England (Commonwealth Union)_ This week at COP27 in Egypt, one of the primary topics being addressed is the worldwide threat to food security. During the event, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth urged the Commonwealth countries to learn from one another and collaborate to convert Commonwealth nations into a global food powerhouse. The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC urged the member nations to utilize the Commonwealth’s new policy guide for governments in order to establish a more productive and sustainable agriculture sector.
“We must use big data and digital tools to protect food security and increase climate resilience. New technologies and data generation can convert business practices across the agricultural value chain and address bottlenecks in productivity, harvesting, market access, finance, and supply chain management.” the Secretary-General stated. “We are releasing this policy guide here at COP27 as we know how important food security is to our members and the world. This guide is the first of its kind to assess how digitalization is affecting the agricultural sector across the Commonwealth. I strongly believe that this is a productive step, not just for the Commonwealth but for small, developing, and middle-income nations globally. It will help policymakers learn how to target key areas to improve and develop this vital sector and support knowledge sharing between Commonwealth nations.”
Agriculture provides food security and employment in the majority of Commonwealth member states, with more than half of the 2.5 billion Commonwealth citizens living in rural regions and doing smallholder farming for a living. The framework defined in ‘The State of Digital Agriculture in the Commonwealth’ policy guide, which was developed by the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda, evaluates various regions depending on their current digital innovations, data infrastructure, business development solutions, and favorable environment for digitalisation, and proposes strategies for advancement.
As per the policy guide, Commonwealth Africa has achieved considerable progress through digital innovations, technologies, and services, while lacking some key data infrastructure. In Commonwealth Asia, agriculture technologies have improved throughout the region, but cost of services for the most vulnerable remains a barrier.
