UN urgently calls on harnessing digital agriculture to combat climate change

Amman – Today high-level officials, United Nations representatives and agri-business field experts have gathered to highlight the need of positioning digital solutions at the heart of agriculture transformation towards more inclusive, sustainable, efficient and resilient agrifood systems, amidst rising challenges of climate change.

“We must identify, develop and sustain national digital agriculture solutions to benefit the agriculture community and ensure a food secure world that benefits the backbone of our food producers – smallholder and family farmers across our region,” said  AbdulHakim Elwaer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa (NENA).

This came during the Digital Agriculture Solutions Forum 2023 organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in collaboration with CGIAR, to examine and present long-term digital agricultural transformation tools.

Land and water resources in NENA are limited and facing severe stress. Climate change projections suggest more drought and extreme events. In light of this, a transformative approach is needed to support agricultural production systems to become more productive and more sustainable to address these challenges.

“Digital agriculture has the potential to help smallholder farmers become more resilient and improve their livelihoods. However, effective partnerships and incentives are needed to sustain an inclusive digital ecosystem,” stated HRH Princess Basma bint Ali, FAO Goodwill Ambassador for NENA.

FAO and ITU have been working with member countries to develop the E-agriculture Strategy Guide – a framework for a holistic approach to identifying, developing and implementing national digital solutions for agriculture, which has now been implemented in more than 20 countries.

“In order for digital agriculture to be sustainable and impactful, a cohesive government approach needs to be adopted – complimented with inputs from all sectors of society. Stakeholders from both the digital and agriculture sectors have important roles to play, and they should be guided and driven by a national digital agriculture strategy.  ITU and FAO are partnering together to assist countries in the Arab region to adopt such strategies with the goal of accelerating the implementation of the SDGs in the Arab region,” added Adel Darwish, Director of the Regional Office for the Arab States at ITU.

FAO’s global partnerships with ITU and CGIAR ensures the organization’s commitment to the implementation of the FAO Strategy on Science and Innovation in NENA while addressing the dire needs of our members in the region.

During the Digital Agriculture Solutions Forum 2023, discussions highlighted the need to utilize Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to bridge the gap between agricultural researchers, extensionists and farmers, thereby enhancing agricultural production and revenue. In addition, emphasis was given to the transformative potential of remote-sensing technology and sensor equipment in revolutionizing water management practices and fostering sustainable agriculture in the region. Similarly, importance was given to digital financial services, marketing and agriculture insurance as having the capacity to enhance the financial inclusion, profitability and safety nets of smallholder farmers.

The forum hosted an exhibition showcasing innovative practices, from the public and private sector, successfully designed, implemented, and promoted to respond to some of the main challenges of the region.

The Digital Agriculture Solutions Forum is being held in Amman, Jordan from 11-13 July and it is leading up to the Science and Innovation Forum 2023 (SIF), which will be hosted by FAO in October. This year’s SIF will be “Science and Innovation for Climate Action”, aligned with the overarching World Food Forum (WFF) theme “Agrifood systems transformation accelerates climate action”.

FAO’s SIF 2023 will focus on enhancing the accessibility of the most appropriate climate technologies, innovative practices and local knowledge in agrifood systems for climate change adaptation, resilience and mitigation.