How do you know you’re having an impact when there are 9 billion people to feed? Ben Pratt, president of the Mosaic Company Foundation for Sustainable Food Systems, on how to do more with less while maximizing impact in the sustainable agriculture space.

By Devex Partnerships // 27 March 2025

When it comes to advancing sustainable agricultural practices, getting the most out of scarce resources, such as water and land, is critical. The same is true for the foundations dedicated to this same cause.

“We realize that in a resource-scarce world, we can’t fund every program in the world,” said Ben Pratt, president of the newly relaunched Mosaic Company Foundation for Sustainable Food Systems. “For us, it really comes down to education.”

For the past two decades, the foundation has worked with its partners to empower farmers in Brazil, India, and the United States with the tools and knowledge they need to achieve agricultural self-sufficiency. Prioritizing measurable impact in these specific regions has allowed the foundation to multiply the positive effect of its funding, Pratt explained.

“We want to help smallholder farmers access and use inputs, soil, and water efficiently and sustainably,” said Pratt, who also serves as the vice president of public affairs for The Mosaic Company. “Then, we want to move on to other farmers in the same regions so we can have a much more broad-based impact.”

As the foundation enters its next phase, it is sharpening its focus on farmer-led initiatives to increase yields, bolster soil health, and protect water.

“We’re going from a sort of broad-based corporate foundation that would consider funding a wide range of things to really honing our focus on this single strategy,” Pratt said of the foundation’s relaunch. “I would say it’s an evolution,” he added. “The foundation has been around for 20 years, and this represents a progression of that important work.”

Speaking to Devex, Pratt explained how the foundation plans to build on its previous successes to maximize its impact in the sustainable agriculture space.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What has the foundation achieved so far that gives you hope for further success moving forward?

Our foundation’s been around for about 20 years, and we’re very proud of the work we’ve done in many regions of the world. One of our most proud accomplishments is a program in India, the Krishi Jyoti project. It means “enlightened agriculture.” We work with a third party there, the Sehgal Foundation, and it’s not too much to say that we have fundamentally improved hundreds of thousands of lives in India.  

We’ve done that by going into villages where people have been farming the same very small plots of land for many generations without sufficient inputs, without sufficient water, and we train them to apply and use them efficiently. This has boosted yields by 35% and transformed entire communities.

One of the first sets of these farmers I met about a decade back came to an event we had just a couple of years ago — and he is proof the program has worked. The cohort of farmers is sustainable, self-sufficient, and productive, feeding their families and selling some of what they produce for income rather than falling far below formerly subsistence-level farming. And that’s incredibly gratifying to see thousands and thousands of farmers who have gone from not being able to live with what they produce to being very productive and staying that way for the long term.

What are the biggest lessons the foundation has learned so far from working with its partners to advance sustainable agricultural practices?

One is that long-term, committed partnership is key. We can provide funding, and we can be there to help with agronomic expertise and people, but we need third-party NGO partners who can bring the whole thing together and be boots on the ground for us.

The most important thing about measurable, meaningful, and growable impact for us is this ability to go to a specific place, spend a couple of years with farmers in that area, training them and improving their infrastructure. After bringing them to a level of self-sufficiency, we can reinvest program resources with their neighbors. We’re not perpetually funding the same few people, but multiplying the impact of our limited resources to transform entire communities.

Are there any unique challenges facing farmers in each of the regions you work in?

In India, where there are something like 300 million farmers — there are almost as many farmers in India as there are people in the United States — and they, by and large, farm very small plots of land. They need access to education, credit, inputs, and most of all, especially in this climate change-impacted world, they need water. Water is a scarce resource in many parts of India where the summer temperatures are getting into 120 deg Fahrenheit (and above) these days.

In Brazil, a lot of people who know about agriculture think of Brazilian farmers as these megafarmers who have 200,000 hectares of land. However, there are also a lot of smaller farmers who are significantly disadvantaged against those much larger peers, and they need the same kinds of access I mentioned.

Then, in the U.S., it’s a different model for us. Farmers recognize that food security also relies on soil health and nutrient stewardship. We want to make sure that farmers get the most value out of the products they use by optimizing nutrient use efficiency and protecting top soil from erosion. The foundation’s leadership in [the] 4R Nutrient Stewardship [framework] funds technical assistance to increase capacity, and expands best practices in nutrient use efficiency to 10 million acres.

How can the next generation of farmers be equipped with what they need to lead on best sustainable agriculture practices?

First of all, we need farmers, and we need to make farming an appealing business and an appealing lifestyle. This isn’t [only] beneficial for us — it’s for everybody around the world. We need younger people, kids growing up on farms, to see that what their parents are doing is an appealing way of living and they can make a good living at it. So that’s the first thing we really need to keep attracting people to farming. The only way to do that is to make sure current farmers are successful.

That’s why for the foundation, we are really focused on educating current farmers, and helping to make sure that as many farmers as possible around the world have access to all the information and innovations they need to be as productive as they can be. Then, while we’re doing that, we should educate them about the necessity of good environmental stewardship.

Keep in mind the world needs its food system at large to grow and be more productive and sustainable because the U.N. still expects us to have 9 billion people on this earth by 2050. And we can’t bring a lot more land into agricultural production because you can’t deforest land as a primary means of achieving food security and still meet global climate goals. So we need the land that is there to be maximally productive, and that’s what we’re hoping to focus on through the foundation with particularly disadvantaged farmers around the world.

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“Regenerative” practices such as crop rotation, cover crops, conservation tillage and integrated pest management have been implemented, at some level, on many row crop farms for years.

I am an avid listener of several podcasts on many topics. I appreciate the diversity of people and topics that podcasters have on their respective shows. The UGA peanut podcast “All About the Pod” is a pretty awesome one.  

Sometime in the last several months, a few of my favorite podcasters have interviewed speakers addressing the concept of “regenerative agriculture.” Despite more than 42 years of working in production agriculture, I was a bit unsure of what that concept really meant. Generally, the take-home message that I heard from these specific podcasts was that this would be the only acceptable way to produce food in the future.     

The Noble Research Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to farm and ranch education, defines regenerative agriculture as “the process of restoring degraded soils using management practices,” such as adaptive grazing, no-till planting no or limited use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, based on ecological principles. Someone put a ton of thought into that one, but there is much to unpack here. 

I have worked as a row crop county agent and Extension specialist in three separate areas of the U.S. for 33 years and am pretty sure that every farmer that I have worked with did not have a “degraded” soil. Every grower knows that soil health is paramount to success. All plant life begins there. Other “regenerative” practices such as crop rotation, cover crops, conservation tillage and integrated pest management (IPM) have been implemented, at some level, on many row crop farms for years.  

There are three things that concern me in regard to this particular definition of regenerative agriculture that many might not be thinking about. These include:  

• Increasing U.S. and world populations 

• Loss of productive farmland 

• Yield reductions associated with “organic or no pesticide” farming 

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the U.S. population is estimated to increase to 383 million by 2054. OurWorldinData.org is predicting the world population to increase to 9.81 billion by 2054. That’s a lot more mouths that farmers will have to feed.  

Recent USDA surveys clearly show that the amount of U.S. farmland is on the decline. This acreage reduction trend should be a great concern to all because of these projected increases in population. Where are we going to grow all this food? As far as I know, the Good Lord is not making any more land with the possible exception of Hawaii, which has active volcanoes to potentially add land overtime.  

A 2023 meta-analysis of 105 studies that compared organic and conventional farming indicated that the crop yields of organic farming were on average 18.4% lower than the yields of conventional farming. In the future, our country and world will need more food, not less. Limited weed management options that are acceptable for certified-organic production are one of several factors that can contribute to reduced yields in organic systems.  

It has been my experience that growers have three main goals in mind:  

• Make a decent living 

• Leave their farm and land in way better shape than when they got it 

• Pass it on to the next generation 

This would be my simple definition of “regenerative agriculture.” 

Nothing in this world, with the exception of my wife and best friend of 42 years, is perfect. For sure, production agriculture can always do better. But, just about every person that I know who lives and breathes agriculture every day is more than willing to have an open discussion about any new science-based pest management strategies that might be available for practical use.  

However, this discussion must also include the use of pesticides. If not, I fear that many folks might get hungry? I am hopeful that the podcasters that I regularly follow will consider talking about all sides of this important story. There is much common ground.  

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Parasitic weeds are ruthless freeloaders, stealing nutrients from crops and devastating harvests. But what if farmers could trick these invaders into self-destructing? Scientists at UC Riverside think they’ve found a way.

Across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, places already struggling with food insecurity, entire fields of staples like rice and sorghum can be lost to a group of insidious weeds that drain crops of their nutrients before they can grow. Farmers battle these parasites with few effective tools, but UCR researchers may be able to turn the weeds’ own biology against them.

This trick is detailed in the journal Science, and at its heart lies a class of hormones called strigolactones—unassuming chemicals that play dual roles. Internally, they help control growth and the plants’ response to stresses like insufficient water. Externally, they do something that is unusual for plant hormones.

“Most of the time, plant hormones do not radiate externally—they aren’t exuded. But these do,” said UCR plant biologist and paper co-author David Nelson. “Plants use strigolactones to attract fungi in the soil that have a beneficial relationship with plant roots.”

Unfortunately for farmers, parasitic weeds have learned to hijack the strigolactone signals, using them as an invitation to invade.

Once the weeds sense the presence of strigolactones, they germinate and latch on to a crop’s roots, draining them of essential nutrients.

“These weeds are waiting for a signal to wake up. We can give them that signal at the wrong time—when there’s no food for them—so they sprout and die,” Nelson said. “It’s like flipping their own switch against them, essentially encouraging them to commit suicide.”

To understand strigolactone production, the research team led by Yanran Li, formerly at UCR and now at UC San Diego, developed an innovative system using bacteria and yeast. By engineering E. coli and yeast cells to function like tiny chemical factories, they recreated the biological steps necessary to produce these hormones. This breakthrough allows researchers to study strigolactone synthesis in a controlled environment and potentially produce large amounts of these valuable chemicals.

The researchers also studied the enzymes responsible for producing strigolactones, identifying a metabolic branch point that may have been crucial in the evolution of these hormones from internal regulators to external signals.

“This is a powerful system for investigating plant enzymes,” Nelson said. “It enables us to characterize genes that have never been studied before and manipulate them to see how they affect the type of strigolactones being made.”

Beyond agriculture, strigolactones hold promise for medical and environmental applications. Some studies suggest they could be used as anti-cancer or anti-viral agents, and there is interest in their potential role in combating citrus greening disease, which is doing large-scale damage to citrus crops in Florida.

Scientists still have questions about whether the weed suicide strategy will work in real-world fields. “We’re testing whether we can fine-tune the chemical signal to be even more effective,” Nelson said. “If we can, this could be a game-changer for farmers battling these weeds.”

This research was led by distinguished UCR professor and geneticist Julia Bailey-Serres.

More information: Anqi Zhou et al, Evolution of interorganismal strigolactone biosynthesis in seed plants, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adp0779

Journal information: Science 

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Worldwide, farmers are being challenged with a variety of issues, including growing populations, a changing climate and soil degradation, among many others. To combat these challenges, researchers are looking for solutions and have begun to focus their research on the viability of sustainable agriculture practices, like cover crops.

“One of the main ways to improve the sustainability of agriculture is to utilize cover crops,” said Deepak Joshi, a recent Ph.D. graduate from South Dakota State University’s Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science.

A cover crop is a plant that is used primarily to slow erosion and improve soil health. Cover crops are planted in the short time period following a harvest and are “killed off” prior to the planting of the next cash crop.

“It is assumed that cover crops will improve soil health and soil carbon,” Joshi added.

Joshi’s research provided an overview of conservation agriculture technology as strategies to minimize soil degradation, climate change challenges, and food insecurity issues in developing countries. It also investigated the impact of cover crops on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in a corn cropping system through a meta-analysis of previous cover crop studies as well as through field experiment. The paper is published in the Agronomy Journal.

Cover crops

Experimental research on cover crops is widespread with more than 61 peer-reviewed cover crop studies having been completed and digitally available through May 2022. The challenge—as Joshi points out—is that the studies do not always provide a clear answer on the benefits of cover crops.

“There are numerous studies conducted about cover crops, but it is unclear whether they increase or decrease soil carbon,” Joshi said. “If you read through the published articles, some report an increase and others a decrease. The information provided was unclear.”

For his own research, Joshi combined all known cover crop studies (61) on corn cropping systems into one meta-analysis. It was found that cover crops increase the soil organic carbon by 7.3%—a significant amount.

Soil organic carbon is the measurable component of soil organic matter and is a key element in determining soil quality. A higher soil organic carbon percentage indicates greater soil health.

“Ultimately, cover crops are taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stirring it into the soil,” Joshi said. “That means cover crops can help improve the growing climate problem and also help improve soil health.”

Joshi found that current corn fields with cover crops have a soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration rate of .8 Mg. This means that if all U.S. corn fields used cover crops, 29.12 million Mg SOC could be sequestered annually, which equals 107 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from nearly 247.5 million barrels of oil or 23.8 million gasoline-powered vehicles driven for one year.

“From the two-year field experiment conducted, we found rye cover crop during growth stage reduced N₂O emission while it increased during decomposition. However, when we combined both growth phases, cover crop and no cover crop treatment had similar emission. This means that cover crops have no effect on GHG emissions, instead it improves soil health by improving soil microorganisms, soil moisture and soil carbon,” Joshi said.

“It will also ultimately increase the crop yield for the next harvest season as well,” Joshi added.

The meta-analysis showed that adopting cover crops increased corn yield by 23%.

While cover crops have long had low adoption rates for farmers in the Upper Midwest, more are gaining a clear understanding of the proven benefits, and adoption rates have begun to increase in recent years.

More information: Deepak R. Joshi et al, A global meta‐analysis of cover crop response on soil carbon storage within a corn production system, Agronomy Journal (2023). DOI: 10.1002/agj2.21340

Journal information: Agronomy Journal 

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One of the most compelling reasons to choose aquaponics is its sustainability. As a closed system, this method uses much less water than traditional farming. A farmer shares tips on how to approach this production method.

Aquaponics presents a transformative solution for sustainable food production in a country where arable land and water are becoming increasingly scarce. By combining fish farming with soilless plant cultivation in a single, closed-loop system, aquaponics maximises resource efficiency while minimising environmental impact.

This farming method requires significantly less water than traditional agriculture, making it especially beneficial for communities grappling with limited access to irrigation. At the forefront of this innovative approach is MJ Nunes, an agriculturalist and the owner-director of Sable Creek Farms in Limpopo.

With a background in agricultural management and a passion for system design, Nunes has built a fully integrated aquaponics facility that prioritises energy efficiency, biological balance, and market-driven crop production. Nunes offers tips from extensive hands-on experience to unpack the core principles and practical strategies for building and operating a successful aquaponics system.

Understand why aquaponics works

One of the most compelling reasons to choose aquaponics is its sustainability. Due to it being a closed system, aquaponics uses significantly less water than traditional farming.

“It means we save about 95% water compared to traditional or other farming techniques,” Nunes says. Additionally, aquaponics is entirely organic. Farmers cannot use synthetic chemicals or pesticides because they would harm the fish in the system.

Key to the success of this configuration is filtration (e.g. radial flow or swirl filters) to remove solids and biological processes (biofilters) to convert ammonia into usable nitrates. This ensures nutrient availability for crops while protecting fish health.

“Each system includes four aquaculture tanks connected to six media beds and six deep water culture (DWC) rafts, all in the same loop. The solids are mechanically and biologically filtered before the water reaches the plants,” he explains.

Another unique benefit of the aquaponic system is its suitability for urban or small-scale farming, especially in water-scarce areas like South Africa.

Recognise the dual income potential

One of the major advantages of aquaponics is that it can produce two sources of income: fish and crops. “Your produce in aquaponics grows about two times faster and quicker than growing in the soil. Your turnaround time for your produce from seed to harvest is much quicker.”

While aquaponics systems can be costly to set up, Nunes notes that the investment is worth it in the long run due to reduced operating costs and high efficiency. Operating costs are much lower compared to conventional farming, especially for those growing organic produce.

“Aquaponics production cost is much lower than farming in soil. Your price for your organic produce doesn’t have to be sky high because it’s got the name organic.”

Stocking and feeding strategies

Sable Creek produces market-size tilapia, targeting 200g to 350g weights within a 7 to 8-month cycle. Tilapia, being hardy and temperature-tolerant, are ideal for South African climates.

“We run two different aquaponic systems – each one 1000 to 3000 litres per tank, depending on the age and size of fish. We have our own nursery system where we grow fry and juveniles to fingerlings, and then we grade them before placing them into our aquaponic systems,” he says.

By staggering fish ages and using a grading system, Nunes explains that this reduces in-tank competition and mortality. It also ensures steady nutrient output, which translates to consistent plant growth.

Choose the right crops

Nunes explains that some crops thrive in aquaponics systems more than others. For optimal results, focus on fast-growing, water-loving crops.

“Herbs do extremely well, lettuces do extremely well, tomatoes do extremely well, peppers do well, chillies do well in the system,” he says. Plant varieties are selected based on nutrient demand, growth rate, and market potential.

The use of media beds supports root crops and beneficial bacteria, while DWC rafts are ideal for lighter leafy greens like lettuce, basil, and rocket.

Monitoring and water quality management

Water chemistry is at the heart of system health in aquaponics. The pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels must be constantly monitored and balanced for both plant and fish requirements.

“If any value goes out of range, the entire system is affected,” says Nunes. To prevent disease and maintain productivity, the facility is designed with biosecurity protocols such as foot baths, mesh screening, and limited access to tanks.

Resource efficiency and power usage

In line with sustainability principles, Nunes highlights energy minimisation and system automation. “The whole system is designed to run on less than 2kWh per hour. We use variable speed pumps, gravity-assisted drainage, and off-grid options like solar aeration.”

These interventions make the system resilient to load shedding and reduce operational costs, a critical aspect for small-scale commercial viability.

Business and market integration

Nunes emphasises the importance of full traceability, compliance, and certification where required. He encourages aspiring aquaponics producers to plan for market access early.

“We harvest, wash, chill and deliver on the same day. This shortens the time to shelf, so retailers get fresher produce and it lasts longer for consumers.” He also stresses the importance of working within strict quality control frameworks.

“Our lettuce goes from field to chiller in under an hour, and we keep it at 2–5°C throughout the cold chain.” An aquaponic system is not only a production model but a system with room for research and further innovation, aimed at showcasing replicable technologies for urban and peri-urban farmers.

“The goal is to build a model that can be scaled up or down, with minimal environmental impact and maximum food output per square metre,” he says.

Biosecurity

Disease control is critical to maintaining healthy fish and crops. “Sanitation is a big thing. If I go to a fish farm today and go into my greenhouse again, I could be bringing something in through my shoes,” Nunes cautions.

He ensures every greenhouse is equipped with foot baths and sanitation areas, minimising risk. Viruses like tobacco mosaic can spread through human contact, which is why visitors who smoke must take precautions.

Embracing technology

Nunes recommends incorporating simple yet effective technologies to run efficient systems. To manage South Africa’s unreliable power supply, his systems include global system for mobile communication (GSM) units.

“If the power does go off after it’s changed over to our solar unit, it will then alert us through a proper alarm to tell us that the power is off.” Nunes is also developing a digital water parameter monitoring system, replacing manual test kits.

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In recent years, precision agriculture has gained prominence within the agricultural industry. This approach integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven insights to revolutionize traditional farming methods. Precision agriculture is increasingly recognized for its role in modernizing farming practices, delivering numerous advantages, and advancing sustainability and efficiency.

Precision agriculture is fundamentally a comprehensive farming strategy that leverages advanced technologies to optimize various facets of crop production. Precision Agriculture Transform Farming with AI and data analysis to enhance crop productivity conserve resources and address environmental concerns.

The primary objective is to provide farmers with real-time information regarding soil conditions, climate patterns, crop health and other factors, for decision-making. Essentially precision farming empowers farmers to make accurate choices by leveraging data related to land, weather, crops and various other variables.

This empowers them to tailor their actions, encompassing irrigation, fertilization, and pest management, to meet the specific requirements of their crops. The result is improved productivity, reduced costs, and enhanced sustainability.

Continue reading to explore how precision agriculture harmonizes with nature to enable farmers to make more informed decisions and farm with unprecedented efficiency.

How Is Precision Agriculture Transforming Farming with AI and Data-Driven insights?

In precision agriculture, precision agriculture technologies such as AI, GPS, and data-driven insights are integrated for efficient farming. This approach improves the crop production through real-time information on soil conditions, climate, and crop health, empowering farmers to make accurate decisions. The result is enhanced productivity, reduced costs, and improved sustainability for the future of agriculture.

Application of Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture optimizes farming practices using advanced technology. Its applications include VRT, GPS/GNSS tracking, remote sensing, and data analytics to enhance resource management, increase yields, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

1. Variable Rate Technology
   VRT allows farmers to adjust input application rates like fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds across fields based on soil variability, optimizing yields while reducing costs and environmental impact.
2. Remote Sensing Technologies
   RST such as satellites and drones, provide key data on crop health, moisture levels, and nutrient status. It helps farmers in informed decision-making for effective crop management.
3. Precision Irrigation systems
   PIS like drip irrigation, equipped with VRT, deliver water more efficiently based on factors like soil moisture and weather forecasts. This enhances water savings and crop yields.
4. Crop Monitoring and Management Software
   It integrates data from sensors, drones, and satellite imagery to monitor crop growth. Besides, it detects pests and diseases, and optimize management practices for timely interventions.
5. Data Analytics and Decision Support Systems
   It analyzes diverse data sources to make data-driven decisions on crop management, resource allocation, and risk mitigation, enhancing profitability and sustainability.

How Data Analytics Is Transforming Agriculture?

Data analytics is kind of like the superhero of modern farming, swooping in to change the game for traditional farming methods. It’s like giving farming a supercharged upgrade, and we call it “Precision agriculture” or “Smart farming.” This whole deal involves bringing in fancy tech and loads of information to lend a hand to farmers, researchers, and farm businesses. They’re all about making smarter choices and growing stuff in the slickest way possible.

Now picture this: instead of taking wild guesses, farmers can tap into data to know precisely what their crops and animals need. They’ve got these cool gadgets and computers that collect info from every corner of the farm. It’s like having a team of experts helping them figure out the best way to use stuff like water, fertilizer, and pesticides. In a nutshell, they’re leveling up their farming game.

Here’s how data analytics is transforming agriculture:

1. Data Collection and Insights: Utilizing sensors, satellites, and IoT devices, farmers gather real-time data on soil conditions, weather, and crop health, enabling informed decisions for better outcomes.
2. Predictive Analysis: Historical and current data are analyzed to predict crop yield, disease outbreaks, and market trends, aiding farmers in efficient planning and risk reduction.
3. Optimized Crop Management: Data analytics tailors irrigation, fertilization, and resource allocation based on soil health, optimizing yield while minimizing resource wastage.
4. Disease and Pest Control: Early detection via data analysis helps prevent disease spread. AI tools identify crop damage, guiding timely interventions for pest management.
5. Prescriptive Farming Solutions: Data-driven recommendations guide farmers on crop choices, resource application, and timing, enhancing overall operational efficiency and output.

How Can Data-Driven and Digital Agriculture Transform Agriculture and Food Systems?

Given the increasing need, for food and the urgency to embrace methods it is crucial to incorporate data-driven and digitalized techniques in agriculture. This shift is vital, in guaranteeing food security minimizing harm and enhancing agricultural efficiency. Let’s take a closer look at each of these aspects:

Global Food Demand and Sustainable Agriculture

The population of the world is steadily increasing, with projections suggesting that by 2050, it could reach approximately 9 to 10 billion by statista. This demographic growth places immense pressure on agriculture to produce more food.

At the time traditional farming methods faced obstacles due, to climate change depletion of resources and degradation of land. We are increasingly required to increase food production while also minimizing harm to the environment and ensuring sustainability, in the run.

Addressing Challenges through Data-Driven and Digital Agriculture

Data-driven and digital agriculture are like the tech-savvy wizards of the farming world. They use technology, data analysis, and the magic of connectivity to supercharge everything about farming and food production. Imagine bringing in high-tech stuff like precision agriculture, fancy sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets, and even artificial intelligence (AI) to make farming smarter and better. It’s like giving farming a turbo boost with all the latest tech tricks! The benefits include:

1. Precision Farming: Farmers can gather and analyse data about their fields’ specific conditions, including soil moisture, nutrient levels, and crop health. This information enables precise application of fertilizers, pesticides, and water, reducing waste and increasing yield.
2. Predictive Analytics: By analysing historical and real-time data, predictive models can forecast weather patterns, pest outbreaks, and disease occurrences. This enables farmers to take proactive measures to mitigate potential threats and optimize production.
3. Supply Chain Efficiency: Digital tools help streamline the supply chain by tracking products from farm to fork. This transparency enhances food safety, minimizes waste, and ensures better market access for farmers.
4. Decision Support Systems: Data-driven insights empower farmers to make informed decisions about crop rotation, planting times, and resource allocation, leading to improved productivity and resource management.

Fascinating Figures

• Did you know? A McKinsey study suggests that these fancy digital farming gizmos might give global agriculture a whopping $500 billion to $1.5 trillion boost each year by 2030.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) spills the beans: precision farming could cut down production costs by about 10-20% and pump up yields by 10-15%.
• Here’s a gem from The World Bank: those cool digital farming tools can be a real game-changer for the little guys, the small-scale farmers. They’ll get easier access to info, markets, and even money stuff.

How Precision Agriculture Technologies, such as GPS, IoT, and Sensors, Are Revolutionizing Farming Practices

Precision Agriculture Technologies like GPS, IoT, and sensors are reshaping farming by employing data-driven methods that enhance productivity and sustainability.

These technologies collaborate to offer real-time monitoring and predictive analysis, enabling informed decisions. GPS accurately locates equipment and crop attributes, forming the foundation for data collection.

IoT connects devices through the internet, collecting diverse data like soil moisture, temperature, and crop health. Sensors capture environmental data, including weather and pH levels. The integration of these technologies unfolds as follows:

1. Data Collection: IoT sensors gather field data, transmitting it to a central database.
2. Geospatial Context: GPS assigns geographical coordinates to collected data, aiding spatial analysis.
3. Data Integration: Collected data from sensors and GPS merge in a central database, creating a holistic view.
4. Real-Time Monitoring: Farmers monitor factors like soil moisture and crop health in real time, enabling swift decisions on irrigation and pest control.
5. Decision Support Systems: User-friendly dashboards provide actionable insights, guiding planting, harvesting, and resource allocation.

AI in Agriculture

AI in agriculture uses AI technologies to improve farming practices. It has applications such as automation, predictive analytics, and disease detection. AI-powered robots can perform tasks like planting and harvesting, improving efficiency. Predictive analytics helps farmers make informed decisions on irrigation and pest control. AI algorithms can detect diseases in plants or animals through image analysis, enabling early action and reduced pesticide use. Overall, AI in agriculture increases productivity, optimizes resource allocation, and reduces environmental impact.

Apart from this, there are numerous benefits of AI in agriculture. Firstly, AI can help farmers reduce production costs by optimizing resource allocation and minimizing waste. By accurately predicting crop yield and quality, farmers can make better decisions about when to harvest and sell their produce, maximizing profits. Secondly, AI can contribute to sustainable farming practices. By efficiently monitoring and managing water usage, fertilizer application, and pesticide use, AI helps minimize environmental impact and reduce chemical usage, leading to more sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices.

Thirdly, AI can enhance food safety and security by quickly detecting and addressing disease outbreaks or pests. This allows farmers to take timely preventive measures, reducing crop losses and ensuring the availability of safe and healthy food for consumers.

ChatGPT and Precision Agriculture

ChatGPT is one of the most powerful tools in precision agriculture and can help farmers in a variety of ways.  Let’s take a look at some of the specific use cases where ChatGPT can assist farmers in their agricultural practices:

Monitoring Livestock Health

Livestock health is vital for farmers, and early detection of any health issues is crucial. ChatGPT can assist farmers by analysing symptoms and providing initial assessments of the health conditions of their animals. This early detection can help prevent disease transmission and improve the overall health of the livestock.

Market Analysis and Pricing

Having the right market insights is a big deal for farmers. It’s like having a compass in a vast field. ChatGPT can step in to gather and analyse market data, sort out trends, and give advice on what crops to grow, how to price them, and how to market them smartly. It’s like having a farming buddy who’s really good with numbers and knows the market like the back of their hand. They’ll look at things like past prices, how much stuff people want, and how markets go up and down. All this info helps farmers make savvy choices.

Benefits of AI in Agriculture

Increased efficiency: AI analyses data quickly, optimizing agricultural practices for higher yields, cost savings, and reduced resource wastage.

Precision farming: AI enables precision agriculture by applying resources like water, fertilizers, and pesticides, minimizing environmental impact and improving overall productivity.

Early detection and intervention: AI can detect anomalies, diseases, or crop stress, before they’re visible, allowing prompt action to prevent crop losses and minimize chemical use.  While AI presents several benefits in precision agriculture, it is important to address these challenges to ensure the effective and responsible use of AI technologies in the agricultural sector.

Challenges of AI in Agriculture

Data Quality and Availability: Accessing high-quality data can be challenging in some agricultural regions, limiting the effectiveness of AI models. Privacy concerns and data ownership also impact data availability for AI applications.

Integration with Existing Systems: Implementing AI solutions like ChatGPT into existing agricultural systems can be complex due to compatibility issues, cost barriers, and the need for specialized training.

User Trust and Understanding: Building trust in AI systems among farmers is crucial for widespread adoption. Farmers may require education and awareness about AI technologies to understand how it works.

The future of precision agriculture looks bright with advancements in AI and technology. Expect better disease prediction, pest control, and automated tasks like planting. This integration of technology and farming boosts sustainability, productivity, and helps farmers make smarter decisions. Despite challenges, precision agriculture offers solutions to revolutionize crop cultivation, ensuring food security for all.

How Precision Agriculture Will Answer Global Food Security in The Future

Here is an interesting story about a farmer named Jack. He used to farm the traditional way, relying on estimation and experimentation to manage his crops. He wasted a lot of water, fertilizer, and pesticide, and his yields were low and inconsistent. He was struggling to make ends meet and feed his family. Then he discovered precision agriculture. It was like a magic wand that transformed his farm into a high-tech wonderland.

He used drones, sensors, and GPS to monitor his fields and apply the right amount of resources at the right time and place. He used data analysis and weather forecasting to make smart decisions on crop management. He used technology to optimize his efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. He was surprised by the results: his crops grew faster and healthier which eventually resulted in a decrease in environmental impact. He felt like a superhero who could save the world from climate change & hunger.

Well, this is not a fairy tale; this is precision agriculture. It’s not just a buzzword; it’s a game-changer that can help us feed the world in the future without harming the planet. So, here’s how precision agriculture will impact global food security in the future:

1. Efficient Resource Allocation: Picture this – precision agriculture acts as a farming GPS, guiding farmers to manage their resources like water, fertilizers, and pesticides with laser-like precision. This means less waste and more bang for the buck.
2. Yield Maximization: Thanks to nifty tech toys like sensors, drones, and GPS, farmers get a super clear view of what’s happening in their fields. This intel lets them fine-tune stuff like watering, fertilizing, and pest-busting to score bigger harvests.
3. Reduced Environmental Impact: Precision agriculture isn’t just about boosting yields; it’s also a planet-friendly pal. By using resources like fertilizers, pesticides, and water only where and when they’re needed, we’re reducing nasty stuff like water pollution and soil wear and tear.
4. Data-Driven Decision Making: Think of precision agriculture as a farmer’s data butler. It collects info from sensors, satellites, and weather forecasts, serving up tasty insights. Armed with this knowledge, farmers can make savvy decisions about how to run the show, making farming even more effective.
5. Remote Monitoring and Management: Imagine being able to keep an eye on your farm even when you’re miles away. Precision agriculture lets farmers do just that. With sensors, drones, and cameras, they can spot pests, diseases, or irrigation hiccups in real time, swooping in to save the day.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the farming industry is experiencing a transformation through the use of AI and data-driven insights, in precision agriculture. By leveraging technologies farmers are able to optimize their operations increase productivity and minimize their impact.

AI-powered solutions enable real-time monitoring and analysis of crop health, soil conditions and weather patterns facilitating timely decision making. The integration of data-driven insights into farming practices helps maximize the use of resources like water, fertilizers and pesticides. This leads to sustainability and efficiency.

Additionally, precision agriculture promotes the transition, towards resilient methods of food production that benefit farmers, consumers and the environment as a whole.

The post Precision Agriculture: Transforming Farming with AI and Data-Driven Insights appeared first on IPNN.

Introduction

Worldwide, water is becoming scarcer and more expensive due to the effects of climate change. Significant adaptation will be necessary to ensure adequate supply and efficient use of a diminishing resource. This reduction in the supply of water will affect agriculture and will require a change in focus from increasing productivity of land to increasing productivity per unit of water consumed. The need for increased water-use efficiency will be arising in a changing climate that will create abrupt fluctuations of temperature, precipitation patterns, drought, heat waves, stronger storms, flooding, wild fires, and pest outbreaks. Our soils, and our soil management, are not ready to meet these additional stresses. Too often, the approach to dealing with water deficits has focused on better technology: deeper wells, better drip emitters, more efficient micro-sprinklers, and variable-speed drives on pumps—all of which are important. However, a different approach to dealing with the oscillation between too little and too much water uses an appropriate technology that focuses on maintaining healthy soils by following five basic principles discussed in detail in the following sections.

Healthy soil, with its thriving biological activity, creates a system of air and water pores that both allow water to infiltrate the soil and hold that water in place. These pores help plant roots grow deep, holding soil in place while allowing water to infiltrate deep into the soil profile. As the amount of organic matter, or carbon, in the soil increases, so does the ability of that soil to hold water, release nutrients to the crop, and prevent erosion (Funderburg, 2001).

Attaining Healthy Soils

Soil experts across the country, including land grant universities, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), soil consultants, and farmer activists, have come to broad agreement about some general principles for restoring and maintaining soil health. These principles, when conscientiously applied to most farming systems, will improve soil health and function and likely reduce inputs. Water infiltration into soils is also improved, as well as the soil’s water storage capacity—important qualities when considering increasingly extreme rainfall patterns. Here we present five general principles for soil management that are responsible for increasing soil health and function.

The first principle: Protect the soil surface. Some people call this “soil armor.” This includes the use of cover crops and mulch, which provide many benefits for the land, including the following:

• Wind and water erosion are brought under control. Cover crops and mulch protect the soil as wind or water move across the soil surface. This holds the soil in place and allows increased water infiltration, not to mention providing organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
• Mulch reduces evaporation from the soil surface, reserving more moisture for plant use.
• Soil temperatures are moderated with cover crops and mulch, which act as a buffer, shielding the soil from extreme temperatures. The soil food web functions better when not subjected to extreme temperatures and humidity.
• Soil aggregation is preserved when rainfall hits the cover crop or mulch, dissipating the raindrop’s energy. When rainfall hits bare soil, soil aggregates are destroyed, erosion by wind and water is increased, and the soil is starved of oxygen and water. Fine clay particles seal the soil surface, dramatically reducing water infiltration and oxygen exchange into the soil.
• Weed growth is suppressed through competition with the cover crop and/or smothered with mulch.
• Habitat is provided by cover crops for beneficial insects and pollinators. Biological mulches/plant residue provides habitat for spiders, an important predator of agricultural pests.

At this Georgia cotton farm, the farmer chem-killed a small-grain cover crop and no-tilled cotton into it. The mulch adds organic matter, protects the soil from rains, and reduces water usage. Photos: Rex Dufour, NCAT

Raised beds with vetch cover crop, which protects the soil and provides Nitrogen. On this California farm, the farmer protects his soil from heavy winter rains by planting vetch cover crops on raised beds. In the spring, he’ll mow the cover crop, lightly incorporate the residue, and transplant processing-tomato seedlings into the beds. Photo: Rex Dufour, NCAT

The second soil health principle is to minimize soil disturbance of all kinds. Both physical (tillage) and chemical (overuse of fertilizers and pesticides) disturbance can disrupt the soil food web. Continuous tillage over time, without regular and significant additions of organic matter to the soil, degrades soil function and reduces soil pore space, which in turn restricts water infiltration and destroys the biological glues that hold soil together. Tillage in combination with overuse of fertilizers is like throwing gas on a fire. The excess nitrogen feeds bacterial populations, which explode when exposed to oxygen through tillage.

The problem is, these bacteria are feeding on the organic matter, which reduces organic matter levels unless significant crop residues, compost, or cover crops are added to the soil on a regular basis. Repeated tillage and overuse of chemical N, season after season, degrades soil structure and causes the soil aggregates that hold sand, silt, and clay together to fall apart, for lack of biological glues. This makes the soil an easy target for both water and wind erosion. Clay particles, released from soil aggregates by rainfall or irrigation droplets, will form an effective seal on the soil surface, preventing water infiltration to the root zone (or water table), increasing runoff and also creating anaerobic conditions in the root zone.

A diverse cover crop of more than a dozen species of grasses, legumes, and mustards helped the farmer at this Northern California walnut farm reduce his lesion nematode population from a count of more than 5,000 to “undetectable” over fi ve years. Photo: Rex Dufour, NCAT

The third soil health principle is plant diversity. Original landscapes in which soils were built over geological time consisted of a varied plant diversity, which was largely replaced by an annual (or perennial) monoculture when Europeans arrived. The soil food web used to receive carbon exudates (food) from the roots of a diverse group of perennial and annual plants. Each species of plant provides a unique set of root exudates, which in turn host a microbial community with some unique members, so a diverse aboveground plant community provides for a very diverse microbial community in the soil. In most cases, soils now receive root exudates from only one species of annual or perennial plant at a time. By using crop rotation, or rotating alley crops in orchards, we can start to better mimic the original plant diversity that benefits the soil food web. This, in turn, improves rainfall and irrigation-water infiltration and nutrient cycling, while reducing disease and pests. Diverse rotations in annual crops, which provide plant diversity over time, can keep soil healthy. For perennial crops, it’s important to rotate cover crops in alleys, as that will help ensure a healthy soil ecology and help prevent the build-up of soil pathogens. In pasture and rangeland, carefully managed grazing encourages plant diversity.

Having a diversity of crops on a field or a diverse rotation of different crops from different plant families both support a diverse soil ecology. Photo: Rex Dufour, NCAT

The fourth soil health principle is the concept of continual live plants/roots in the soil. The native vegetation in converted agricultural areas consisted of continuous stands of perennial and annual grasses and broadleaves providing carbon exudates to the soil food web during most of the growing season. Today’s croplands typically grow annual crops with an extended crop-free period of bare soil before planting or after harvest. It is extremely rare in nature to see vast expanses of bare soil. Bare soil does not receive any root exudates, and this starves the soil microbial community. Cover crops are able to fill in this crop-free period, providing cover to the soil and root exudates to the soil’s food web. Cover crops address a number of resource concerns already listed in Principle 1 and also provide an opportunity for livestock integration into cropping systems. In pasture systems, a diverse mix of warm-season and cool-season forage plants lengthens plant productivity over the course of the year, maximizing root exudation.

The grower at this operation has sheep grazing in the orchard, which is essentially providing two crops: grass and walnuts. This provides the grower savings on orchard floor management, as well as providing his trees additional nutrients. These sheep will be removed from the orchard four months prior to any harvest. Photo: Rex Dufour, NCAT

The fifth principle of soil health is the concept of livestock integration. Animals, plants, and soil have played a synergistic role together through geological time. Fewer farms are including animals as part of their operations, due to increasing specialization in growing only crops, combined with an increase in the number of confined animal operations. Returning animals to the agricultural landscape can contribute to soil health by adding some biology to the soil, especially if the land hasn’t had grazing animals on it. Livestock also convert high-carbon annual crop residue to low-carbon, high-nitrogen organic material, i.e., manure, which is beneficial to the soil. Some cover crops can be grazed without damage. Conversely, livestock can be used to manage an overly vigorous cover crop. Thoughtful integration of livestock onto cropping land can reduce weed pressure, herbicide use, and livestock waste associated with confinement, thereby improving water quality and addressing nutrient-management concerns.

Soils, Organic Matter, and Water: Why organic matter stores more water than sand, silt, and clay

Organic matter in the soil is made up of living, dead, and decomposed organisms. The living organisms in the soil, which represent roughly 15% of the total organic matter in the soil, vary from microorganisms like fungi, bacteria, and viruses to insects, plant roots, earthworms, and mammals. The dead organisms are recently deceased microbes, insects, earthworms, animals, and decaying plant material. The living organisms feed on both the living and the dead organisms, releasing proteins, sugars, and amino acids that feed plants and decomposers. The decomposition process and its various by-products also produce substances that hold sand, silt, and clay particles together to form aggregates and give them structure. This structure allows for efficient infiltration of rain and irrigation water into the root zone and, ultimately, into the water table. The smallest organic matter particles in the soil are called humus. Humus is a relatively stable part of the soil, a complex component that can buffer a plant from exposure to harmful chemicals, reduce the effect of compaction, improve drainage in clay soils, and improve water retention in sandy soils (Magdoff and van Es. 2009). This stable organic matter has surface charges that allow water to adhere to the surface. In addition, organic matter, being generally negatively charged, attracts positively charged ions (cations), many of which are important plant nutrients.

Increasing levels of soil organic matter can increase the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils, providing a reservoir of nutrients and micronutrients (calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, ammonium, and others) especially needed in sandy soils with very low CEC levels. In fact, organic matter can have four to 50 times higher CEC per given weight than clay (Ketterings et al., 2007).

Large expanses of bare soil are an all-too-common scene in much of the United States. Lack of living roots in the soil starves the soil ecology, exposes the soil to both wind and rain erosion, and provides no habitat for beneficial organisms. We must do better to protect this precious resource. Photo: Rex Dufour, NCAT

Earlier research demonstrated that a silt loam soil with 4% organic matter holds more than twice the water of a silt loam with 1% organic matter (Hudson, 1994). Further recent research has shown that there have been overestimations on the relative contribution of soil organic matter to water-holding capacity, and it is influenced greatly by the soil physical properties (particle size, texture, and bulk density) and mineralogy. The increase of water-holding capacity as levels of organic matter are increased was more pronounced for sandy soils than for loam and clay soils (Minasny and McBratney, 2017; Libohova et al., 2018). This more recent research still suggests that for every percent of soil organic matter (SOM) in the top six inches, the soil will be able to store an additional 10,800 liters of water. But regardless of the soil type, adding organic matter to soil is beneficial for the numerous functions it provides besides increasing the soil’s waterholding capacity. Farmers investing in their soils by increasing organic matter and improving soil health will find that their soils will better support plant health, especially during times of drought and flooding.

Why You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure: Why soil moisture monitoring and irrigation distribution is important

Measuring irrigation distribution is important and especially effective when used in combination with practices that support a healthy soil. The moisture content of the soil regulates the moisture levels in the plant. Overly dry or overly moist soil stresses the plant and can induce diseases and reduce future seasons’ yields. This is why it is important to monitor soil moisture in order to schedule irrigation and provide the crop with adequate water to achieve ideal growth and yields. Soil moisture-monitoring devices use sensors and probes located in the soil root zone. Combined with information about temperature, evapotranspiration (evaporation from the soil and transpiration from the plant), and water requirements of the crop, these devices are able to provide the farmer with information that can be used to schedule irrigation properly.

Another important component in managing soil moisture is irrigation distribution uniformity. This measures how evenly water is applied to a crop across a field during irrigation. Microsprinklers often get plugged, as do drip emitters. Sprinkler heads get worn, and leaks in the system affect distribution uniformity, not to mention human error (a worker forgot to turn a valve, etc.). All these can significantly affect water distribution, and fertilizer distribution if the farmer is fertigating. If water distribution is uneven in a field, it will negatively affect yields. Inspecting and performing distribution evaluation in your irrigation system will identify the causes, and corrections can be made to eliminate plugging, minimize variation in pressure, and adjust flow rate, infiltration time, spacing, set duration, and land grading. The Irrigator’s Pocket Guide (see text box) has a wealth of information about distribution-system uniformity and maintenance.

Soil Health and the Future of Farming

Farmers across the country are operating in an era of uncertain weather and uncertain markets. Many farmers have reduced their input costs and increased their bottom lines by choosing to invest in soil health, just as they would in new machinery and maintaining farm structures. Healthy, living soils can better sustain the increased demands we’re placing on them to grow healthy food and maintain clean water and air. It is important to build and maintain soil health before drought or flood conditions appear. Healthy soils can better withstand climatic stresses of drought and floods and, in some cases, can help mitigate these stresses. All this requires an increased understanding about how to manage the soil as an ecology. Investments, such as adding organic amendments, practicing no- or reduced tillage, leaving crop residue, planting cover crops, and diverse crop rotations, will help the soil efficiently cycle both water and nutrients, sustain plant and animal productivity, and maintain or improve water quality. The return on soil health investments will pay off year after year after year.

Strategies to reduce crop water use:

• Maintain healthy, water-absorbent soils, following the five principles set out earlier in this publication
• Match plant genetics—varieties, growth characteristics, and tolerances (heat, salinity, pests, drought, early maturing, etc.)—to specific conditions
• Replace high-water-consuming crops with water-efficient crops
• Implement cultural practices: conservation tillage, planting densities, double cropping, intercropping, and crop rotation
• Improve irrigation timing through scientific irrigation scheduling, a systematic procedure that calculates precise water requirements over a short period of time to meet crop needs
• Manage deficit irrigations
• Use irrigation technology: sensor devices, probes, computer technology
• Utilize low-volume irrigation systems: drip irrigation and micro sprinklers, surge, and sprinkler
• Irrigate at night
• Practice weed control
• Apply mulches
• Reduce tillage

References

Funderburg, Eddie. 2001. What Does Organic Matter Do In Soil? Nobel Research Institute.

Hudson, B.D. 1994. Soil organic matter and available water capacity. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. March/April. p. 189-194.

Ketterings, Q., S. Reid, and R. Rao. 2007. Cation Exchange Capacity (CDC) Fact Sheet 22.

Libohova, Z., C. Seybold, D. Wysocki, S. Wills, P. Schoeneberger, C. Williams, D. Lindbo, D. Stott, and P. R. Owens. 2018. Reevaluating the effects of soil organic matter and other properties on available water-holding capacity using the National Cooperative Soil Survey Characterization Database. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Vol. 73, No. 4. p. 411-421.

Magdoff , F., and Harold van Es. 2009. Organic Matter: What It Is and Why It’s So Important.

Minasny, B., and A.B. McBratney. 2017. Limited effect of organic matter on soil available water capacity. European Journal of Soil Science. Oct. 6.

Further Resources

ATTRA Resources:

• Building Healthy Pasture Soils. 2017. By Lee Rinehart, NCAT Program Specialist.
• Drought Resistant Soil. 2003. By Preston Sullivan, NCAT Agriculture Specialist.
• Measuring and Conserving Irrigation Water. 2006. By Mike Morris and Vicki Lynne, NCAT Energy Specialists.
• Soil Moisture Monitoring: Low-Cost Tools and Methods. 2006. By Mike Morris, NCAT Energy Specialist.
• Tipsheet: Assessing the Soil Resource for Beginning Organic Farmers. 2015. By Rex Dufour, NCAT Agriculture Specialist.
• Tipsheet: Compost. 2015. By Thea Rittenhouse, NCAT Agriculture Specialist.
• Soil Aggregate Stability: Visual Indicator of Soil Health. 2018. By Rex Dufour, NCAT Agriculture Specialist.

Crop Management in Drought.

Soil Moisture Measurement and Sensors for Irrigation Management. 2015. By Tiffany Maughan, L. Niel Allen, and Dan Drost.

University of California Drought Management. California Institute for Drought and Water Resources.

USDA. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Soil Health Literature-The Science Behind Healthy Soil.

Managing Soils for Water: How Five Principles of Soil Health Support Water Infiltration and Storage
By Martin Guerena and Rex Dufour, NCAT Agriculture Specialists
Published November 2019
IP594
Slot 618

This publication is produced by the National Center for Appropriate Technology through the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program, under a cooperative agreement with USDA Rural Development. ATTRA.NCAT.ORG. 

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Zimbabwe’s food security prospects have received a significant boost, with the government targeting a 340% increase in major crop production for the 2024/2025 summer season, a move set to enhance national self-sufficiency and rural livelihoods.

The update, presented during the first post-Cabinet press briefing of 2025 by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr. Anxious Jongwe Masuka, highlighted that the Grain Marketing Board has enough reserves to sustain rural communities until the next harvest in April 2025.

The private sector has been instrumental in maintaining grain supply, importing a total of 1.35 million metric tonnes between April 2024 and February 2025, comprising 1.13 million metric tonnes of maize, 220,092 metric tonnes of wheat, and 374 metric tonnes of wheat flour.

The government has issued 1,021 maize import permits for a total of 5 million metric tonnes while closely monitoring stock levels, import prices, and supply sources to prevent arbitrage. The 2024/2025 Summer Season Plan aims to increase cereal production to 3.2 million metric tonnes, a substantial jump from the 744,000 metric tonnes recorded in the previous season, with overall major crop production expected to rise from 915,000 metric tonnes to over 4 million metric tonnes.

Preliminary data indicates that 99% of the targeted maize area has been planted, while the Zimbabwe Statistics-led Government-wide First Round Crops, Livestock, and Fisheries Assessment is being finalized to provide a more accurate picture of crop plantings. Under the Presidential Input Scheme, the farming sector has already surpassed its target, achieving 11.4 million plots against the projected 9.5 million plots, marking a 20% increase above target and a 16% rise from the 2023/2024 season’s 9.8 million plots.

Cotton farming has also expanded significantly, with the total planted area reaching 203,875 hectares, a 40% increase from the 145,265 hectares recorded in the previous season. Tobacco farming continues to grow, with 127,000 growers registered for the 2024/2025 season, reflecting a 10% rise compared to the same period last year, and 92% of these farmers participating under contract. The total planted area for tobacco stands at 132,851 hectares, a 16% increase from the previous season.

As part of the Tobacco Food Security Initiatives, tobacco merchants are supporting contracted farmers with maize and sorghum inputs, reinforcing the government’s broader agenda to enhance agricultural sustainability and ensure food security for all Zimbabweans.

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Director, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Impact Action Platform, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Direct link: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/11/cop29-agriculture-loss-damage-fund//

• COP29 must offer targeted finance to countries whose agricultural sector has been hardest hit by the climate crisis.
• The Loss and Damage Fund can help support smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries.
• In order to have the greatest impact on the agricultural sector, climate finance must be guided by data.

After the last UN climate talks in Dubai were dubbed the “Food COP”, it makes sense that COP29 focuses on finance. The food and agriculture sector is frequently the hardest hit by the worsening impacts of climate change, with droughts, floods and heatwaves undermining food production and food security, causing devastating economic losses.

This year’s talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, therefore present a pivotal opportunity to build on the historic Loss and Damage Fund agreed in 2023 to compensate the countries that are simultaneously most dependent on agriculture and exposed to climate risks not of their own making.

An estimated $3.8 trillion worth of crops and livestock have been lost due to disaster events in the past 30 years, equivalent to $123 billion per year. These losses have not been fairly distributed: The highest relative losses have been inflicted on lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs), ranging between 10 and 15% of their total agricultural GDP.

Cycle of devastation

Even more than impacting economies, crop and livestock losses from disasters have cascading impacts on food security, health, water and environment, especially in vulnerable rural communities. From 2008 to 2018, agricultural losses to disasters in LMICs averaged 6.9 trillion kilocalories per year, equivalent to 7 million adults’ caloric intake. In Latin America and the Caribbean, this was a loss of 975 calories per day, or 40% of an adult’s recommended daily allowance, followed by Africa (559 / 23%) and Asia (283 / 12%).

Disaster events are also becoming worse and more commonplace, increasing fivefold in the past 50 years. With populations in some of the poorest and most food-insecure nations projected to grow the most in the time to 2050, decisive action must be taken now. Otherwise, we risk communities and entire nations becoming permanently trapped in the cycle of climate destruction and recovery, entirely dependent on international food aid.

Crop yields are suffering and will continue to plummet without support for farmers struggling to cope with the impacts of climate change. Already, projections show rice yields in Asia could drop by as much as 50% by the end of the century, while its population is forecast to remain largely the same.

The Loss and Damage Fund, however, has the potential to correct the present imbalance, ensuring food security and keeping farmers in business. In LMICs – where agriculture makes up an average of 25% of national GDP and directly employs as much as 35% of the population – smallholder farmers should be the ultimate recipients of support. With more financial support, smallholder farmers can access improved seeds, training and climate-resilient technologies to increase productivity and better withstand intensifying droughts, floods, cyclones and other climate-related shocks.

This, in turn, strengthens food security, reduces poverty and fosters economic growth. Agriculture can serve as the backbone of more climate-resilient rural economies and catalyze growth in adjacent sectors, such as transportation, processing and retail, thereby creating broader economic stability and development.

Quantifying agriculture

To realize these gains, climate finance must be guided by evidence and data. The science already exists: Climate attribution research can successfully identify the extent to which human-induced climate change influences specific extreme weather events and patterns. By pinpointing climate change as a driver of specific floods, droughts, heatwaves and other weather events impacting agriculture, cutting-edge research can quantify the impacts of climate change on agriculture.

Attribution science can not only inform compensation claims and financial aid in vulnerable nations and regions, but also enhance our understanding of long-term damage in agricultural systems and inform targeted adaptation strategies. United Nations studies have already demonstrated yield losses of 2-10% in wheat yields in Morocco and Kazakhstan, and maize in South Africa.

But this research has its limits. There are important data gaps for many rural agricultural communities, where robust climate monitoring and historical records are lacking at present. This scarcity of localized, high-quality data hinders the precision of attribution studies in some of the regions worst affected by climate change, limiting researchers’ ability to accurately assess and quantify loss and damage in these areas.

However, tools exist to help plug data gaps by providing cutting-edge methodologies, improved metrics and tailored climate information systems. For example, CGIAR collaborates with national agricultural research systems and local partners around the world to collect and analyze climate data in underserved regions. Upscaling initiatives such as these to improve monitoring systems and curate specialized tools for real-time loss and damage tracking will be integral to pinpointing where finance will deliver the most significant rehabilitative impact.

As global leaders convene at COP29 and discuss where resources from the Loss and Damage Fund are to be prioritized, farmers must be at the forefront. By channeling resources strategically, we can ensure an equitable transition to sustainable food systems, reducing emissions and building resilience against future climate shocks simultaneously. Leaders must recognize that climate justice means prioritizing those who bear the greatest burden while contributing the least to global emissions, and ensuring no one is left behind.

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By Gabriella Soto-Velez, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

There are many different terms for the practices that incorporate trees into agricultural production: agroforestry, intercropping, permaculture, food forests, and now there’s a new kid on the block: syntropic agriculture. Syntropic agriculture is gaining attention in the regenerative and sustainable agriculture space. But what exactly is it, and how does it differ from other agroforestry methods?

A Time-Tested Practice with Modern Applications

Syntropic agriculture system in Haiti. Photo credit: Roger Geitzen.

Like most agroforestry systems, people have been practicing syntropic agriculture for thousands of years. Indigenous communities across the Amazon, West Africa, and Southeast Asia have long used successional agroforestry techniques to cultivate staple crops while regenerating soil health and boosting biodiversity. The Mayan civilization, for example, practiced forest gardening with a mix of fruit trees, nitrogen-fixing plants, and staple crops—a method that closely resembles modern syntropic principles.

The modern adaptation of syntropic agriculture is credited to Swiss farmer Ernst Götsch, who began researching and refining these methodologies in Brazil. After working for a Swiss company specializing in genetically modified crops, he questioned conventional agricultural approaches, stating, “Wouldn’t we achieve greater results if we sought ways of cultivation that favor the development of plants, rather than creating genotypes that support the bad conditions we impose on them?”

The Core Principles of Syntropic Agriculture

Syntropic agriculture is based on multi-strata planting, mimicking natural forest succession to increase biodiversity and yields while reducing external inputs over time. The term syntropy refers to a force that creates diversity, order, and life—in contrast to agricultural practices that deplete soils and ecosystems.

What makes syntropic agriculture particularly exciting is its rapid establishment and adaptability. Unlike many agroforestry systems that take years to become productive, syntropic agriculture allows for harvests in as little as three months. It can also be applied across various climates, from tropical to temperate regions. While each location presents its own challenges and advantages, the core principles remain the same:

• High-density planting to maximize biodiversity and productivity.
• Regular pruning to manage plant succession and promote vigorous growth.
• ‘Chop and drop’ mulching, where pruned biomass becomes ground cover to build organic matter and protect the soil.
• Livestock integration, particularly with poultry and ruminants, to enhance nutrient cycling and manage undergrowth.

Livestock Integration: Optional but Highly Beneficial

Some consider livestock integration to be an optional principle in syntropic systems. Not all farms can or want to have livestock. But livestock integration can greatly enhance soil structure and soil fertility. One way people integrate livestock into syntropic systems in subtropical and tropical climates is by planting Napier and Mombasa grasses along field edges, providing valuable forage. Farmers can use a cut-and-carry method or employ solar-powered movable electric fencing to allow rotational grazing while protecting young trees and crops. Chickens can play a role in pest management while depositing nutrient-rich manure, further enhancing nutrient cycling.

Building Farm Resilience Through Syntropic Design

Like all agroforestry systems, syntropic agriculture offers multiple benefits, including greater farm resilience, improved soil health, and enhanced biodiversity. By continuously adding organic matter through mulching, these systems help prevent erosion, reduce runoff, and build soil organic matter, ultimately strengthening the soil microbiome. While initial inputs of mulch and manure are necessary to establish the system, once it reaches equilibrium, it requires little to no external inputs, making it a self-sustaining model for producing food, fuel, and fodder.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to syntropic farming—each system is customized based on factors like climate, topography, sunlight, crop availability, and farmer needs. While implementing such a system may seem daunting, numerous online resources and in-person training opportunities are available to support farmers in the transition.

Get Started with Syntropic Agriculture

You don’t have to convert your entire farm at once—start small and experiment. Consider trying some of these practices on a small section of your land to get a feel for the system design, management, and benefits before expanding. This allows you to observe how syntropic agriculture works in your specific conditions and to make adjustments as needed.

For those eager to learn more, a Syntropic Agriculture Training will be held at ECHO Global Farms in Fort Myers, Florida, in July 2025. This training will cover the principles of syntropic farming, system design, implementation strategies, and hands-on techniques for managing agroforestry systems. To receive information about upcoming workshops like this, make sure you are subscribed to ATTRA’s Weekly Harvest e-newsletter.

If you’re considering implementing syntropic agriculture on your farm but aren’t sure where to start, reach out to NCAT’s agriculture specialists at askanag@ncat.org or call the ATTRA line at 1-800-346-9140. We can help you with system design, species selection, and management strategies, or point you toward additional resources. Take the first step toward a more regenerative and self-sustaining farm today!

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