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Policy briefTransforming agriculture with digital automation 2022
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No results found.The adoption of digital automation technologies in agriculture has been slow despite its potential to enhance the precision of agricultural operations, improve working conditions, and address environmental challenges, while building resilience to shocks and stresses. Most technologies are still relatively new and costly, especially for low- and middle-income countries, where poor connectivity and energy supply, and limited human capacity further hinder adoption. Incentivizing uptake requires creating a conducive business environment and suiting technologies to local conditions, especially for small-scale agriculture. -
Policy briefEnabling inclusive agricultural automation 2022
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No results found.Agricultural automation reshapes the labour market. In situations of rising wages and labour scarcity, agricultural automation can stimulate employment by allowing producers to expand production and by creating jobs along agrifood systems. Conversely, when labour is plentiful and subsidies lower the cost of automation, there is a risk of job displacement and unemployment, especially for poor and low-skilled workers. Governments should neither subsidize automation, nor restrict it. Instead, they should create an enabling environment for an inclusive process of agricultural automation that ensures access by marginalized groups such as women and small-scale producers, and focuses on building the knowledge and skills of the agricultural workforce to facilitate the transition to new jobs within and outside agriculture. -
Book (series)Agricultural digitalization and automation in low- and middle-income countries: Evidence from ten case studies
Background paper for The State of Food and Agriculture 2022
2022Also available in:
No results found.Digital and automation solutions can solve labour bottlenecks, increase agricultural productivity, resilience and efficiency, and improve environmental sustainability. However, access is limited in low- and lower-middle-income countries, especially for small-scale producers. Based on ten case studies in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and Asia, this study investigates the suitability of digital and automation solutions for small-scale producers, the main drivers and barriers to their adoption and the role of policies and regulations in creating an enabling environment. Findings show that technologies in the study countries are largely limited to smartphones and tablets, and related software tools (e.g. mobile applications). Most digital and automation solutions focus on crops, some on livestock and aquaculture, and a few on agroforestry. The most important adoption barriers include the high investment cost, lack of digital skills and knowledge and a lack of an enabling environment. Yet, advances in mechanization supported by digital technologies, and the development of hiring platforms foster adoption. The emergence of guidelines, strategic plans and policies that regulate and streamline automation should be encouraged, as should providing producers with information about the benefits and costs of digital and automation solutions.
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