This is the 03rd post in a blog series to be published in 2025 by the AU High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) Secretariat on behalf of  APET.

Introduction

This blog kicks off a thematic series exploring the five priority sectors outlined in the Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2034), starting with agriculture. It examines how frontier and emerging technologies are revolutionising Africa’s approach to food and nutritional security and addressing climate change impacts, aligning with STISA-2034’s vision of innovation-led development.

Africa’s Agricultural Crossroads

Agriculture remains the backbone of Africa’s economy, employing over 60% of the population.[1] Yet despite this central role, agriculture contributes just a quarter of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP) — a reflection of persistent challenges including low productivity, outdated inputs, weak infrastructure, and the impacts of climate change.[2] To address these barriers, STISA-2034 prioritises agriculture as a key driver of innovation-led growth. It calls for the strategic use of science, technology, and innovation (STI) to achieve food security, build resilient livelihoods, and foster sustainable agricultural practices.

The Promise of Emerging Technologies in Agriculture

The African Union (AU) High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET)[3] has identified the adoption of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), remote sensing, biotechnology, and blockchain as some of the approaches that are offering new avenues to revitalise Africa’s agriculture. Emerging technologies also offer opportunities to build Africa’s bioeconomy and green value chains in agriculture. APET acknowledges that STISA-2034 regards these technologies not merely as tools, but as strategic enablers for increasing crop yields, optimising irrigation and water usage, strengthening supply chains, and improving decision-making processes.

Delving deeper into the country context, Ghana and Kenya are utilising precision agriculture tools powered by IoT sensors and AI to help farmers monitor soil conditions, predict crop diseases, and automate irrigation systems.[4] Furthermore, companies such as Zipline’s drones are transforming logistics in countries like Rwanda and Ghana by delivering seeds, fertilisers, and vaccines to remote farming communities.[5] In Nigeria and Ethiopia, digital platforms connect smallholder farmers to market data, credit, and weather forecasts.[6] Drawing from these success stories, APET encourages AU Member States to strengthen these innovations by investing in research, development, and innovation (RDI), enhancing rural infrastructure, and expanding digital literacy in farming communities.

Next-Generation Agriculture Fuelled by Biotechnology and Genomics

As part of APET’s policy recommendations on genome editing, advancements in biotechnology and genomics are unlocking new frontiers for the transformation of African agriculture. For instance, researchers in AU Member States such as South Africa and Uganda are using tools such as marker-assisted breeding, gene editing, and plant diagnostics to develop crop varieties that are more resilient to drought and yield better harvests.[7] To this end, Uganda has piloted genome-edited bananas resistant to banana bacterial wilt, successfully demonstrating enhanced resistance to one of the country’s most devastating crop diseases. This advancement holds significant promise for improving banana yields, safeguarding farmer livelihoods, and strengthening national food security.[8] Similarly, South Africa has conducted research into drought-tolerant maize, contributing to improved crop resilience and food security in water-scarce regions. These scientific breakthroughs are helping address pressing agricultural challenges across the continent.

APET’s policy framework identifies genome editing as a powerful tool[9] to enhance crop productivity, address nutritional deficiencies, and strengthen climate resilience on the continent. From drought-resistant maize to vitamin-rich cassava, genome editing can enhance the nutritional value of staple crops while increasing their adaptability to harsh environments. APET anticipates that these technological advancements can help AU Member States achieve the food and nutritional security goals as outlined by STISA-2034.  

The framework stresses the importance of harmonised, science-based regulatory systems across AU Member States. Many AU Member States still face fragmented regulatory environments that slow down innovation. However, APET recognises that AU Member States, including Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Malawi, have introduced science-based policies establishing strong regulatory frameworks for overseeing research and trade in genome-edited products.[10] With such advancements in science-based policies, STISA-2034 calls for risk-proportionate regulations, which differentiate genome editing from conventional genetically modified organisms (GMOs) when scientifically justified. This regulatory clarity is essential for attracting investment, accelerating field trials, and building public trust in bio-innovations.

APET also emphasises the need for strengthened biosafety systems to ensure that these innovations are introduced safely and ethically. To this end, APET urges AU Member States to develop policies promoting ethical and inclusive genome editing. Key priorities include enhancing the capacity of biosafety regulators, investing in public awareness and dialogue, strengthening research and innovation (RDI) institutions, and facilitating cross-border collaboration. These measures are essential for implementing and embedding the genome editing policy within broader STI strategies such as STISA-2034.

Data-Driven Decision Making

STISA-2034 calls for integrating geospatial data, AI-based analytics, and climate forecasting into agricultural planning and monitoring as part of national digital transformation strategies in agriculture to improve productivity and resilience. By using satellite maps (geospatial data), AI analysis of farm trends, and weather predictions (climate forecasting), farmers can make smarter decisions, like when to plant or irrigate, thereby boosting crop yields and adapting to droughts or floods. This technology-driven approach helps South African agriculture become more productive, climate-proof, and efficient, supporting food security and rural livelihoods. As a result, APET continues to challenge governments and innovators across the continent to continue leveraging big data to enhance crop performance, optimise resource use, and anticipate climate-related risks.

In this context, APET encourages and supports governments and innovators across the continent to continue leveraging big data to enhance crop performance, optimise resource use, and anticipate climate-related risks.

Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture uses AI models to analyse satellite imagery and historical climate data to predict crop yield fluctuations and seasonal changes, enabling timely interventions and policy responses. In Kenya, agricultural technology firms such as UjuziKilimo are deploying sensor-based soil analysis and real-time dashboards to guide farmers on when and how to irrigate or apply fertilisers.[11] Meanwhile, Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) uses remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to support early warning systems for food security and drought management.[12]

These efforts should also be supported by emerging continental data governance frameworks to ensure interoperability, trust, and ethical use of agricultural data.

These data-driven approaches improve on-farm decisions and help governments and development institutions allocate resources more effectively, design evidence-based policies, and build climate-resilient food systems. Therefore, APET recognises that integrating such tools into national agricultural strategies is essential to achieving the food security vision laid out in STISA-2034.

Policy Foresight and Institutional Capacity

The success of technology-enabled agriculture depends on robust national policies and institutions that create an enabling environment for innovation to thrive. This includes legislation that governs ethical data use, modern seed certification systems, fair land-use planning, and equitable access to digital tools across rural and urban areas. Such policies ensure that emerging technologies reach all farmers—especially women, youth, and smallholders—while safeguarding privacy, environmental standards, and public trust.

STISA-2034 advances this agenda by promoting technology foresight—the capacity to anticipate future needs risks, and opportunities—and strengthening institutional governance mechanisms that translate STI strategies into long-term development planning. This enables policymakers to proactively align agricultural investments with Africa’s evolving climate, economic, and demographic landscape. For example, Ethiopia’s Agricultural Transformation Agency uses foresight tools to align national programmes with productivity targets and demographic shifts. In Tunisia, foresight analyses have supported land use planning and water management in arid zones by collaborating with government agencies and local universities. Through its foresight activities, APET helps Member States anticipate emerging risks and opportunities in agricultural innovation, ensuring that technological progress is guided by evidence-based strategic planning

Strengthening institutional capacity also involves training extension workers in digital tools, equipping public agencies with the skills to evaluate new technologies, and developing national STI observatories. For instance, Nigeria’s National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) supports institutions in assessing and adopting new agricultural technologies while ensuring regulatory compliance. These actions help ensure that agriculture remains not only productive but also future-ready. As STISA-2034 affirms, the transformation of African agriculture is as much about governance and strategy as it is about seeds and sensors., the transformation of African agriculture is as much about governance and strategy as it is about seeds and sensors.

As STISA-2034 affirms, the transformation of African agriculture is as much about governance and strategy as it is about seeds and sensors.

The Role of Public-Private Partnerships

To scale innovation, APET advises that AU Member States should establish and expand public-private partnerships. Public-private partnerships can facilitate collaborative funding models that bring governments, agricultural technology startup companies, academic institutions, and farmer cooperatives to co-develop and scale solutions. This inclusive approach ensures wider access to agricultural technologies, particularly benefiting smallholder farmers.

Across Africa, there are successful examples of such partnerships driving agricultural transformation. For example, in Kenya, the collaboration between Safaricom and Mezzanine Ware led to the development of Connected Farmer. This mobile and web-based service connects agricultural processing businesses in production planning with farmers.[13]

Recently, in February 2025, Safaricom, in collaboration with Opportunity International, developed Farmer AI in Kenya, an innovative chatbot supporting smallholder farmers in underserved communities with real-time best farming practices.[14] In Ghana, the government collaborated with the private sector through the e-agriculture programme to distribute digital extension services, reaching tens of thousands of farmers with real-time market and weather information.[15]

Similarly, the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) brings together financial institutions, agribusinesses, and smallholder farmers to unlock private capital for smart agriculture.[16] Importantly, regional frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are also enabling cross-border markets for agricultural innovations, creating new opportunities for scaling public-private partnerships.

These models show that when public institutions provide policy backing and private entities contribute technology and investment, innovation can be rapidly scaled to benefit rural communities. Therefore, APET recognises that expanding such partnerships is key to turning STISA-2034’s vision of technology-enabled agriculture into reality.

Planting the Seeds for Africa’s Food Sovereignty

Agriculture is not just about food but resilience, empowerment, and sovereignty. The emerging technologies supporting agriculture under the STISA-2034 framework present a unique opportunity to redefine Africa’s agricultural future in alignment with the broader goals of Agenda 2063. By placing innovation at the heart of the sector, AU Member States can turn farms into engines of prosperity. Africa can—and should—feed itself sustainably while shaping the future of global agriculture.

APET encourages the African Union Member States to:

• Establish and strengthen centres of excellence for innovative and climate-resilient agriculture
• Support open-source platforms for digital agricultural tools
• Mainstream Science, Technology and Innovation into national agricultural extension systems
• Prioritise gender-inclusive innovation policies that empower women and the youth.
• Promote cross-border knowledge sharing through AfCFTA 's digital corridors
• Support responsible use of agricultural data through harmonised data governance frameworks

The future is digital, and Africa will lead it, not follow it, especially in agriculture.

 

Featured Bloggers – APET-CJED Secretariat

Brando Okolo, AUDA-NEPAD

Maria Stella Namyalo, AUDA-NEPAD

Barbara Glover, AUDA-NEPAD

Chifundo Kungade, AUDA-NEPAD

Mahlet Teshome, AUC

Bhekani Mbuli, University of Johannesburg

Nhlawulo Shikwambane, LELEPA AI

 

[1] https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/01/tackling-global-food-security-in-africa/

[2] https://www.afdb.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/aeb_volume_8_issue_3.pdf?utm_source

[3] https://www.nepad.org/microsite/african-union-high-level-panel-emerging-technologies-apet

[4] https://ceimia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/state-of-ai-in-agriculture-sub-saharan-africa_25-07-2024-docx.pdf

[5] https://www.flyzipline.com/business/solutions/farming

[6] https://theagencyfund.substack.com/p/bridging-data-divides-at-scale-through

[7] Tripathi L, Dhugga KS, Ntui VO, Runo S, Syombua ED, Muiruri S, Wen Z, Tripathi JN. Genome Editing for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa. Front Genome Ed. 2022 May 12;4:876697. doi: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.876697. PMID: 35647578; PMCID: PMC9133388.

[8] https://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/Farming/Naro-starts-trials-on-banana-bacterial-wilt-resistant-varieties/-/689860/3129076/-/1424cfmz/-/index.html

[9] https://www.nepad.org/publication/policy-framework-applications-of-genome-editing-african-agriculture

[10] https://nbma.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AFRICA-AND-ZERO-HUNGER-AGENDA-GENOME-EDITING-POLICY-LANDSCAPE-CHALLENGES-AND-OPPORTUNITIES.pdf

[11] https://www.ujuzikilimo.com/article/What-Is-Climate-Smart-Farming-and-Why-Is-It-Crucial-for-Africa-#:~:text=UjuziKilimo%20Mitigating%20the%20Climate%20Changes,farmers%20in%20safeguarding%20their%20crops.

[12] https://unctad.org/news/harnessing-frontier-technology-food-security-nigeria

[13] https://www.safaricom.co.ke/media-center-landing/press-releases/safaricom-launches-digital-solution-for-farmers

[14] https://www.itnewsafrica.com/2025/02/safaricom-ngo-launch-ai-farming-solutions-to-kenyan-agriculture/

[15] https://www.fao.org/e-agriculture/news/ghana-e-agriculture-programme-ministry-food-and-agriculture-republic-ghana

[16] https://nirsal.com/