The idea of creating a complete virtual representation, or Digital Twin, of a natural system opens up future in which decision-makers can easily identify and respond to environmental issues. Advances in remote sensing and cloud computing mean that it is technically feasible, but how can it practically be achieved in the context of the global South? The Limpopo Watercourse Commission
By Rowena Valmonte-Santos Crop production statistics are essential for any government, but especially so in Mozambique where agriculture accounts for a quarter of economic production and the livelihoods of 80 percent of the population. The Statistics from Space project, funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea, aims to develop a highly accurate and efficient system to estimate and
By Jason Liaw, IFPRI intern. Top photo credit Varun Kashyap. Imagine a world where women beekeepers in remote villages can access real-time advice and support through their mobile phones, using AI-driven apps to manage their hives more effectively. Thanks to recent work by innovators at Women for Bees, this vision is quickly materializing in India. Women for Bees promotes sustainable
The Limpopo River Basin supports life across four countries in southern Africa: Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. This precious resource must be sustainably and fairly managed, but the scale of monitoring conditions across the full extension of 1750 km is daunting. Under the CGIAR Initiative on Digital Innovation, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has partnered with GroundTruth to
L-R: GroundTruth staff Nkosingithandile Sithole, Ayanda Lephane and Nicholas Pattinson. The Enviro-Champs are a group of over a thousand people using citizen science to draw attention to water quality issues in South Africa. Supported by organizations like GroundTruth, they use simple but effective tools to collect data. Over the last few years, a partnership with CGIAR has shown that digital
At first glance, the ranch operated by the International Livestock Research Institute at the Kapiti research station and wildlife conservancy in Kenya looks similar to other ranches seen across eastern Africa. The only sign of an exciting new project are the electronic collars worn by some of the cattle. They enable scientists to create accurate digital representations of the cattle
Advances in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are having a profound impact on the agricultural sector. After reaping the benefits of the Green Revolution, we are now poised to witness a new transformation through cutting-edge technologies of ICT, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), robotics, edge computing, big data analytics, unmanned aerial vehicles
Digital tools offer new opportunities to address the inequalities faced by farming communities, improve incomes and involve them in government schemes. The CGIAR Initiative on Digital Innovation has collaborated with the Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) to highlight projects that are successfully addressing digital inclusion, and the key learnings for other projects to take on. Read