Abstract
Digital technologies offer a potential solution to improve sustainability—economic, social, and environmental—of agri-food systems around the globe. While developed countries have led the innovation and adoption of digital agriculture, the potential impact in developing countries—including in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region—is massive. This article synthesizes existing evidence to review the potential and current contribution of digital technologies to the agri-food sectors in MENA. Digital agriculture shows promise in addressing the key challenges facing the agri-food sector across MENA countries. Improvements in primary production, supply chain and logistics performance, and optimized use of scarce natural resources (notably agricultural water) could be notable, if digital technologies can be implemented as envisioned. Available evidence shows that adoption of digital agriculture is at early stages, generally led by high-value agricultural production targeting domestic markets in Gulf countries and export markets in Mashreq countries. Economic sustainability appears the strongest force for current adoption, with less focus on social or environmental sustainability. Public policies should not only foster the adoption of digital technologies in MENA but also ensure equity of access, transparency of use, data protections, and labor protections. Policymakers should move beyond traditional, production-centric views to deliver also on social and environmental sustainability.
Highlights
The term “digitalization” refers to the socio-technical application of digital technologies or innovations [1]
The relative contribution of the agriculture sector to the total economy is a minor share in all Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, ranging from less than 1% in Gulf countries like Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to a high of more than 30% in Comoros (Table S2) [19]
This article has sought to contribute to the topic of digital agriculture in the MENA
Summary
The term “digitalization” refers to the socio-technical application of digital technologies or innovations [1]. Digital agriculture (sometimes termed “smart farming”) refers to the design, development, and use of digital technologies in agriculture and the wider agri-food sector. Digital agriculture encompasses a range of technologies that include sensors, robots, digital communication tools, blockchain, computational decision and analytical tools, and cloud-based technologies [2]. Controlled-environment agriculture (greenhouses, indoor farms, and vertical and hydroponic farms) increasingly applies digital technologies including sensors, robots, and digital communication. Precision agriculture relies on tools including global positioning system (GPS)-enabled guidance, control systems, sensors, robotics, drones, autonomous vehicles, and variable rate technologies. Predictive analytics software and/or artificial intelligence (AI) use available data to provide farmers with guidance about crop rotation, optimal planting times, harvesting times, and soil management
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