What are the barriers preventing AI from being adopted in small farms in Africa?

Details

Supervisors

Desmet, Carlos

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Food is human’s most intimate relationship with nature and yet the food sector is one of the most impacting on the climate, in a negative way. Considering that around a third of the global greenhouse gases emissions come from the food sector, the potential to do better is significant. The food sector has been changing a lot through the years and technology is becoming widely used in order to improve productivity and reduce resources usage, while also improving quality, quantity, and food safety. This work aims at understanding the current state of the food system, including the different challenges that it is facing. It also investigates the role of the small farmers in the global food system and the use of artificial intelligence in the food industry, alongside the benefits and risks it can bring. Even though the literature review will clearly indicate that technology is very promising in agriculture, the adoption of it in small farms, especially in Africa, is very low. Through qualitative research, the barriers preventing the adoption of artificial intelligence will be looked at, while also addressing potential solutions. As a result of the interviews, it is clear that those barriers exist, the most prominent one being the costs of such technologies. Due to the fact that they are spread across various aspects of society, it is hard to offer a realistic and doable solution, because of the number of stakeholders involved, as well as the big differences existing between all small farmers. Looking at the situation as it is today, the future of AI in small African farms doesn’t look very promising.