Agriculture is the primary source of income for many residents of developing countries. It’s also their main income source. Furthermore, farmers rely on farming as their food source. Today, the industry can help increase income and fight hunger and poverty in developing countries. At the same time, extreme weather conditions caused by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine unleashed by Russia are becoming severe challenges for industry and food security.
International investment has helped develop new financial and agricultural technologies that enable inclusive growth. Structural and technological transformations in the industry should be considered in developing agriculture in rural areas. Farm upgrades are essential to ensure long-term productivity gains. Technologies enable agricultural business participants to make decisions based on accurate information and increase the efficiency of farming operations. For example, satellite technologies can assist in how to conduct a prescribed burn safely.
The economic recovery of most industrialized countries began with the development and transformation of agriculture, as this industry creates many jobs and pushes the economy to increase incomes. Countries such as Brazil, Vietnam, and China have doubled the value of the agriculture sector in 20 years through transformation. This fact highlights the need for industry transformation to combat hunger and improve the economic situation.
How Technology Can Help Small-scale Farmers
Today, agriculture is undergoing many dynamic processes and changes associated with digitalizing infrastructure and operations on farms. Farmers in African countries are gaining access to more and more precision farming applications and technologies. Technology supports decision-making and facilitates many practical tasks, whether scouting, controlled burning, resource management, or harvesting.
Precision farming includes technologies that enable efficient, day-to-day decisions to be made in advance and in real-time. Accurate weather forecasts enable growers to make timely decisions to protect crops from various stresses. In addition, precision farming implies the rational distribution and saving of resources and provides appropriate tools. Thus, thanks to technology, farmers receive reliable information about the needs of crops.
The negative impact of agriculture on the environment is hard to deny. For this reason, the industry needs new practices to increase resilience. One such method is burrowing in smart greenhouses with a controlled environment. Algorithms can control such greenhouses. They are automated and enable growers to provide optimal conditions for the growth of various crops. Parameters such as lighting, temperature, and ventilation are adjustable.
Remote sensing technologies play an essential role in modern agriculture. Regardless of the size of the farm, satellite imagery is an effective tool for detecting various crop problems, including lack of water, nutrients, disease, and signs of soil degradation. Thus, there is a transition to smart agriculture and an increase in the industry’s sustainability by reducing the use of chemicals. This technology also makes it possible to monitor and analyze the effectiveness of day-to-day operations and improve the safety of such operations as prescribed fire.
The development of biotechnology also makes it possible to improve the position of agriculture significantly. Advances in seed production are producing crops that are more resistant to various weather conditions, environmental issues, pests, and diseases. Biotechnology also enables farmers to be more productive and have more food. It is crucial in the context of environmental shocks and climate unpredictability.
The Role of Cooperatives in Accessing New Opportunities for Small-scale Farmers
Agricultural cooperatives provide support to small producers in the farming sector. Farmers can expand their economic and social opportunities being a part of a cooperative. They also provide sustainable employment in rural areas by offering business models that are more resilient to various shocks. Through cooperatives, small farmers can also gain access to technology, reliable information, and better services.
One of the cooperative’s main advantages to the farmer is access to the market. Growers can also learn about various marketing opportunities and pricing. Cooperatives coordinate and make marketing more effective for all involved. Thus, thanks to their efforts, the financial situation for farmers at the regional level can be improved.
Cooperatives also help small producers at all levels of decision-making. They help producers to implement different technologies and controlled burn tools. Another critical task is to secure land use rights and provide more favorable conditions for agricultural contracts. It is also crucial that the growers can purchase inputs, including equipment and fertilizers, at lower prices through cooperatives. Such support is essential for farmers as it enables them to secure their livelihood and gain the knowledge to meet the market’s demands. All these efforts ultimately affect the economy of many regions and the provision of global food security.
