The 32nd Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economics Research Association (AERA), India will be held at the Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh from 11-13 December 2024 with pre-conference on 10 December 2024. Dr P S Birthal, Director, ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics & Policy Research, New Delhi will be the Conference President.
India’s agroecological diversity makes it an agricultural powerhouse. However, despite the contribution of its agriculture sector to economic development and employment, several challenges – outdated farming methods, unpredictable weather patterns, the increasing impact of climate change – lead to suboptimal productivity and heightened vulnerability. Amid these challenges lie opportunities that technological innovations can harness.
Unprecedented emphasis has been laid in recent years on the integration of digital technologies, commonly referred to as digitalization. Digitalization spans contextual advisory services, supply chains, access to finance and markets, and the use of systems based on mobile applications (app-based systems) to establish farmer networks.
Digital platforms that provide information on markets and prices, along with online trading, help to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers and reduce dependency on intermediaries for fair pricing. Improved connectivity not only boosts farmer income but also promotes economic inclusivity by enabling smallholders to participate actively in the market.
As advances in data collection, computing technologies, and analytics present opportunities to reimagine agriculture production and distribution, and it becomes clear that technology – the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, machine learning (ML)/artificial intelligence (AI) – can be used to enhance efficiency across the agriculture value chain, digitalization has emerged as a crucial strategy for accelerating farm productivity and ensuring sustainability in the face of evolving challenges. And, if digital solutions are adopted, eco-friendly practices can be integrated, and agricultural activities aligned with broader sustainability goals.
The Government of India (GoI) has prioritized agricultural digitalization nationwide. Launched in September 2021, the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) initiative supports agriculture projects and agri-tech startups by leveraging advancements in technologies (remote sensing, geographic information systems [GIS], data analytics, cloud computing, AI and ML, IoT, robotics, drones, and sensors). Digitalization has also led new actors and institutions – private sector new generation agriculturists and startup entrepreneurs – to enter agricultural innovation systems.
However, their entry requires an ecosystem that can seamlessly deploy digital farm services or products. And while technologies can enhance equity, productivity, and sustainability, they can also deepen inequalities and degrade the environment. Therefore, we need evidence based research and evaluation to understand the potential risks and real benefits of digitalization and balance the impact of new technologies on productivity, the environment, and marginalized groups. Farmers need training and educational programmes to understand the benefits and functionalities of digital tools in farming and learn to trust these.
To incentivize the adoption of digital practices and support sustainable innovation the GoI needs to establish robust policy frameworks and cultivate collaborative public–private partnerships.
Against this backdrop the AERA Annual Conference 2024 aims to provide researchers, policymakers, and practitioners a platform to explore and share insights on the digitalization of agricultural technologies in India and beyond.
This exchange of knowledge is vital for fostering resilient, sustainable, and inclusive growth and ensuring that the benefits of digitalization reach the grassroots level, enhancing farm productivity and improving rural livelihoods.
Modern, innovative technologies will have a socio economic impact on agriculture and farmers. And understanding the impact will help to identify the barriers to the widespread adoption of smart technologies, develop policies that facilitate it, and foster a resilient and productive agricultural sector.
How digitalization strategies and technologies – sensors, IoT devices, knowledge sharing platforms, e learning, mobile apps – can optimize costs, improve productivity, and promote sustainable practices (organic farming, agroecology, conservation agriculture)
Worldwide, and in India, the population is increasing steadily. Their food security can be ensured by efficient, transparent, and sustainable agri marketing systems and agri-value chains. Digital platforms can streamline supply chains in the agricultural sector – which stands at the intersection of traditional practices and cutting edge technologies – and revolutionize the ways in which farmers, traders, and other stakeholders interact.
Only a cohesive framework – where government bodies, private sector stakeholders, and research institutions collaborate – can drive the digital transformation in agriculture. And effective governance, institutional, and policy support – ranging from research to extension services, which builds capacity, disseminates knowledge, and establishes standards of sustainable, inclusive digitalization practices – is required to facilitate digital innovation and adoption.
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