E AGRICULTURE

INTRODUCTION

Agriculture is facing significant challenges in the 21st century, largely due to the need
to increase global food supply under the declining availability of soil and water
resources and increasing threats from climate change. Nonetheless, these challenges
also are offering opportunities to develop and promote food and livelihood systems
that have greater environmental, economic and social resilience to risk.
What is or what will Africa do to face this climate change and next ones that are likely
yet to come? The answer is that It is clear that success in meeting these challenges
need both the application of current multidisciplinary knowledge, and the
development of a range of technical and institutional innovations.
I assume that 60% of Africans live of agriculture, which is likely to be true. The future
may be pessimal, referring to greenhouse effect, effects of deforestation due to the air
pollution as the result of industrialization of some African technology emerging
countries. All these threats, having as outcome the loss of African soil fertility, Africa
is likely going to suffer of hunger if no strategies are developed to face all these
disasters.

“Climate change will affect agriculture and forestry systems through higher
temperatures, elevated CO2 concentration, precipitation changes, increased weeds,
pests, and disease pressure, and increased vulnerability of organic carbon pools”1.

Looking at the treats that Africa is to face, the above affirmation is also evident for
Africa. Greenhouse effect and difficult photosynthesis may be said to be

Sahara, the largest and hot desert in the world in the north of Africa, this can impact
negatively the productivity of agriculture in Africa, especially in the north.

 Due to effect of deforestation: photosynthesis becomes difficult because of

lack of forest and plant.

1) Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations: due to air pollution in some African

countries
 The list is not exhaustive.

SOME CONCEPTS RELATED TO E AGRICULTURE

Agriculture:
Agriculture can be defined as a science or art of cultivating the ground , including the
harvesting of crops , and the rearing and management of livestock, tillage, husbandry,
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Agriculture and Rural Development Climate Change Response Strategies for Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities for
the 21st Century
farming.

Macmillan English dictionary for advanced learners dictionary defines agriculture as

the work, business, or study of farming.

ICT:
Standing for Information and communication Technologies, it can be said to be the
diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, disseminate,
store, and manage information.These technologies include computers, internet, and
network hardware and software, satellite systems, broadcasting technologies (radio
and television), and telephony (land lines
and cellular). As well as the various services and applications associated with them,
such as web portals, email, SMS, videoconferencing,
Etc.

E AGRICULTURE

The rapid diffusion and adoption of information and communication technologies

(ICT) around the world has led to a growing desire to understand clearly how these
modern technologies should be applied in key economic sectors in a developing
country context.

In the sector of agriculture also, developing countries have included ICT in order do
do what some people can call precision agriculture.

To make it simple E-agriculture can be defined as use of ICT in agriculture in order to

enhance the productivity.

E-agriculture, is a relatively recent term in the field of agriculture and rural

development practices. Consistency in the use of this term began to materialize with
the dissemination of results from a global survey carried out by the United Nations
(UN). This survey conducted in late 2006 by the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO) found that half of those who replied identified “e
agriculture” with information dissemination, access and exchange, communication
and participation processes improvements around rural development. In contrast, less
than a third highlighted the importance of technical hardware and technological tools.

E-agriculture, therefore, describes an emerging field focused on the enhancement of

agricultural and rural development through improved information and communication
processes. More specifically, e-agriculture involves the conceptualization, design,
development, evaluation and application of innovative ways to use information and
communication technologies (ICTs) in the rural domain, with a primary focus on
agriculture.
WHY SHOULD ICT BE USED IN AGRICULTURE?

ICT, being a tool of communication, are essential for accelerating socioeconomic

development and the modernization of agriculture in Africa in general in this 21st
century. The use of ICT to promote agricultural development in Africa offers
enormous socioeconomic benefits and new opportunities to transform the livelihoods
of poor agricultural communities and society in general. Some of the expected
benefits from ICT are food security arising from productivity gains in crop and
livestock enterprises, better access to national and global agricultural markets,
improvements in rural financial service delivery, reduction in transaction costs, faster
communication methods, e-health services for farmers, and the provision of accurate,
reliable, and timely information for farm household decision making.

The use of ICT in agriculture and rural development will make a significant
contribution towards reducing poverty and malnutrition on the continent
(Bertolini,2003)2.

CONTRIBUTION OF ICTs IN AGRICULTURE

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to support

agricultural development in poor countries by functioning as innovative solutions to
agricultural challenges. Realizing this, the Agriculture and Rural Development
Department of the World Bank organized, together with the e-Agriculture Community
and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) an online forum in
March 2012, discussing the role of ICTs in supporting green growth and climate-
smart agriculture.

The e-Agriculture forum was divided into two main topics. First topic discussed ICTs,
such as Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques,
as tools for land use planning and management. The second topic centered around the
use of information tools to better adapt to climate change and manage risks such as
early warning systems and using ICTs to communicate weather forecasts to farmers.
The aim of the forum was to exchange ideas, information and resources in relation to
the use of information and communications tools for sustainable agriculture and rural
development3.

Referring to paragraphs above, below are some contributions that the use of ICTs may
bring African agriculture:

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The Development of e-Agriculture in Sub- Saharan Africa: Key Considerations, Challenges, and Policy Implications Blessing
Mukabeta Maumbe Eastern Kentucky University, USA
3
Written by Cecilia Schubert
By using ITC tools like:

 Computers and web services(Internet ) in agriculture: internet is a new kind

of IT tool that is used allover the world to get information.

Farmers will share knowledge, create e-communities, e market platforms, etc.

Farmers will get the right information, in right form, in right time using computers
and internet

 TVs and radios: traditional form of communication using radio wave.

Sharing experiences with other farmers using TVs and radios can enhance the
technical skills of rural farmers.

 Precision agriculture: using stored storage and analytics.

 Satellites: weather universal information for good decision making

 Mobile services: banking, advisory,

IMPLEMENTATION OF E AGRICULTURE IN AFRICA.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to transform

business and government in Africa, driving entrepreneurship, innovation and
economic growth. A new flagship report – eTransform Africa – produced by the
World Bank and the African Development Bank, with the support of the African
Union, identifies best practice in the use of ICTs in key sectors of the African
economy4.

Meantime, in the context of Africa, implementing e agriculture is still not emerging.

Below are some of reasons why this is still not a reality in Africa:

 under-investment in rural areas,

 inadequate access to markets and unfair market conditions,

 inadequate access to advanced technologies,

 weak infrastructure,

 high production and transport costs,

 gender asymmetry in access to assets and services,

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ICTs for agriculture in Africa eTransform AFRICA
 conflicts,

 natural disasters,

 deforestation, environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity dependency on

foreign aid..

 Etc.

An other big challenge may be that African agriculture is largely traditional and
practiced by smallholders, pastoralists and amateurs . However following are
organizations that have implemented e agriculture:

CONCLUSION.

Combing farming and ICT will yield positive results

Agriculture is strategically important in supporting the livelihoods of the majority of

the rural population in Africa and closer to home in South Africa. The growth of e-
agriculture has the potential to accelerate agriculture and rural development, promote
food security and reduce rural poverty in developing markets.