sustainability.

Agrivoltaics – Regenarative Agriculture

Agrivoltaics is  food–energy–water nexus (FEW) that involves crops cultivation beneath solar panels, simultaneously utilizing land for both agriculture and energy production. Agrivoltaics farming offers potential benefits in terms of increasing renewable energy production, increasing sustainable food productions, and preserving land and water resources. In November 2022, Mirai Solar developed PV shade screen to be used in areas with high solar radiation levels to protect plants from excessive sunlight while generating electricity. In May 2022, Unilever formed a regenerative-agriculture investment fund worth $103.9 million.

Smart Monitoring Technology

Whether its drone farming or IoT sensors and chips, smart monitoring technology solutions offer a variety of ways to farmers to improve the observation and care of crops and livestock in a cost-effective manner. In February 2023, SLT-Mobitel Enterprise introduced the Fazenda Smart Agro solution in Sri-Lanka by integrating IoT and AI-based technology. In 2022, Bayer’s Crop Protection Innovation Lab developed an IoT device ‘Digital Yellow Trap’, which alerts farmers of threats in their fields.

Agrobots

An agrobot is an autonomous robot designed to assist with farming tasks, reducing the need for manual labor and increasing productivity. In FIRA 2023 (International Forum for Agricultural Robotics) three different agrobots debuted. Exxact robotics introduced “Traxx Concept H2 prototype”, which was powered by hydrogen fuel cell.

 Smart greenhouses

Agritech companies are investing in IoT-based greenhouse automation for plant growth monitoring to minimize human intervention. Companies are recruiting automation specialists in the field of data management and robotics, as well as farming experts to track crop health. In April 2022, The Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO)-10  launched P100-M smart greenhouse in the Phillipines.

Algae-based carbon capture technology

 Algae-based bioenergy production is seen as a growing trend. As the technology advances and more algae-based products become available, algae will be the spotlight crop of the future as it can be cultivated on marginal lands, and in water that is unsuitable for traditional farming, and the ecological impact of algae cultivation on the environment is much lower than other crops. In April 2022, Brilliant Planet announced its plan around economic, gigaton-scale carbon capture using algae.

Sachdeva concludes: “With the current scale of investments in smart agritech, it is safe to say that technology is making meaningful crontribution to agriculture and allied industries such as finance and insurance , and it will go a long way in transforming these industries. To handle several disruptive forces successfully, the industry will need to redesign business models, realign the traditional roles, and create co-investment opportunities for private, public, and philanthropic sectors to finance sustainable and commercially viable solutions in agriculture’s tech-driven future.”

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Bayer, Kimitec partner to boost crop protection

In the Biospray project, ARA proved its potential for Sustainable and Non-Selective Herbicide & Pesticide Use in Agriculture.

Bayer, Kimitec partner to boost crop protection

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Bayer and Kimitec are entering into a strategic partnership to accelerate the development and commercialization of biological solutions for agriculture. 

On the one hand, this involves crop protection products that combat pests, diseases and weeds and, on the other hand, biostimulants that promote plant growth.

With the MAAVi Innovation Center, Kimitec operates Europe’s largest biotechnological innovation center, which has been researching and developing natural molecules and compounds for the agricultural and food industry for 15 years. 

Combining Bayer’s product development expertise with Kimitec’s research capabilities will accelerate the development of biological products. This also includes the development of integrated plant management solutions that can be further developed and scaled using Bayer’s global infrastructure. This includes field testing, product support and marketing.

“Bayer wants to support farmers with the benefits of biological solutions as part of an integrated system that includes our leading crop traits, crop protection products and digital solutions,” says Dr. Robert Reiter, Head of Research and Development at Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “Every farmer can benefit from biologics – from seed treatment to pest control. Bayer is working on networked solutions to offer farmers more flexibility and thus added value.”

With the agreement, Kimitec will be a key partner in advancing Bayer’s biologics pipeline. As a global leader in biologics discovery and development, Kimitec will provide its expertise and breakthrough technology through its MAAVi Innovation Center. This also includes an artificial intelligence platform, which means that results can be achieved even faster.

“Our collaboration with Kimitec gives us a unique opportunity to develop innovative biological solutions even faster. Together we share the vision of bringing new, effective, safe and at the same time sustainable products onto the market,” says Benoit Hartmann, Head of Biologics at Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “The partnership with Kimitec is an example of how Bayer leverages its network with various strategic partners to support farmers with the next generation of biologics.”

The biologics market is estimated to grow to nearly €25 billion by 2028 1 . Consumers are increasingly asking for foods with low or no residues. At the same time, the purchasing standards in food retailing are causing farmers to look into new options in crop protection. 

Since 2007, Kimitec has been developing biologics that are effective alternatives and complements to synthetic crop protection. This fits with Bayer’s strategy to offer farmers the best solutions – by combining future and existing technologies.

“Kimitec started 15 years ago with a clear vision to change the way food is produced. Our agreement with Bayer will help us get closer to that goal. This allows us to expand our global footprint and make our technology available to millions of farmers,” explains Félix García, CEO of Kimitec.

 “As a world leader in the development and production of biological solutions, Kimitec offers farmers natural and sustainable products without compromising on efficacy and productivity. The agreement is closely related to our 360 Open Innovation strategy, where we partner with the world’s leading innovators to create meaningful and sustainable solutions for farmers, consumers and the environment.”

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I-SPRAY: The future looks bright with KUHN

In the Biospray project, ARA proved its potential for Sustainable and Non-Selective Herbicide & Pesticide Use in Agriculture.

In the Biospray project, ARA proved its potential for Sustainable and Non-Selective Herbicide & Pesticide Use in Agriculture.

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For over 50 years, spraying has been widely used in agriculture for almost all crop care operations to eliminate weeds, boost crop growth and treat infection/infestation.

As farmer’s demands grew for even better spraying efficiency, complex synthetic molecules were developed to selectively target weeds without harming crops.

Unfortunately, they degrade into toxic residues and remain in the crop and soil. Their intensive use has led to polluted soil and water, loss of biodiversity, and a reduction in soil fertility.

Biocontrol products can offer a solution to these issues. They are derived from natural ingredients (such as vinegar and geranium) and offer effective crop treatment.

These simpler molecules are assumed to be highly effective herbicides and pesticides, to degrade totally (so don’t remain in the soil/environment) and to require less energy to produce (reducing the CO2 footprint).

“For example, ‘natural’ herbicides can be used to treat weeds but can also harm the crops if they were broadly sprayed so they are best delivered by an ultra-high precision sprayer which targets individual plants (spraying only weeds but not crops)”, explains Steve Tanner, CTO Ecorobotix. The products can be used both in conventional farming and bio/organic farming.  However, formal homologation of these biocontrol products is still ongoing for use in organic/bio farming.

The EU-funded agROBOfood project has supported the Biospray industrial challenge project to adapt Ecorobotix’s ultra-high precision technology to meet the needs of biocontrol applications and to conduct field trials for three types of applications.

The ARA Precision Sprayer is a revolutionary ultra-high precision sprayer with an ability to treat plant-by-plant with an unprecedented accuracy of 6×6 cm and a breakthrough in targeted herbicide delivery.

ARA’s technology can accurately detect, classify, and spray only individual weeds (avoiding surrounding soil and crops), thanks to its AI based plant recognition capability and ultra-high precision (UHP). Ecorobotix’s UHP-spraying solution is radically different from conventional and spot-spraying herbicide application, making it more efficient and more cost-effective solution which can be used for both selective and non-selective herbicides.

Sugar beet was selected as the crop for the trials because few chemical synthetic herbicidal active ingredients are available today and further reductions are expected in the coming years. Therefore, the Biospray project targeted three crop care applications in sugar beet: selective application of pelargonic acid (organic herbicide), azadirachtin and spintor (two organic insecticides).

The field test results across two seasons showed satisfactory weeding results and a reduction of insecticide use.  Furthermore, herbicide savings of ~70-95% can be made using ARA’s Ultra-High Precision Sprayer. More agronomic tests are needed to validate the exact efficiency of these new biocontrol products and fine-tune machine performance for this use-case.

Although the project started with AVO, an autonomous robot with ultra-high precision spot spraying technology, a change has been made which led to the development of the ARA ultra-high precision sprayer, which is 3x the size of AVO and is towed behind a tractor.

“With ARA, AVO’s spot spraying technology has been improved with higher precision and faster speed of operation.  A towed sprayer is also easier for farmers to use and more economical.” explains Steve Tanner.

In summary, ARA’s Ultra-High Precision Sprayer is the future of sustainable selective and non-selective herbicide application and is a game-changer for the agricultural industry. Its ultra-high precision technology, combined with its ability to detect, classify and spray individual weeds, reduces costs and enhances sustainability.

The Biospray project has proven its potential, and we are excited to continue working towards the goal of efficient, environmental-friendly and sustainable crop protection solutions.

Please note that ARA is commercially available and in use across the EU.

About agROBOfood

AgROBOfood builds a pan-European network of Digital Innovation Hubs that stimulates effective adoption and development of robotic solutions in the European agri-food sector and it accelerates digital transformation to make the European agri-food sector more efficient and competitive.

Learn more at https://agrobofood.eu

About Ecorobotix

Ecorobotix was founded to radically change agriculture for the better by respecting the environment and reducing chemical use, soil impact, water use, and energy use. Ecorobotix provides a revolutionary plant-by-plant data solution and ultra-high precision crop treatment that reduces chemical use (herbicides, pesticides, liquid fertilizers) by ~80-95%, while increasing crop yields by ~5+% and massively reducing the CO2 footprint of traditional agriculture.

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I-SPRAY: The future looks bright with KUHN

New Herbicide GUSS sprayer to be available at select John Deere dealer locations

Six reasons to bring millets to the market

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Rich in heritage and full of potential, millets are a sustainable, nutritious and under-valued food source. In this article we look at six reasons to bring millets to the market.

1. Millets are there when others are not

There is an ever-growing global population that needs sufficient and healthy food amidst climate emergencies and depleting natural resources. Millets can be part of the solution. These grains can survive harsh climate conditions, offering solutions to food scarcity.

Because they are often the only crops that can be harvested in dry seasons, millets can be a vital food source for populations vulnerable to food insecurity.

Not only do millets provide essential nutrients important for a healthy diet, they are also climate-resilient and require minimal inputs and maintenance to grow, favorable qualities for small-scale farmers.
2. Millets can contribute to a healthy diet

Millets provide antioxidants, minerals and protein. As whole grains, each millet variety also offers different types and amounts of fibre, which play a role in regulating bowel function, blood sugar and lipids.

Furthermore, millets are gluten-free with a low-glycaemic index making them a great food option for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, high-blood sugar or diabetes. They can also be a cost-effective source of iron. Incorporating millets in our diets can provide us with nutritious and healthy alternatives to the usual refined grains in the global market. Start exploring some millet recipes, such as this finger millet pancakes option, to revamp your diet!

3. Millets are climate-resilient

Millets are resistant to drought and tolerant to crop diseases and pests, allowing them to survive in adverse climatic conditions.

Because millets can be grown with minimal inputs and maintenance and can adapt to climate shocks, expanding production of millets can transform local agrifood systems to be more efficient, resilient and inclusive.  The ability of millets to grow in poor, degraded soils can also provide land cover in arid areas, reducing soil degradation and supporting biodiversity.

4. Millets offer promising livelihood opportunities for small-scale farmers

As other cereals have become widespread, dietary preferences have shifted and led to a decline in the production and demand for millets. By encouraging the consumption and production of these underutilized crops, we can help millets regain market share and create additional opportunities for small-scale farmers. Millets can add greater diversity to global trade, making markets more resilient.

5. Millets’ trade can improve the diversity of the global food system

Currently, millets account for less than three percent of the global grains trade. When sudden shocks affect the foodgrain market, millets can provide a valuable alternative to typically traded grains. This added diversity can improve the resilience of the global trade markets and mitigate our reliance on other grains.

6. Millets can be used in many innovative ways

The genetic diversity of millets lends itself to many diverse and innovate applications of millets in areas such as therapeutics and pharmaceuticals. Used innovatively, millets offer even greater market opportunities for regional and international trade.

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Ecological farming a boon for staple crop farmers in Africa, new study finds

Women smallholders will drive Africa’s transition to regenerative Agriculture

GRI’s EARTH Series of radial Agriculture Tires

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GRI’s EARTH Series of radial Agriculture Tires

The GREEN XLR EARTH is one of the world’s first sustainable tire series for the agriculture segment.

Developed with 37.5% sustainable materials, it is built to nurture and protect the environment and deliver superior functional properties to drive high performance and productivity for tractors across global markets.

Designed in a novel earthy greencolor, the GREEN XLR EARTH Series is produced with a high percentage of recycled carbon black to reduce its carbon footprint.

It also incorporates soybean oil, which is renewable and sustainable, unlike petroleum-based oils, and ensures that natural rubber maintains more of its original qualities to enhance the tire’s overall performance. It also contains next-generation HD Silicawhich is a sustainable material that further improves tire performance.

Reclaimed rubber is another integral component and is sourced from end-of-life tires through a green recycling process and used to enhance the tire’s sustainable attributes and minimize its carbon footprint.

Prabhash Subasinghe, Managing Director of GRI said, “Innovation is in our DNA. Sustainability is in our souls. True to our vision to move humanity towards making a positive impact on the planet, we believe that this trailblazing launch of one of the world’s first earth-friendly tires will open a new era of high-grade agriculture tires.

It will set the stage for game-changer innovations that focus on reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses. The GREEN XLR EARTH Series will help sustain our earth for future generations, scaling new heights to positively impact climate change. It will also enable farmers to do what they do best – planting, harvesting, and providing food while nurturing the earth.”

Dr Mahesha Ranasoma, Chief ExecutiveOfficer of GRI said, “Providing farmers with the ability to do what is important for their farm productivity and yield, while also presenting them with a unique opportunity to do what is best for the environment, was an emerging need that required urgent addressing. As a sustainability-driven organization, GRI is positioned well to serve this need, as we drive green initiatives through a unique value chain presented through our hallmark GREEN X Circle.

We are happy to have listened to that need and possess the capability to address it effectively through the launch of the GREEN XLR EARTH Series. We are confident that we will be able to re-affirm our continued commitment to sustainable tire manufacturing as well as earth-friendly tires for the benefit of our entire global eco-system.”

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Prioritise tackling toxic emissions from tyres, urge Imperial experts

Women smallholders will drive Africa’s transition to regenerative Agriculture

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Women smallholders will drive Africa’s transition to regenerative Agriculture

An estimated 140 million people in Africa are facing acute food insecurity yet, in Kenya alone, 50% of all productive soil is badly degraded. Worse still, because of record droughts, half of Kenyan farmers have harvested nothing in the last four seasons.

Regenerative agriculture techniques offer the world’s poorest farmers a lifeline, restoring soils and boosting yields and incomes – while at the same time sequestering carbon emissions. 80% of Kenyan farmers are women, which is why, to regenerate landscapes at scale, women must drive the change towards regenerative farming.

What do we mean by regenerative agriculture?

More carbon resides in soil than in the atmosphere and all plant life combined (IPPC). Increasingly, businesses are looking at how regenerative agriculture can help them to achieve their carbon reduction goals under SDG13. But what does the term really mean?

‘Regenerative agriculture’ covers a wide spectrum of approaches, but put simply, it’s a method of farming that rebuilds organic soil matter and restores biodiversity – while sequestering dangerous carbon emissions. Farmers plant a range of trees, plants and crops to keep vegetation in the ground, pulling the carbon out of the atmosphere and improving degraded soil. Grazing animals provide natural fertiliser, and farmers avoid soil disturbance (like ploughing) to keep carbon locked underground.

Fighting soil degradation, food insecurity and gender inequality

A report released this month, commissioned by IUCN and the UNFCCC, estimates if just 50% of farmers adopted regenerative agriculture across Africa, by 2040, we’d see a 30% reduction in soil erosion, as well as a 20% increase in soil carbon content.

Smallholder farmers supply sub-Saharan Africa with 80% of its food – so improving their productivity will have a huge impact on food security across the continent. In fact, the same report estimates if 50% of African farmers adopted regenerative agriculture, we’d see a 16% increase in daily per capita calorie intake.

Crucially, regenerative farming also builds gender equity – by providing year-round opportunities for women to earn and control their own incomes through agro-biodiversity.

In monoculture farming a single crop is harvested just once a year. That’s one harvest, and, in most cases, one lump sum controlled solely by the male head of the household. On regenerative farms, however, continuous cropping, fruit trees and livestock integration means there’s always something for women to harvest and sell, or – when times are lean – to eat. The sale of a cow (which also provides crops with fertiliser) can cover a year’s school fees. Mango and papaya trees don’t just prevent soil erosion and preserve moisture in the earth, their fruit can also be sold to neighbours. Pigeon peas or other pulses, planted alongside maize to lock nutrients in the soil, are a valuable source of protein.

Why women must be in the lead

Hand in Hand is working with IKEA Foundation to deliver training to 1,600 farmers on regenerative techniques – as part of a three-year pilot project. We believe that for regenerative agriculture to really take hold, women smallholders must have the power to make decisions about what works best for their land, without having to ask for permission.

It’s vital too that women have a say in the governance of communal resources (for example waterways and forests). That’s because individual smallholdings are just a part of a wider approach to the regeneration of landscapes and ecosystems, which, in turn, improve farmers’ soil and mitigate against the effects of climate change. What’s more, women farmers will be able to confidently make the business case for regenerative techniques to their neighbours, and, with improved advocacy skills, lobby for change at a local and national level.

Collaborating for success

In the next five years our aim is to reach half a million farmers in Kenya – that’s one in 20 of the country’s smallholders. Key to our success will be collaboration in three key areas:

Finance: By avoiding expensive commercial farm inputs we believe even the poorest smallholders will be able to transition to regenerative farming over time. We have also partnered with Kenyan banks such as Equity Bank to help farmers who choose to borrow access credit at lower levels. We’re now seeking to establish more partnerships with financial institutions and MFIs.

Measurement: As well as using UNFAO’s Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) we’re measuring transition to agroecology and improvement in soil health.

Country-wide roll out: Our goal is to implement our women-led approach across a range of landscapes, including arid and semi-arid areas, and regenerate 4,000 km2 (an area three times the size of Greater London).

Thanks to our partnership with IKEA Foundation we have developed our curriculum with global experts – and are now at the point where we are able to deliver this programme in even more rural communities. To achieve this, we are seeking new partnerships. For more information please contact cbaiocco@hihinternational.org.

Japheth Muli is Senior Programmes Officer at Hand in Hand Eastern Africa

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Ecological farming a boon for staple crop farmers in Africa, new study finds

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Ecological farming a boon for staple crop farmers in Africa, new study finds

An international team of scientists has found that eco-friendly practices such as growing a range of crops, including legumes such as beans or pigeonpea, and adding plant residues or manure to soils can raise food crop yields in places such as rural Africa, where small-scale farmers cannot apply much nitrogen fertilizer.

Published in the science journal Nature Sustainability and examining data from 30 long-running field experiments involving staple crops (wheat, maize, oats, barley, sugar beet, or potato) in Europe and Africa, this major study is the first to compare farm practices that work with nature to increase yields and explore how they interact with fertilizer use and tillage.

“Agriculture is a leading cause of global environmental change but is also very vulnerable to that change,” said Chloe MacLaren, a plant ecologist at Rothamsted Research, UK, and lead author of the paper. “Using cutting-edge statistical methods to distill robust conclusions from divergent field experiment data, we found combinations of farming methods that boost harvests while reducing synthetic fertilizer overuse and other environmentally damaging practices.”

Recognizing that humanity must intensify production on current arable land to feed its rising numbers, the paper advances the concept of “ecological intensification,” meaning farming methods that enhance ecosystem services and complement or substitute for human-made inputs, like chemical fertilizer, to maintain or increase yields.

Boosting crop yields and food security for far-flung smallholders

The dataset included results from six long-term field experiments in southern Africa led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Africa’s farming systems receive on average only 17 kilograms of fertilizer per hectare, compared to more than 180 kilograms per hectare in Europe or close to 600 in China, according to Christian Thierfelder, a CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist and study co-author.

“In places where farmers’ access to fertilizer is limited, such as sub-Saharan Africa or the Central American Highlands, ecological intensification can complement scarce fertilizer resources to increase crop yields, boosting households’ incomes and food security,” Thierfelder explained. “We believe these practices act to increase the supply of nitrogen to crops, which explains their value in low-input agriculture.”

The CIMMYT long-term experiments were carried out under “climate-smart” conservation agriculture practices, which include reduced or no tillage, keeping some crop residues on the soil, and (again) growing a range of crops.

“These maize-based cropping systems showed considerable resilience against climate effects that increasingly threaten smallholders in the Global South,” Thierfelder added.

Benefits beyond yield

Besides boosting crop yields, ecological intensification can cut the environmental and economic costs of productive farming, according to MacLaren.

“Diversifying cropping with legumes can increase profits and decrease nitrogen pollution by reducing the fertilizer requirements of an entire crop rotation, while providing additional high-value food, such as beans,” MacLaren explained. “Crop diversity can also confer resilience to weather variability, increase biodiversity, and suppress weeds, crop pests and pathogens; it’s essential, if farmers are to improve maize production in places like Africa.”

Thierfelder cautioned that widespread adoption of ecological intensification will require strong support from policymakers and society, including establishing functional markets for legume seed and for marketing farmers’ produce, among other policy improvements.

“Dire and worsening global challenges — climate change, soil degradation and fertility declines, and scarcening fresh water — threaten the very survival of humanity,” said Thierfelder. “It is of utmost importance to renovate farming systems and bring us back into a safe operating space.”

Click here to read the paper, Long-term evidence for ecological intensification as a pathway to sustainable agriculture.

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IsDB Group Reaffirms Commitment To Agriculture Development In Africa

McKinsey Co-Founds Effort To Transform Agriculture And Food Systems In Africa

IsDB Group reaffirms commitment to agriculture development in Africa

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IsDB Group reaffirms commitment to agriculture development in Africa

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, represented by its President, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, has reaffirmed strong support for the development of agriculture in Africa at the “Feed Africa” Summit held in Dakar, Senegal.

The IsDB Group has long recognized the pressing need to address food insecurity and has taken action to re-establish sustainable livelihoods on the continent.

During the panel, Dr. Al Jasser highlighted the various roles that development organizations can play based on their respective mandates. He emphasized that IsDB Group is providing much-needed finance to the agricultural sector.

Reiterating IsDB Group’s commitment to supporting sustainable and inclusive agricultural value chains in Africa through its various interventions and programs, President Al Jasser underlined the importance of strengthening food sovereignty in Africa by strategically deploying necessary financial investments around three development objectives: self-sufficiency, climate change adaptation/mitigation and sustainability, and farmers’ welfare.

“In doing so, we, at IsDB Group, promote import substitution using localization strategies that play an important role in enabling traditional systems across the food value chain from production to processing, storage, and consumption,” he explained.

Elsewhere in his remarks, President Al Jasser elaborated that IsDB Group has also been supporting the development of Africa into a breadbasket for the world by investing in raising agricultural productivity, supporting infrastructure, and enhancing climate-smart agricultural systems, with private sector investments all along the food value chain. He said:

Dr. Jasser also highlighted specific interventions by the IsDB Group such as the Special Agro-processing Zones Project in Nigeria, where the Bank Group has invested US$ 160 million along with the African Development Bank.

This project aims to support the development of special agro-processing zones in high-food production areas and enable smallholder farmers and community-based service providers, including women and youth, to take advantage of the market demand created by these zones to sustainably enhance their incomes and food security.

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McKinsey co-founds effort to transform agriculture and food systems in Africa

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McKinsey co-founds effort to transform agriculture and food systems in Africa

Africa is home to roughly 780 million small-scale farmers, with 70 percent of people relying on agriculture and farming for part of their income.

While the African soil is rich, with endowments capable of producing bounties, most farmers struggle economically, consumers spend too much on food, and malnutrition and stunting in children are widespread on the continent, according to UNICEF.

“This does not need to be our reality,” says Omid Kassiri, managing partner in McKinsey’s Nairobi office. “With the right policies, infrastructure, support, and capabilities, we’ve seen that agriculture in Africa can be transformed and make a massive, meaningful difference in people’s lives.”

Change is underway but will take a concerted, multi-stakeholder effort. To bring together public, private, and NGO partners in this work, the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI) was established.

Hosted by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), an international financial institution and specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in developing countries, AATI seeks to support African countries in developing and implementing agricultural transformations. McKinsey served as an integral member of the founding coalition.

Co-founded by partners including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IFAD, and McKinsey, AATI builds on McKinsey’s impact on agriculture and food systems across Africa, including work to increase food production that resulted in 11 million fewer undernourished people, 150,000 fewer deaths from hunger, and one hundred thousand new jobs.

McKinsey brought fact-based and practical support to several issues during these engagements: increasing farmers’ technical knowledge—what to grow, how to grow, what fertilizers to use, what practices and techniques to deploy; increasing their capacity to invest in irrigation methods, fertilizer and crop protection; research and development for crops optimized for the African climate; and creating linkages to markets to name a few.

The results inspired McKinsey to find a way to build on this work, finding a path to help launch AATI through the Fund for Social Good, a pro bono program of multiyear firm support.

“McKinsey is our vital thought leader for tools and methodologies that accelerate agricultural transformation,” says Safia Boly, executive director of AATI. “The role of McKinsey here is knowledge—of working with partners and having the reach to bring partners together, bringing digital solutions, delivery expertise, problem solving, and implementation methodologies, all of which has been essential to the establishment of the AATI.”

AATI is launching its first wave of countries to accelerate effective and sustainable food systems changes based on their needs, priorities, and existing infrastructure.

“When AATI identifies strategies for economic growth and innovation through agriculture, it is key that it be an opportunity for government and private sector,” says Safia. “There should always be a balance between the two because government will establish the environment for the private sector to flourish and drive the economic growth.”

This perspective keeps inclusive growth at its center.

We hope that AATI will grow to become a pillar of transformation across the continent. The goal is for it to be a constant driver for the transformation of the lives of millions and millions of people, country after country.

Omid Kassiri, McKinsey partner

“Our goal is to increase the percentage of small holder farmers who have become entrepreneurs. Because at the end of the day, we are trying to make agriculture a catalyst for economic growth,” says Safia.

By supporting AATI, McKinsey is not just supporting agricultural and food systems transformations. It is creating an institution that will be an enduring catalyst for change in Africa.

“We hope that AATI will grow to become a pillar of transformation across the continent,” says Omid. “The goal is for it to be a constant driver for the transformation of the lives of millions and millions of people, country after country.”

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Tanzania to host the AGRF, Africa’s Food System Forum 2023

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Tanzania to host the AGRF, Africa’s Food System Forum 2023

Tanzania will host the AGRF 2023 Summit, the announcement was made by Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of the United Republic of Tanzania and H.E Hailemariam Dessalegn, the Chair of the AGRF Partners Group on the sidelines of the U.S. Africa Leaders’ Summit currently taking place in Washington, DC. 

The AGRF, Africa’s Food Systems Forum, is the premier platform for advancing the agriculture and food systems agenda on the continent; from food security to agri-food investments.

The annual Summit convenes leaders, policymakers, scientists, heads of governments and private institutions, farmers, and the youth in the agriculture and food systems landscape to discuss and agree on practical actions and solutions that drive Africa’s food security and better livelihoods for all.

The 2023 Summit aspires to position Africa as the place for innovation, investments, and to advance a stronger more diverse, and resilient food system.

The Summit will look to energize and spotlight continental progress beyond the call for aid. The Summit will showcase Africa’s solutions to Africa’s food systems transformation while spotlighting leadership, accountability, inclusion and investment opportunities in Africa in general and in Tanzania in particular.

Tanzania will be the first country to host the AGRF Summit since the forum was rebranded to Africa’s Food Systems Forum in 2022 as a reflection of the partnerships’ ambition to move forward the transformation of Africa’s food system and sustain engagement year-round.

In her remarks, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan welcomed agriculture and food systems experts, investors and stakeholders from across Africa and beyond to Tanzania for the Summit and emphasized the importance for Africa to lead on its food security for national and continental development.

She highlighted that Africa’s food security can collectively be attained if all parties join hands to advance localized solutions that drive prosperity for all urging the youth to participate in agriculture to enable faster growth of the continent’s growth.

“I am pleased to announce, that Tanzania has been selected to host the AGRF 2023 Summit. This important Forum will bring together global and local voices, will highlight investment opportunities and will be looking to do business. We must chart ways to  protect our people from the current drought and climate change impacts and we must make it possible for investments to move into this important sector.

“I have no doubt, that this Summit will provide actionable solutions for the continent and our people,” President Samia said.

H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn congratulated and recognized Tanzania’s leadership in advancing food security and shared his appreciation to President Samia for hosting the AGRF 2023 Summit.

“The AGRF, Africa’s Food Systems Forum 2023, comes at an integral time when the continent, battered by the effects of climate change, is coming together to find solutions that safeguard lives and livelihoods. It is commendable that Tanzania is developing a national blueprint to drive its economy forward and food and agriculture will play a huge role in ensuring the country’s prosperity.

We urge all stakeholders ahead of the Summit to kickstart these vital discussions and conversations while surfacing innovative ideas that can be shared and deployed across the continent.”

The AGRF 2023 builds on the AGRF 2022 hosted by the Government of Rwanda in Kigali. It was attended by more than 2700 delegates In-Person and over 4000 online.

In 2023, the AGRF secretariat and partners will build on the conversations, agreements, and critical decisions from the AGRF 2022 Summit through in-country meetings and roadshows with leaders, farmers, and the youth.

The Summit is expected to convene critical voices in Tanzania with the aim of strengthening Africa’s food systems transformation through consensus.

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