This is the 17th post in a blog series to be published in 2023 by the APET Secretariat on behalf of the AU High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) and the Calestous Juma Executive Dialogues (CJED)

Agriculture is critical for sustainable development and poverty reduction, and agricultural growth can be a powerful means of achieving inclusive growth. In spite of the disproportionately lower share of investment in the sector from African governments and donors over the last decade, growth is still being recorded and the continent’s agriculture still holds much promise and potential. Agricultural productivity and rural employment can offer increased income to the poor and provide food security and income diversification to vulnerable communities. Given that agriculture dominates the rural economy in most African countries, increased productivity in the sector will remain a key driver and a critical component of inclusive growth.

In Africa, agriculture holds paramount importance in combating food insecurity, enhancing sustainable resource management and environmental preservation, and the pursuit of sustainable development. For example, agriculture features prominently in Sub-Saharan African economies, with approximately 50% of the labour force dedicated to this sector. In addition, agriculture contributes a minimum of 20% of the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).[1]

Family farming, commonly known as smallholder farming, is the predominant method of farming in African countries, primarily driven by the labour of family members. Approximately 80% of smallholder farmers, totalling around 33 million, operate on less than 2 hectares of land per farmer.[2] Interestingly, despite their limited land size, smallholder farmers are responsible for the majority of food production in Africa, contributing up to 80% of the continent’s total food output. These farmers possess a deep understanding of the dynamics associated with cultivating crops in a changing environment. They contribute significantly to maintaining independent and diverse agricultural systems and offering a variety of food products. Additionally, their output is vital for household food security, as it increases income for a significant portion of the rural population, enabling households to purchase additional food from the market to supplement their production and meet their dietary needs.[3]

Digital agriculture solutions are transforming how farmers interact with stakeholders in the agricultural value chain to ensure better and more equitable access to crop buyers, farming tools and equipment, and information. Yet, many farmers are still being excluded from the benefits that digital agriculture solutions can offer including female and elderly farmers, those with disabilities and farmers with low literacy levels.

The panel identified three types of barriers faced by persons with disabilities to their inclusion in farming activities. These barriers are classified into systemic, attitudinal and environmental:

Systemic barriers are procedures, policies and practices that do not take farmers with disabilities into account and therefore exclude them from effective and equitable participation in value chain activities. Broadly, these barriers include the lack of consideration of disability inclusion in agricultural activities by agribusinesses but also government (e.g. through agricultural extension programmes), and the design of policies that exclude farmers with disabilities.

Attitudinal barriers are behaviours, perceptions or actions from communities or organisations that discriminate against farmers with disabilities. Specifically, we learned that in commercial relationships, lack of disability awareness creates several challenges for persons with disabilities. Their peers and communities do not know how to communicate with them and are not disability aware, making it difficult for farmers with disabilities to bargain and sell their products. Time and again, there is wide discrimination and stigma towards persons with disabilities as many people think that agriculture is not right for them, and there are still widely spread prejudices including the idea that farmers with disabilities produce lower quality products.

Finally, environmental barriers are characteristics of infrastructure (physical or digital) and tools that prevent persons with disabilities to participate in agricultural activities. Examples include the lack of accessible physical infrastructure for training, transporting, storing, and marketing agricultural products, and of adapted tools for sowing, harvesting, or performing other farming activities. Environmental barriers also include barriers to the digital inclusion of farmers with disabilities.

Farmers living with disabilities not only face the aforementioned difficulties but also endure stigma and discrimination. Limited access to financial services further hinders their ability to purchase necessary inputs, while the absence of assistive technologies, such as prosthetic limbs, compounds the challenges they encounter.[4]

In addition to these difficulties, the voices and opinions of farmers living with disabilities are frequently disregarded when it comes to agricultural and food security matters. Furthermore, agricultural extension services often lack disability-friendly provisions.[5] The low participation and in some cases exclusion of persons living with disabilities from the agricultural workforce has substantial economic consequences, with the ILO estimating that African countries experience GDP losses of 3-7% due to this exclusion.[6]  

These systemic barriers perpetuate inequality and hinder the full participation and potential of farmers living with disabilities in the agricultural sector. Therefore, concerted efforts should be made to address these challenges, promote inclusivity, and ensure that support systems, financial services, assistive technologies, and agricultural extension services are accessible and responsive to the needs of all farmers, regardless of their disabilities.[7]

Digital agriculture solutions offer smallholder farmers the opportunity to overcome some of the existing pain points they face, such as low productivity, stagnating incomes and financial exclusion. Applications of digital solutions in agriculture range from information dissemination in advisory services to farm monitoring using smart farming tools and predictive analytics.

The African Union High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) advocates enhancing the participation of farmers with disabilities in the agricultural sector by leveraging digital agriculture. Digital agriculture entails the integration of digital technology in livestock and crop management, as well as other activities related to food production and maintenance. This encompasses various applications that utilise data generated in this field, enhancing the entire supply chain from seeds to farm animals to the end customer.[8]

APET firmly believes that digital agriculture solutions can enhance the connection between farmers with disabilities and agricultural value chain partners, ensuring improved and equal access to crop buyers, farming tools and equipment, and valuable information.[9] Moreover, digital agriculture can improve access to farming tools and equipment. Online platforms, for instance, can enable farmers living with disabilities to sell their crops, find buyers for their produce, and access information about farming practices.

Significant progress is already being made in several African countries with regard to utilizing digital agriculture to empower farmers living with disabilities. For example, in Kenya, the government has launched a programme called the Digital Agriculture for Inclusive Development (DAID) programme to provide training and support to empower farmers living with disabilities to utilise digital agriculture technologies to improve their productivity. Similarly, the Ghanaian government has partnered with the World Bank to develop the Ghana Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Project (GAPEP). This project is using digital agriculture technologies to enhance yields and incomes for farmers with disabilities.[10]

One exemplary organisation in Kenya is Kijiji Vision, which is dedicated to empowering visually impaired farmers. Through their mobile app called "Kijiji Vision Ag," farmers with visual impairments gain access to crucial information on crop production, pests and diseases, and market prices. Kijiji Vision Ag serves as a valuable resource for visually impaired farmers, enhancing their agricultural productivity and contributing to inclusive development. It is available in English and Kiswahili, can be freely downloaded, regularly updated, and supported by a team of agricultural experts to address farmers' queries.[11]

Remarkably, the app's voice-to-text feature makes information accessible to visually impaired users, showcasing how digital technology can empower individuals within the agricultural sector. Having been downloaded by over 1,000 Kenyan farmers, Kijiji Vision Ag has received a commendation for its accessibility and the quality of information it provides.

Farm Radio International (FRI) utilizes radio to enhance agricultural productivity for farmers in developing countries. In Ghana, FRI has introduced "Radio Farma," a programme tailored for farmers with hearing impairments, broadcasting in sign language with closed captions. The programme is broadcasted in English, Twi, and sign language across various radio stations in Ghana. This ensures the accessibility of information and features interviews with deaf or hard-of-hearing farmers, facilitating the exchange of experiences and insights. Supported by a team of agricultural experts with hearing impairments, Radio Farma contributes to improved agricultural productivity and inclusivity in Ghana.[12] Radio Farma has garnered commendations for its accessibility and informative content, showcasing the power of radio in empowering individuals with disabilities and fostering inclusive development. Figure 1 below shows a hard-of-hearing woman farmer accessing information on agriculture through radio.

Figure 1: Smallholder farmer engaging with the Farm Radio programme[13]

TechnoServe, an international organisation combating poverty through economic development, utilizes agricultural drones in Nigeria to assist farmers with mobility impairments in crop monitoring. By collecting data on crop size, health, and yield potential, drones enable informed decisions on crop management. The benefits for farmers with mobility impairments include remote crop monitoring, eliminating the need for extensive travel or physical exertion. The use of drones expedites data collection, surpassing traditional methods, saving time, and money, and aiding in effective decision-making. TechnoServe's efforts have resulted in training over 100 farmers, supplying 20 drones, and collecting 10,000 data points, showcasing how digital agriculture empowers individuals with disabilities.

Success stories like aquaponic farming in South Africa highlight the potential of innovative and scalable methods to enable smallholder farmers, including those with disabilities, to contribute to agriculture and address food security challenges. Additionally, digital technology platforms such as Mezzanine's Connected Farmer and DigiFarm play crucial roles in overcoming farming obstacles and connecting farmers with necessary services and products.

In view of the importance that APET attributes to digital technologies in agriculture, the panel urges governments and relevant stakeholders in the public and private sectors to collaborate and provide practical assistive technology solutions that can effectively address productivity limitations and thus, enhance their well-being. These assistive devices include specialised wheelchairs, designed for agricultural settings, which provide stability, visibility, and access to machinery. Other assistive tools such as adaptive hoes, shovels, cutlasses, and rakes offer improved grip and usability.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, such as speech-generating devices and text-to-speech software, aid communication. Additionally, information and communication technologies (ICT) such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets assist in accessing farming information and connecting with other farmers. APET asserts that these assistive tools demonstrate the potential of innovation and technology to empower farmers living with disabilities and enhance their participation in farming.  The panel urges governments to invest in such digital solutions to promote inclusive development in Africa.[14]

To assist farmers living with disabilities in African countries, APET provides several policy recommendations to be implemented. The panel encourages African countries to invest in assistive technology, such as specialised wheelchairs, adaptive tools, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, which can significantly enhance their farming capabilities. The panel further encourages countries to promote inclusive agricultural practices, such as providing accessible training, and education opportunities, and creating infrastructure that accommodates individuals with disabilities.[15]

The panel asserts that more needs to be done to understand disability inclusion in agriculture and identify ways in which digital solutions can empower farmers with disabilities. To leverage the potential of digital agriculture as a driver of disability inclusion of farmers with disabilities, APET emphasizes the need to address the barriers to their digital inclusion. For example, literacy and digital skills remain critical barriers to the inclusion of persons with disabilities, including farmers. Providing affordable mobile offerings and digital skills training are just two examples of how digital agriculture providers, operators and other stakeholders can support the digital inclusion of farmers with disabilities.

Raising awareness about the importance of inclusivity in the agricultural sector through public campaigns and educational initiatives can foster a supportive environment. To this end the panel recommends that governments and the private sector take measures such as providing training and education, ensuring access to markets, and offering financial support that can further empower farmers with disabilities. By adopting these policies, African countries can foster an environment that enables the success and food security of farmers with disabilities.[16] APET also encourages African countries to support and invest in digital agriculture solutions, including access to mobile phones, laptops, and tablets, which can facilitate market connections and access to vital information for farmers with disabilities.

Recognising the positive impact of digital technologies on agricultural productivity and revenue, the panel further encourages creators and suppliers of digital agriculture solutions to collaborate with farmers living with disabilities, to enhance their success and meaningful participation in Africa's agricultural sector, thereby contributing to long-term food security. By embracing disability inclusion as part of their core strategies, African governments, policy and decision-makers and relevant stakeholders can play a fundamental role in the inclusion of farmers with disabilities. 

 

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[1] https://www.fao.org/3/bo092e/bo092e.pdf

[2] https://www.tralac.org/images/docs/6460/agriculture-in-africa-transformation-and-outlook.pdf

https://www.ifad.org/thefieldreport/#:~:text=Smallholder%20farmers%20grow%20the%20food,diversified%20farms%20and%20food%20products.

[4] Harvey, C. A., Rakotobe, Z. L., Rao, N. S., Dave, R., Razafimahatratra, H., Rabarijohn, R. H., Rajaofara, H., & Mackinnon, J. L. (2014). The extreme vulnerability of smallholder farmers to agricultural risks and climate change in Madagascar. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 369(1639), 20130089. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0089

[5] https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahc8docs/ahc8fao1.pdf

[6] https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2016/02/Disability-Analysis-of-the-National-Development-Plan-2030.pdf

[7] https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/statements-and-speeches/WCMS_757974/lang--en/index.htm

[8] https://www.advancedmobilegroup.com/blog/what-is-digital-agriculture-and-what-are-the-benefits

[9] https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/programme/agritech/driving-inclusion-of-farmers-with-disabilities-through-digital-agriculture/

[10] Gashaw T. Abate, Kibrom A. Abay, Jordan Chamberlin, Yumna Kassim, David J. Spielman, Martin Paul Jr Tabe-Ojong, Digital tools and agricultural market transformation in Africa: Why are they not at scale yet, and what will it take to get there?, Food Policy, Volume 116, 2023, 102439, ISSN 0306-9192, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2023.102439.

[11] Pundlik S, Shivshanker P, Luo G. Impact of Apps as Assistive Devices for Visually Impaired Persons. Annu Rev Vis Sci. 2023 Apr 26. doi: 10.1146/annurev-vision-111022-123837. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37127283.

[12] https://www.rws.com/blog/rws-sign-language/

[13] chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://farmradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/farmradio-prcreport20111-1.pdf

[14] https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/AEX-983.2-11

[15] Trafford, Z., van der Westhuizen, E., McDonald, S., Linegar, M., & Swartz, L. (2021). More Than Just Assistive Devices: How a South African Social Enterprise Supports an Environment of Inclusion. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(5), 2655. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052655

[16] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5af976ab40f0b622d4e9810f/Assistive_technologies_in_developing-countries.pdf