Agricultural work in mountainous areas such as grass cutting is done manually. Because of the many slopes it is difficult to introduce a robot. At the same time, there is a huge labour shortage in japanese agriculture as the rural population is aging and the young are not attracted by the agricultural sector. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will work on the development of an unmanned mowing robot. The new unmanned vehicle is based on a passenger type mowing machine, but obviously much smaller. It has been miniaturized essentially by changing the power from engine...
Global Forest Watch (GFW) is an interactive online forest monitoring and alert system designed for users to access the information they need to better manage and conserve forest landscapes. The mission of the Global Forest Watch is to provide the most precise information about the status of forest landscapes worldwide. GFW works in collaboration with NASA , Google and the University of Maryland to collect data on forest change which is displayed on an interactive map. Watch this introductory video by the Global Forest Watch: GFW is free and enables users to work with a wide variety of tools,...
Since September 2016, Tanzania's government deploys drones for land mapping in rural areas in order to stop frequent clashes between farmers and cattle herders over land and scarce water resources. "The use of drones helps us to define the boundaries of plots of land on the ground with great accuracy," said Samuel Msaki, a senior land mapping official at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), capture high-resolution images that can be used to conduct precise aerial surveys so that national planners can identify and digitize actual...
Literacy Bridge was founded in 2007 to improve livelihoods through comprehensive programs that provide access to locally relevant knowledge. Its ‘Talking Book’ is a simple and low-cost audio-based mobile device that allows people with minimal literacy skills in rural areas, without electricity or internet access, to get access and share knowledge on agriculture and health. The Talking Book can speak multiple languages and can play content on different topics based on the knowledge of local experts. It also allow recording onto it, so that users can create and document their own knowledge...
RevoFarm is a Jamaican based app designed to connect farmers to markets and market data. Farmers send an SMS with their available crops and the information is uploaded on the website. Consumers, which can also include supermarkets who want fresh produce from farmers, can then search the RevoFarm marketplace (on the website or on the app) and find fresh farm produce closest to them. The app also supplies farmers with valueable information to plan their planting season, based on projected weather patterns, crop marketability and soil type. Farmers can also rate and comment this information...
Ari.farm is a new agricultural app based in Stockholm and designed to bring nomadic Somali livestock farmers into the digital economy. The concept on which the project evolves is called “crowd-farming,” similar to crowd-funding but adapted to agriculture, consisting in connecting farmers and investors through a digital platform. The Ari.farm mobile application permits users to purchase and invest in livestock in Somalia with the help of a smartphone. Users can buy animals such as goats, sheep, cows or camels which are then raised and cared for by the nomadic farmers. Profits are then shared...
M-Pesa (M is for mobile, “pesa” is Swahili for “money”) was launched by Safaricom, Vodafone’s Kenyan associate, on March 6, 2007. The service is designed to safely send receive and store money via a simple mobile phone. The service also allows customers to make bill payments and top-up airtime. In order to use M-Pesa, customers have to register for the service at an authorised agent and deposit cash in exchange for electronic money which they can send to their family or friends. All transactions are secured by entering a PIN number and both parties receive an SMS confirming the transferred...
The GSMA mAgri Programme forges partnerships between mobile operators, technology providers and agricultural organisations. Although it has enourmous potential, Mexico seems to have been left out by ICT for agriculture initiatives. This article presents seven reasons for which Mexican agriculture should invest in ICT related projects to lift farmers out of poverty and into the 21st century. 1. The needs of Mexican farmers are huge 3.9 million farmers out of 5.3 million in Mexico earn of less than USD 1,000 per year. 61 per cent of Mexican farmers live in poverty. The reasons for this...
The Youth for Africa and SDGs YAS ! Portal is an online portal created by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support the development and growth of youth entrepreneurship in Africa. The portal aims to help entrepreneurs by providing them advice on enterprise development, serve as an African hub for support services concerning African youth entrepreneurship and run challenges and award financing to youth to develop SDG related business ideas. UNDP is seeking advice and help through an online challenge to develop the online portal and keeping it sustainable. The challenge is open...
By 2050, there will be 9.6 billion people in the planet. Feeding the whole worldwide population will be a central challenge for the next generations. Farmers will have to think of ways to reduce the inputs, for example water and pesticides, while maintaining the outputs. Drones can be of great help to farmers in reducing the inputs while trying to provide the same production, or even increase it. This article presents six ways in which drones can be central in agricultural productivity and sustainability. 1. Soil and field analysis: Drones produce precise 3-D maps for early soil analysis for...
