UN Summit: Governments, private sector and academia highlight key importance of digital agriculture for the positive transformation of food systems

New York, 24 September 2021 (IICA). Digital agriculture can make a major contribution to the transformation of agri-food systems and help make them more sustainable and inclusive, but if it is to do so the countries must address inequalities in access to new technologies that are preventing the rural population from realizing its potential.

That was the conclusion drawn by senior officials from countries in the Americas and representatives of the private sector, academia and international organizations who took part in the panel discussion “Digitalization of agriculture as a determining factor in the transformation of food systems: a perspective from the Americas,” organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as a side event to the Food Systems Summit convened by the UN Secretary General.

The discussion was preceded by a presentation by the winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics and University of Chicago professor Michael Kremer, recognized for his studies on global poverty alleviation and as a promoter of the digitalization of agriculture as a key tool for improving the quality. life of rural populations.

The countries of the Americas are attending the Summit following an extensive process of dialogue, coordinated by IICA, that produced a jointly agreed document containing 16 key messages on agriculture’s unparalleled role in food security, and highlighting the important part played by farmers.

One of the messages, which were approved at the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas held earlier this month, states that “new technologies contribute to reconciling agricultural production with environmental and ecosystem health, which is an indispensable factor for agriculture’s resilience.”

The individuals who took part in the discussion were: the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia, Rodolfo Enrique Zea Navarro; the Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Carla Barnett; the Secretary for Family Farming and Cooperatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Brazil, César Halum; Education Lead for Microsoft Latin America, Luciano Braverman; and the Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Rossana Polastri.

The Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, Agnes Kalibata, also participated in the discussion, which was moderated by Federico Villarreal, IICA Director of Technical Cooperation, while the Director General of the Institute, Manuel Otero, gave the opening and closing remarks.

“There is a lot excitement about digital farming. Some of that excitement is about the potential new technologies that are available as more and more farmers get smartphones and integrate into supply chains. But there is also a lot of skepticism about digital agriculture,” Kremer acknowledged.

The economist then underlined the potential of digital rural extension and its impact on the productivity and income of small farmers.

“I have done research and compiled evidence that the most basic technology – such as texting – can make a significant difference in the benefits for farmers,” said the Nobel laureate, who is also a Goodwill Ambassador for IICA.

He added that “The opportunities for rural populations are greatest when you can work in many countries and integrate with experiences from the region. The new information technologies will allow the transformation of agriculture. And we will achieve it more quickly with the support of the public sector.”

Minister Zea Navarro spoke of the technological transformation that is taking place in the Colombian countryside.

“We aim to organize production with technology. We need good soil maps in order to use land according to its capability, utilize the smallest amount of chemical fertilizers possible, and maintain productivity. We are also incorporating weather forecasting tools. As a result, there are crops that used to be planted in April that today, due to climate change, are being planted in May,” he remarked.

The minister believes that the new technologies will make it possible “to be more productive without expanding the agricultural frontier, and ensure greater environmental sustainability.”

Carla Barnett, from CARICOM, an organization through which the Caribbean countries have worked together for nearly 50 years, noted that “the world we know is advancing rapidly with communication and information technologies; we must not be left behind.”

Barnett explained that digital transformation was already underway in agricultural production in the Caribbean, as can be seen in developments such as the elimination of the middleman by many producers, who are now using social media to sell their products directly.

Brazilian minister Halum referred to the importance of facilitating access to new communication and information technologies for small farmers. “In Brazil,” he pointed out, “we have large agricultural producers, but there are four million smallholdings run by family farmers.”

The official said that the challenge lay in making technical assistance and rural extension available to everyone, not only to the current one in five family farmers: “Where there is rural extension and technical assistance, the human development index is much higher and the economic income per family is two to three times greater. Digital agriculture is the solution.”

Luciano Braverman explained that Microsoft is working on three fronts to advance the digitalization of agriculture: connectivity, skills development and innovation.

He recognized that “today we see great inequality and inequity in access to technologies. The challenge we face calls for cooperation between the public and private sectors, because it is everyone’s responsibility to eliminate the obstacles that make it hard for farmers to access new technologies, which are of decisive importance in improving production and income.”

Rosanna Polastri emphasized that it was essential to get away from the thinking that digital technology was for urban areas. “Digital agriculture creates opportunities for farmers to generate value added and receive a fair price for their products. Young people have a key role to play in their incorporation, thanks to their innovative energy and digital skills,” she remarked.

Polastri also suggested that “Digital services are not currently aligned with the needs of the rural population in Latin America and the Caribbean, so the State’s role is crucial in promoting investments that bring new technologies to sparsely populated areas.”

Agnes Kalibata then called on all public and private sector stakeholders to work together “to determine the future of food systems.” She urged the countries to discuss changes in the forms of production and marketing that would foster “inclusive growth and the construction of a resilient world.”

In winding up the discussion, Manuel Otero said that digital agriculture could contribute to all the transformations of agri-food systems currently regarded as urgently needed, including higher productivity, the reduction of environmental impact, and a bigger role for women and young people in analysis and decision-making.

“Digital agriculture is just getting off the ground in Latin America and the Caribbean, and its development is uneven, so we have a great opportunity. There is a lot to be done and IICA wants to be close to the countries and work together with the different organizations and the private sector. We want to form part of any and all coalitions and collaborative efforts that may be necessary. We aspire to a better rurality, which must be based on the transformation and empowerment of family farmers. The conditions are right,” he concluded.

Several months ago, IICA – together with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the University of Oxford and Microsoft – published three documents highlighting the digital gender inequality that exists in rural areas, as well as poor connectivity and the need to further develop the digital skills of rural dwellers with a view to unleashing their productive, social and economic potential. 

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int