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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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.

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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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In 2024, the government declared a national state of disaster following widespread crop failures and famine in the country.

Speaking at the country’s first post-cabinet press briefing of 2025, Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka, minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, said the Zimbabwean Grain Marketing Board had 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 tons between April 2024 and February 2025, comprising 1,13 million tons of maize, 220 092t of wheat, and 374t of wheat flour,” he added.

Masuka said the government issued maize import permits for a total of five million tons.

Zimbabwe’s 2024/25 Summer Season Plan was aimed at pushing up grain production to 3,2 million tons compared with the 744 000t recorded in the previous season.

According to Masuka, cotton production had also grown significantly, with the total planted area reaching 203 875ha, a 40% increase from the 145 265ha planted in the previous season.

“Tobacco farming continues to grow, with 127 000 growers registered for the 2024/25 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 851ha, a 16% increase from the previous season,” Masuka said.

By Annelie Coleman

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A major agricultural breakthrough is underway in South Africa, as SUISO launched a $1.7 billion (about R31.5 billion) coal-to-fertiliser initiative in Kriel, Mpumalanga. This ambitious project is poised to significantly boost food security in sub-Saharan Africa by enhancing local fertiliser production and reducing reliance on costly imports.

Sub-Saharan Africa, home to over a billion people, currently has only five fertiliser plants, a stark contrast to China’s 277 plants serving a population of 1.4 billion.

This disparity highlights the urgent need for local fertiliser production to support the region’s growing agricultural demands.

SUISO’s new facility aims to bridge this gap by producing 1.5 million tonnes of nitrogen-based fertilisers annually, including urea and controlled-release variants. The impact on South Africa’s maize production – currently at 15-17 million tonnes per year – could be transformative, significantly increasing yields and bolstering food security.

Workers at the SUISO facility in Mpumalanga, where 4 000 jobs are being created during construction, with nearly 1 000 permanent positions by 2029. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Economic benefits for farmers

South Africa’s maize industry, valued at R46.3 billion, is projected to grow to R55.6 billion by 2029. By replacing 1.2 million tonnes of imported urea fertiliser annually, SUISO’s project will protect farmers from volatile global supply chains while ensuring more affordable and reliable access to fertilisers.

Located on a 900-hectare site with integrated feedstock and production facilities, the SUISO plant is designed to minimise logistical costs, further enhancing its affordability for local farmers.

These include advanced decarbonisation and carbon capture techniques, as well as PurActive coatings for controlled-release fertilisers. These innovations optimise nitrogen use efficiency, increasing yields by up to 5% while minimising waste and environmental impact.

SUISO’s facility will leverage state-of-the-art technologies with a track record spanning 830 reference plants worldwide.

In addition, the facility will produce 234,000 tonnes of clean, zero-sulphur blue methanol annually, aligning with the forthcoming South African Fuel Act of 2027.

Job creation and skills development

Beyond agriculture, SUISO’s investment will stimulate local economic development. The construction phase alone will generate 4 000 jobs, with 981 permanent positions once the facility is fully operational in 2029.

To support workforce development, the onsite Gerhard Potgieter Engineering Training College will train and upskill 400 employees, ensuring long-term skills sustainability in the industry.

Global trading giant ETG (Export Trading Group) will serve as SUISO’s exclusive offtaker, guaranteeing that fertiliser produced in Mpumalanga reaches the most vulnerable regions of sub-Saharan Africa. This partnership is said to directly support smallholder farmers, empowering them to improve crop yields and secure their livelihoods.

By Ivor Price

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This was according to Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, during a recent roundtable event aimed at accelerating the implementation of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan, organised by the National Planning Commission and the National Agricultural Marketing Council.

“We should not plan anymore – we should just fix what is broken and need all hands on deck,” he added.

According to Sihlobo, the advantage of agriculture in reducing poverty is that it benefits the poorest individuals. The benefits include food security and the prevention of malnutrition.

Growth and innovation in agriculture also benefit the sector through higher returns on investment for producers, increased job opportunities and the reduction of consumer prices.

“Rising agricultural productivity not only reduces poverty by releasing agricultural labour to non-agricultural activities, but also by pulling surplus labour from less productive home production into commercial agriculture. But rural areas remain with challenges and agriculture is not performing at its full potential,” Sihlobo said.

The challenges include high poverty levels, unemployment and limited economic activity, as well as inept municipal governance.

The duplication of effort and budgets between provinces, district municipalities and local municipalities is problematic, and responsibilities in terms of improving poor service delivery, poor roads, deteriorating water infrastructure and so forth are not well defined.

He said rural communities were in despair and had no hope because of issues such as the rising crime rate.

Sihlobo also took issue with matters, as he put it, such as “the criminal destruction of South Africa’s rail network and the poor management and state capture of Transnet, as well as the collapse of our ports and the inability to explore our advances in the export industries. We are also faced by, among others, animal diseases and the fact that problems with our veterinary services are destabilising progress in the livestock industry.”

By Annelie Coleman

The post Agriculture has huge potential for reducing poverty appeared first on IPNN.

Now, research finds that higher profits from cacao farming in the Congo Basin’s TRIDOM landscape — which spans Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of Congo — are linked to seven times more deforestation than other livelihoods. The study was published in PLOS One.

“My main aim was to understand … what is the linkage between the livelihood of the population that are living in this landscape, and then the global agenda of protecting forests and also reducing the greenhouse gas emissions related to deforestation?” said Denis Sonwa, an ecologist and co-author of the study who was at the Center for International Forestry Research before the study was published. (Sonwa is now a research director focused on Africa at the World Resources Institute.)

The study also showed that rising demand for cocoa implies the most successful farmers will clear more land — even though that land is low-yielding.

“It’s the demand that’s driving deforestation, even at the expense of having lower yields,” said Tim Searchinger, the technical director for agriculture, forestry and ecosystems at World Resources Institute and senior research scholar at Princeton University, who was not involved in the study.

Cash-crop prices fluctuate a lot, he explained, making cacao farming an unstable way to earn an entire livelihood. That pressure would naturally influence a farmer to clear more land to meet the global demand for cocoa.

Meanwhile, large chocolate companies and the European Union have set standards for the beans they import, requiring ethically sourced beans that haven’t caused deforestation. But those countries have a disproportionately higher carbon footprint than those that are producing cacao.

“We are all responsible, but we are not responsible in the same magnitude,” Sonwa told Mongabay, raising concerns about climate justice.

The Congo Basin is also the world’s largest carbon sink, absorbing an estimated 1.5 billion tons of carbon each year. Deforestation releases stored carbon and reduces the number of intact trees to suck carbon out of the atmosphere.

“We are underestimating the role of agriculture in causing deforestation,” Searchinger said.

Agriculture-induced deforestation extends beyond the Congo Basin. Global trade in agricultural commodities drives an estimated 90% of deforestation around the world and more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Cacao and agroforestry

Agroforestry, a farming technique that integrates trees, has been used and promoted around the world to grow commercially valuable crops while protecting the environment and reducing poverty. Using native trees and shrubs as buffers and shade for crops, the system is hailed as a way to foster local wildlife habitat, purify soil and water and make use of other products like firewood or medicinal plants.

Yet some of the most common crops grown with agroforestry — cacao, coffee, oil palm and rubber included — are also some of the most destructive to forests. Agroforestry itself doesn’t make it inherently better for the environment than other methods, Searchinger explained.

“For agroforestry to be a solution, it has to replace some of the food produced by non-forest-based crops,” he said, citing silvopastoral farming systems in Colombia where forestry and cattle ranching are successfully reducing deforestation.

Across Africa, low yields are the main barrier to food security, Searchinger said, adding that the population in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to increase from 1.1-2.1 billion in the next 28 years. “If you want to feed the population without massive deforestation, let alone improve the food, you have to increase yields,” he said.

One way to do that is by diversifying crops, suggested Ingrid Epezagne, an agribusiness consultant and director for the African Agribusiness Incubator Network who is based in Côte D’Ivoire, the world leader in cacao production. Epezagne and other consultants are now recommending that Ivorian farmers grow cassava alongside cacao. That way, if cacao prices or yields go down, farmers can grow their own food or sell it locally.

“We should be educating the farmers about the whole value chain,” Epezagne said. Farmers often think that market prices are what they will receive for their yields. In reality, “they are the bottom,” she said, receiving only a small portion of the cacao’s value.

Indeed, the study found that an extra dollar earned from cacao is roughly sevenfold more destructive than a dollar earned from subsistence crops. Because cash crops are perceived as lucrative, more people want to take advantage of the opportunity to make money, attracting new farmers to previously uncultivated land.

“There is this, should I say, fake perception about the whole industry,” Epezagne said. “They don’t really understand that the people that are actually making money are those big companies that produce chocolate.”

As the leading importer of cacao beans worldwide, the European Union wields a heavy hand in the global market for cacao beans, influencing what farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are paid for their yields. At the same time, the European Union has also implemented high standards for its bean imports.

“My view is that cocoa companies should essentially take responsibility for ensuring that as their demand for cocoa grows, their demand can be met by increasing yields on existing farms,” Searchinger said, such as by paying for resources like co-ops and extension agents to help farmers grow more abundantly and efficiently.

‘Just a show’

Chocolate companies say they prioritize climate change and deforestation. On the ground, however, farmers in cacao-producing countries are keeping their children as farm hands instead of sending them to school in an attempt to grow more beans and earn more money, Epezagne explained.

“It’s just a show,” she said. “If the people stop farming, that is not good for those big multinational companies. They still need the cocoa.”

Another way to boost farmers’ livelihoods, she suggested, would be to process cacao locally. Otherwise, farmers only earn money for exporting the raw product. Factories in Cote d’Ivoire are now starting to do this, but for smaller cacao-producing countries like Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of Congo, “we could also explore very small food processing units that agriculture cooperatives [and] farmers could come together and use to add value to the cocoa,” Epezagne said.

The Cameroonian government aims to increase cacao production from roughly 300,000 tons to 640,000 annually by 2030, the study authors write. But for this to be achievable, Epezagne argued that national governments need to support farmers without encouraging deforestation to meet the demand.

Epezagne called for better climate policies at the national level and better incentives for farmers to follow best practices, such as discouraging slash-and-burn practices.

“When you tell them what you are doing is not the right thing to do, you should give [them] another option, because they are surviving,” she said. “If they have no other options, they will keep doing it.”

Environmentally harmful practices like burning and clear-cutting continue for that reason. But there are plenty of other options that don’t require land expansion, she said, such as diversification of cash and subsistence crops, crop rotations, and farming on the same plot of land to recycle nutrients.

Meanwhile, climate change is challenging farming practices in unprecedented ways, even in the tropical Congo Basin. Seasonal extremes — such as drier dry seasons and rainier wet seasons — have increased the risk of crop diseases and pests that can further reduce farmers’ profits, Sonwa added.

“Our study is very useful for the TRIDOM [area], but also for the other tropical regions of the world that may face similar situations,” Sonwa said, such as Indonesia or the Amazon. Studying the TRIDOM landscape collectively, rather than individual countries, emphasized how policies need to go beyond national borders, he added.

“The fact that the [Congo] is a carbon sink means that this region is really playing an important role,” Sonwa said. “The international community cannot forget this.”

Banner image: Mature cacao fruit. Seeds from the pod are fermented, roasted and ground to make cocoa powder. Image courtesy of Third Millennium Alliance.

By Marlowe Starling

The post The world’s chocolate cravings speed up deforestation in the Congo Basin: Study appeared first on IPNN.