Brussels Briefing 45: Josef Kienzle "Smart-farming: trends and new opportunities benefiting small-holders"

Smart and affordable farming solutions for Africa

The next driver for agricultural transformation

Josef Kienzle, Agricultural Engineer Plant Production and Protection Division

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations


Brussels, July 12, 2016

Content

• Context and trends• SMART approaches to intensify agricultural

production• The role of mechanization• Conclusions



Current trendsBy 2050, world population will reach 9 billion

Declining annual crop yield growth rates: • 1960: 3.2% • Current: 1.5%• 2050: 0.8%

Urbanization• Today: 50%• 2050: 70%

Changing food habits

Undernourished people:• over 795 million• 75% in rural areas in

developing countries



Context: Climate Change



Region Cereal Yield[kg/ha]

Fertilizer Use[kg/ha]

Irrigation percentage of

arable landTractors per

1000 ha

Africa(not including Egypt

and Mauritania)1014 13 5 28

Average of 9 selected countries

(Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, South-

Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand,

Vietnam)

3348 208 38 241

Source: The World Bank (2007) as cited by FAO and UNIDO (2008)

How Africa compares with other developing Regions



Source: adapted from Clarke, FAO, 1997, FAO and UNIDO, 2008

Central Western Eastern Southern0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

HandDraught AnimalsTractor

Power source usage in Africa [%]



Smallholders in Africa in 2016

Most of the smallholders are women



Smart System for smallholders

• Sustainable• Mechanization and

• Adaptation through

• Resilient

• Techniques



The Green Revolution Paradigm• Impact: Globally the

undernourished population declined from 26% to 14% between 1969 and 2002

• Downside: Pollution, reduced efficiency, loss of soil health, and soil erosion as unavoidable side effects

an integrated approach to sustainable production intensification

“more with less”

FAO’s response to the challenge



• Strengthen eco-systems and natural processes• to boost production and environmental services• to avoid waste and use inputs only as required by the system

• Focus on soil and ecosystem functions

Healthy soils are the basis for sustainable crop production

Sustainable Intensification Paradigm



Rain

Run-off

LeachingSoil Structure

Organic Matter

Soluble elementsof organic or synthetic origin

Tilled (disturbed soil)

Undisturbed soil

Destination of Rainwater

Water is retained on site



Destination of Inputs

productive

productive productive

leaching leachingleaching

run off

run off

run off

Actual reduced Undisturbed soil(Sustainable Intensification)



Smart System for smallholders

• Sustainable

• Mechanization and • Adaptation through• Resilient• Techniques



Conservation Agriculture (CA) is an approach to manage agro-ecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, increased profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base and the environment.

CA is characterized by three linked principles: 1. Continuous minimum mechanical soil

disturbance2. Permanent organic soil cover3. Diversification of crop species grown in

sequences or associations(www.fao.org/ag/ca)

Climate resilient (smart) systems



Conservation Agriculture

Mechanical Tillage

Biological Tillage

Action of Soil BiotaStructure/Porosity

Conv

entio

nal A

gric

ultu

reZero T illage

High SoilOrganicMatterLow Soil

Organic Matter

Soil Organic Matter = Drought Resistance

CO2



The suppression of tillage / ploughing reduces power

requirements by 50% allowing the use of smaller machines

F. Baudron; CIMMYT



Development precision equipment in southern Africa

Sprayer, Dragon Engng (SA)

Piket DAP planter (SA)

Baufi 2-row ripper (Namibia)



Mechanization myths:past and present

• Creates rural unemployment • Leads to monoculture and industrial farming• It is only for large scale-farmers • It is only about large manufacturing

companies• It is only about the public sector • It does not conserve natural resources

and is not climate smart



Small-scale farmers and mechanization• Increases productivity, timeliness and incomes• Reduces drudgery• Enables improved resource use efficiency• Provides employment opportunities and new skills

development• Has the potential to reverse migration • Conserves natural resources• Enables gender transition • Provides opportunities for rural entrepreneurial activities

and business models • Encourages local manufacturing and south-south

cooperation



Mechanization potential Productivity

Time efficiency

Drudgery



Challenges to mechanization• Affordability • Availability and traceability (accountability)• Lack of farmer skills• Poor extension support• Few appropriate financial services • Environmental protection and pro-poor sustainability• Public-private partnerships • Lack of clear strategies and policies for mechanization

at regional and country level • Poor rural infrastructure• Rural youth has no interest in farming with ‘0’

innovations



• Using GPS and mobile phone technology to mark farmers’ fields

• Using up to 8 geo markers for characterizing a farmer’s field

The 8 points



• Online tracking of provision of mechanization service

• Payment to service provider by E-voucher

• Establishment of farmer profiles allow for stepwise approach to subsidized services

The area quadrants 5x5 m covered 36 out of 300



Sustainable mechanization: Entry points

• Vision• Partnerships• Strategies• Systems

Tractor and machinery suppliers

Technical support and parts

Finance provisionTechnical trainingExtension services

Maintenance and repair services

Stakeholders in the farm machinery support network for smallholder farmers

Service Providers and

Farmers



512050 512100 512150 512200 512250 512300

214300

214350

214400

214450

214500

0.02 to 0 .25 0.25 to 0 .31 0.31 to 0 .37 0.37 to 0 .43 0.43 to 0 .50 0.50 to 0 .71

Vegetative Indices. Showing weed patches

Field mapping and precision Nand herbicide application

• Crop reflectance meters with GPS can be used to map field requirements

• Precision applications result in more efficient fertilizer use

• Weed seeker technology for selective spot spraying



• Intensive soil tillage is not SMART• There are climate smart mechanization

technologies available to all farm sizes• Reduced tillage and direct seeding systems

are SMART precision farming tools• There is a need for SMART mechanization

services • Monitoring of mechanization services is key

and GPS and mobile phone technologies provide technology for it (that is smart!)

• There is a need to get increased commitment from private and public sector stakeholders for sustainable (SMART) intensification

Conclusions



2. Reinforce human capacity-building

4. Provide financial support to enhance investment in AM

3. Improve business and enabling policy environment and make us of ICT and GPS technology

1. Promote environmental sustainability with SMART innovations and precision farming for smallholders

Conclusions



Thank youJosef Kienzle ([email protected])

Agricultural EngineerPlant Production and Protection Division

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

mailto:[email protected]

Government & Nonprofit

Brussels Briefing 45: Josef Kienzle "Smart-farming: trends and new opportunities benefiting small-holders"