England (Commonwealth Union)_ Maintaining food security is a highly important subject today. The current report centers on the following challenges: the growing effects of climate change on food production; the COVID-19 pandemic recovery causing disruptions in investment in the sector; unemployment and youth migration affecting food production; and man-made conflicts and crises impacting food production and distribution. In light of these obstacles, the crucial question is what tools governments may use to improve national food security.
This issue is addressed by the timely publication of a policy guide titled ‘The State of Digital Agriculture in the Commonwealth’, which demonstrates how the digitization of the agriculture industry is progressing across the Commonwealth. It asserts that whether digitalization delivers on its promise or becomes simply another technology for development relies on our approach to its deployment, particularly for the most disadvantaged groups and areas that stand to gain the most from its potential.
The policy guide is published at a time when the agricultural sector is leading the policy agendas of several governments worldwide and is essential to the economies of the majority of Commonwealth member nations. To maximize the impact of the farm sector reform agenda, cutting-edge technologies must be at the forefront. Digitalization is one of the most innovative frontier technologies. However, it is not about the invention; rather, it is about the process, in order to see the effect on the people.
The report adopts a policy-based approach to digitization in contrast to the traditional focus on profiling digital technologies and services for agriculture. The report’s expansion of digital agriculture beyond digital technology and services is a significant contribution. The results in each region depend on an evaluation using the digital agriculture framework created by the Secretariat in cooperation with other partners. This framework consists of three pillars and a base: pillar 1 is digital innovations; pillar 2 is data infrastructure; pillar 3 is business development; and the base is an enabling environment.
The framework establishes the foundation for assessing the condition of digital agriculture in the Commonwealth, serves as a platform for future country-level evaluations, and facilitates the formulation of national digital agricultural initiatives. Moreover, food insecurity, the most challenging problem in the world today, will only grow more complicated with climate change threats. By 2050, the globe will need to produce almost 70 percent more food in order to feed around 9 billion people.
