Abstract
Agriculture remains critical to Africa’s socioeconomic development, employing 65% of the work force and contributing 32% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Low productivity, which characterises food production in many Africa countries, remains a major concern. Compounded by the effects of climate change and lack of technical expertise, recent reports suggest that the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food systems in African countries may have further-reaching consequences than previously anticipated. Thus, it has become imperative that African scientists and farmers adopt new technologies which facilitate their research and provide smart agricultural solutions to mitigating current and future climate change-related challenges. Advanced technologies have been developed across the globe to facilitate adaptation to climate change in the agriculture sector. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9), synthetic biology, and genomic selection, among others, constitute examples of some of these technologies. In this work, emerging advanced technologies with the potential to effectively mitigate climate change in Africa are reviewed. The authors show how these technologies can be utilised to enhance knowledge discovery for increased production in a climate change-impacted environment. We conclude that the application of these technologies could empower African scientists to explore agricultural strategies more resilient to the effects of climate change. Additionally, we conclude that support for African scientists from the international community in various forms is necessary to help Africans avoid the full undesirable effects of climate change.
Highlights
Apparent since the early 1970s, climate change and its effects are already a reality in Africa [1]and it has resulted in new and varied phenomena, including increased temperatures, low agricultural production, severe variations in weather patterns and disease transmission, among others.Research indicates that Africa’s CO2 emissions is much lower than the rest of the world, the continent is the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change [2] (Figure 1A)
We discuss the current advanced technologies in fields such as genomics and phenomics, and show how these technologies can be utilised to enhance knowledge discovery to mitigate the effects of climate change and increase production in Africa
Climate change is already taking a huge toll on the African continent, with evidence in the production of crops
Summary
Apparent since the early 1970s, climate change and its effects are already a reality in Africa [1]. The consequences of climate change are projected to severely negatively impact agricultural production, food security, water resources, health, energy and ecosystem services, with related effects on lives and sustainable development prospects in Africa [2]. The thin red lines which represent multiple climate models under RCP2.6 suggest a most likely increase in temperature, drought and flood (Source: World Bank, Climate Change Knowledge Portal). The high impact of the effects of climate change in Africa have been attributed to its geographical position and limited adaptive capacity [9], exacerbated by widespread poverty and low levels of development. Another effect of climate change is the outbreak of internal conflicts driven by the depletion of essential resources, such as potable drinking water. We discuss the current advanced technologies in fields such as genomics and phenomics, and show how these technologies can be utilised to enhance knowledge discovery to mitigate the effects of climate change and increase production in Africa
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