◆ The processing and sale stage is critical for farmer incomes by bringing agricultural production in rural areas closer to urban and global consumers. They must also be aware of possible trends in climatic conditions and learn how to adapt their production methods accordingly. Smallholder farmers must take a long-term view when making decisions on resource use to generate sufficient profits so as to earn a living. The objective is to enable smallholder farmers to engage in specialized production at a higher level of productivity to save both financial and natural resources. ◆ The production stage (planting, monitoring, and harvesting) involves the use of resources such as soil, water, and energy. It is during this stage that smallholder farmers decide what, when, where, and which plants to grow considering the requirements for space, sunshine, water, and other factors. ◆ The preparatory stage (crop planning, purchase of inputs, and soil preparation) is critical for the overall value of the agricultural output of smallholder farmers. The subsequent sections focus on the use of frontier technologies in three key stages of the agricultural cycle. Frontier technologies can play a role in mitigating these information asymmetries by providing real-time and precise data that inform smallholder farmers in their decision-making at every stage of the agricultural cycle (figure 1). Throughout the agricultural cycle, smallholder farmers also face particular challenges in accessing information about weather and climate, knowledge on plot-specific inputs and planting techniques, and data about markets, which would allow them to establish stronger and more direct links to consumers. For example, smallholder farmers’ access to better credit facilities can be hindered by financial illiteracy and the inability to provide the necessary information to financial institutions for credit analysis and loan appraisal. Many of these challenges stem from insufficient information. Smallholder farmers face challenges throughout the agricultural cycle, from crop planning and purchase of inputs to harvesting, processing, and sale of their products. Frontier technologies can reduce information asymmetries throughout the agricultural cycle The FTI highlights the benefits of these technologies, the barriers to their adoption, as well as the factors that may enable their implementation. This Frontier Technology Issue (FTI) focuses on a select set of technologies that address informational challenges that farmers face and that have the potential to create high economic value for smallholder farms in developing countries. Although these farms account for only 12 per cent of all farmland, they provide an estimated 80 per cent of the food produced in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (Lowder and others, 2014).1 The enhanced application of smart, digital, and precision technologies is critical for raising the agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers in developing countries and generating the rural transformation needed for achieving the SDGs by 2030. More than 80 per cent of the world’s half a billion farms operate on less than two hectares of land. But there are enormous opportunities for the greater application of such technologies by smallholder farmers, including in low-income countries. The application of smart, digital, and precision technologies has already had significant impact on farming worldwide, primarily in large-scale farming in high-income countries. Use of these technologies helps address information asymmetries and deficiencies facing farmers, particularly smallholders, which can improve agricultural productivity and save costs, while also helping to mitigate the environmental impact of farm activities. Such technologies are wide-ranging, including small mobile applications for decision support, field sensors and remote sensing technologies for data collection, drones and robots for automation of processes, and digital platforms for market access and sales. While fertilizers, genetically modified crops, and biotechnology have brought substantial benefits for farmers in recent decades, the accelerated application of smart, digital, and precision agricultural technologies offers a historic opportunity to improve farm productivity going forward.
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