Digital Agri Hub-led e-conversation on “Is #smart #farming raising justifiable expectations?”

Digital innovations (technologies and solutions) are playing a crucial role towards transforming agriculture food systems in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). With the relentless promotion of digitalisation for agriculture (D4Ag) among LMICs’ small-scale producers, it is imperative to adopt a fact-based, objective and measured approach to highlight and possibly overcome some potential clichés. 

On Monday 27 March, the Digital Agri Hub is launching the third of a series of e-conversations on a number of what it considers as potential clichés in the D4Ag domain.  The exchanges are hosted on the D4Ag dgroup which you are welcome to join.

The outcome of the exchanges may lead to a more objective, prudent and realistic attitude on how to approach and present smart farming solutions in LMICs. It can also open new avenues which could help solving issues that are at the basis of potential stereotypes.

The 2^nd e-conversation on “How true is the mantra that small-scale producers benefit from digitalisation?” has come to an end, and its summary is now available on the D4Ag dgroup’s wiki (login required).

The forthcoming e-conversation Starting on Monday 27 March, 2023, will address the following question: “Is #smart #farming raising justifiable expectations?” 

Each e-conversation topic is well framed via an initial message posted on the D4Ag group to kickstart the reflections. The subsequent topic will be launched once the exchanges about the preceding one are completed, and so on. Summaries of the exchanges are shared.

To join the conversation, registration on https://dgroups.io/g/d4ag is required.

P.S. There is currently no universally accepted definition of smart farming. In the context of this debate we refer to the one adopted in the publication Assessment of smart farming solutions for smallholders in low and middle-income countries (Source: Loukos P. and Arathoon L. , 2022. GSMA Agtech & Digital Agri Hub, 100 pages) where smart farming is defined as ‘the use of on-farm and remote sensors to generate and transmit data about a specific crop, animal or practice to enable the mechanisation and automation of on-farm practices and achieve more efficient, high-quality, and sustainable production of agricultural goods’.