How Greater Access To Technology Can Aid Family Farmers
Family-owned farms account for about 45 per cent of the agricultural land on Earth and produce more than 80 per cent of the value of the world's food.
By Dr Pavuluri Ratna Prasad
It is not an overstatement to say that we live in the digital era, where technological advancements have significantly impacted every industry, with agriculture being no exception. In this context, family farming, one of the oldest economic activities in the world, is transforming to reap the advantage of new opportunities for productivity and sustainability gains. Family farmers play a vital role in our food systems, producing most of the world's food supply. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, family-owned farms account for about 45 per cent of the agricultural land on Earth and produce more than 80 per cent of the value of the world's food.
Despite being an essential part of the economy, they often face various challenges, from unpredictable weather conditions and fluctuating commodity prices to limited access to financing and markets. But in recent years, due to the adoption of technology, various pathways have unravelled for the industry, such as a boost in productivity, livelihoods, and environmentally friendly agricultural solutions. While some have embraced new technologies, others struggle to keep up with the latest innovations.
Let's delve into some of the critical areas why family farmers need greater access to technology and how it can benefit them:
Technological Advancements: A Game Changer For Family Farmers
Technology improves all four elements of food security: availability, access, utilisation, and stability.
For example, genetic modification can boost the food supply by hastening the process of developing new kinds with desirable features.
Agro-processing technologies decrease post-harvest losses and increase product quality, making food more accessible.
Biofortification, which is proven to improve nutrition, aids in the reduction of human micronutrient insufficiency.
Drones and satellites, which are used for territorial surveillance, mapping, and crop health monitoring, help to stabilise agricultural productivity.
To be honest, technological advancements in the sector are not only increasing all aspects of food security but also benefiting the family farmer by conquering numerous problems.
How Family Farmers Benefit From Technology
The capacity to boost production and efficiency is one of the most important benefits of technology for family farmers. Using satellite technologies to analyse soil carbon and fertility in a precision agriculture pilot project. It involves instructing smallholder farmers on when to plant and how much fertilizer to apply using mobile applications and text messaging.
Farmers are taught how to employ fertigation technology, which combines soluble fertilizers with micro-irrigation techniques, to increase crop quality while consuming less energy.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia helps farming families to increase the value of their agricultural goods by providing sophisticated technology and manufacturing centres that turn raw materials into main and secondary products such as wool, dried fruits, and cosmetic oils.
Cultivating centres: Geographic limitations, such as residing in rural places, are one of the key reasons why family farmers may struggle to reach cultivation centres. Technology can assist farmers overcome this by allowing them to access information and services online rather than having to drive large distances.
Technology can also assist in addressing other issues connected to transparency and the reduction of bureaucracy. Furthermore, data analytics and machine learning can assist in identifying and improving areas where government services may require greater work.
Private entrepreneurs: Encouragement of private entrepreneurs along with technology implementation can make it easier for farmers to engage with private enterprises, especially in rural places. Platforms such as e-commerce and social media may be used to create networks and target audiences for selling.
Furthermore, digital finance platforms can empower businesses to supply farmers with loans and other financial services, hence increasing their access to cash. This can also assist to improve agriculture marketing by providing farmers with access to market information and allowing them to negotiate prices more effectively.
Collectivity: An Inclusive approach with a holistic outlook fostering both private and government initiatives can help address the challenge of lack of infrastructure or social capital, that family farmers may find difficult to collaborate.
Technology can assist to alleviate this by making it easier for farmers to connect with one another and exchange resources. Precision agricultural technologies can assist enhance farmer cooperation by offering real-time crop management and production estimates.
What Policymakers Need To Do
To close the technology gap for family farmers, increased expenditures in research and development are needed, both nationally and worldwide, to make technologies more inexpensive, accessible, and user-friendly. Training and capacity-building are critical for smallholder farmers to accept technology.
Over the years, family farmers have become an essential part of the global food system, producing the bulk of the world's food supply. However, they confront a number of hurdles, including limited access to capital and markets.
This is where technology has shown to be a blessing in disguise by assisting family farmers in overcoming problems while delivering benefits such as increased productivity, efficiency, market access, resilience to climate change, and access to finance. Thus, by embracing technology, family farmers can maintain competitiveness in a fast-changing era and secure a stable food supply for future generations.
(The author is the Director, College of Agriculture, KL Deemed to be University)
Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP Network Pvt. Ltd.
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