Showing posts with label UAS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UAS. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Developing Institutions and Inter-Organizational Synergies through Digitalization and Youth Engagement in African Agriculture: The Case of “Africa Goes Digital”

As digitalization increasingly gains attention in the agriculture sector, many African youths are seizing the opportunity provided by digital technologies to engage in agriculture. 

While prior studies have started examining the intricacies of digitalization in agriculture, they have paid less attention to its implications for fostering institutions and inter-organizational synergies that can support and sustain the businesses of youth enterprises engaging with Africa’s agriculture. Against this backdrop, the authors undertook a qualitative case study to shed light on the development of a community of practice comprising youth enterprises engaging in agriculture through digitalization. Thus, they studied Africa Goes Digital (AFGD), a consortium of young African enterprises that rely on digital technologies and solutions to provide services to farmers across the African continent. 

Africa Goes Digital - Transforming Africa into #TheAfricaWeWant from Federico Rambaldi on Vimeo.

The results showed that: (1) the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) played a pioneering role as a development agency in supporting enterprises with drones and training for agriculture, which led to the formation of AFGD; (2) two prevalent themes characterized the services offered by AFGD members; (3) AFGD brings members under one platform where they leverage WhatsApp for communication and knowledge sharing and Twitter to showcase success stories and form partnerships with each other to execute certain development projects with governments and development agencies; (4) the lack of regulations or the restrictive regulations on the use of drones are still problems that some members face, and the high costs of sensors and related drones are challenges for the members. 

Building on the results, the authors discuss the implications of digitalization for supporting African governments in meeting sustainability goals and conclude by describing the theoretical contribution of their study and promising future research directions.

Authors: Matthew Ayamga , Abdelaziz Lawani, Selorm Akaba and Arsene Birindwa

Read and download the full article.

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Developing a policy framework for adoption and management of drones for agriculture in Africa

Developing a policy framework for adoption and management of drones for agriculture in Africa


This paper proposes a drone policy framework for developing drone regulations for Africa, expediting the individual countries’ developing drone regulations. This research was conducted following concerns raised by individuals and businesses whose imported drones were seized by customs or had to go through a cumbersome process for approval to use drones for lack of regulations. To derive the policy framework, we matched the provisions of 15 existing drone regulations from Africa to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Manual on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) using a decomposition modelling technique. The proposed framework is presented as a formal business process model and is evaluated in a multi-case study approach in two different case studies. 

The results indicate that two key aspects/elements are crucial in the development of a drone framework and thus are included in our framework: (i) stakeholders’ inclusion in the policy development and (ii) regulators liaising with security agencies like the police and immigration officials to implement and enforce developed regulations. 

Applying the proposed framework in describing existing regulations reveals that 40-85% of provisions in existing regulations conform to the provisions in ICAO’s RPAS manual.

Citation:

Matthew Ayamga, Bedir Tekinerdogan, Ayalew Kassahun & Giacomo Rambaldi (2021) Developing a policy framework for adoption and management of drones for agriculture in Africa, Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 33:8, 970-987, DOI: 10.1080/09537325.2020.1858047

Interested in drone technology? Join the community www.uav4ag.org 

Sunday, December 29, 2019

World Summit on the Information Society - Prizes 2020: the voting phase comes to an end on January 24, 2020

World Summit on the Information Society - Prizes 2020: the voting phase ends on January 24, 2020. Vote Now!

The project: "Eyes in the Sky, Smart Techs on the Ground: Transforming Africa's Agriculture " has been nominated for voting under the category AL C7. E-agriculture.


A total of 20 projects have been nominated in this category. The first five most voted will be selected for further evaluation. In order to vote, you need to be registered on the WSIS Stocktaking Platform. You can express one vote per category and vote for one or more categories. The site hosting the voting platform is not as straight forward as it should be, and it is quite difficult to navigate. 


Follow these steps (recommended):

  1. Register
  2. Login as a registered user
  3. Follow this link: https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/stocktaking/Prizes/2020/Vote?jts=P4W9PG&id=10&page=13#start which will lead you straight to the category AL C7. E-agriculture.

The project "Eyes in the Sky, Smart Techs on the Ground" is listed under this category 

Click on  ... more>> and read the retailed description of the project and its achievements. 

Express your preference and vote. We rely on you good judgement.

Friday, June 8, 2018

Landmark Pan-African Policy Recommendation Singles out Drones as a Transformative Technology for Africa


On June 8, 2018, a full report on the technology entitled “Drones on the horizon: Transforming Africa’s Agriculture” has been launched by Prof Yaye Kène-Gassama Dia, from the University Cheikh Anta Diop Dakar, on behalf of the High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) and NEPAD during the Africa Innovation Summit which took place in Kigali, Rwanda. 


The African Union singled out Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) also known as drones, as a disruptive technology which could impact the development of agriculture on the African continent. On 26 January 2018, by issuing Decision  EX. CL/Dec. 986-1007 (XXXII), the AU Executive Council recommended that all Member States harness the opportunities offered by drones for agriculture.

"Precision agriculture-drone nexus is seen as enhancing the socio-economic well-being of Africa and is likely to support African states in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and specifically SDGs 1 and 2 Prof Yaye Kène-Gassama Dia"stated.

The report, available in English and French, is a high-level recommendation by the AU to Member States to support and facilitate the deployment of drone technology in agriculture.

More on the launch of the report :

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Status of UAV Governance in Africa - interactive map

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) recently commissioned a scan of 79 Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Groups of States vis a vis the status of rules and regulations affecting the use of remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS) better known as drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Below is a map showing the status of legislation by country. Concerning Africa, the study was limited to Sub-Saharan countries.

Legend:







Sharing:

Interested in the topic? join www.uav4ag.org 

Animation on "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Agriculture" produced by students of the Wageningen University


Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Agriculture from CTA on Vimeo.

This video animation has been produced by students from the Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing ate the Wageningen University and Research Centre in the context of the GRS-60312 Remote Sensing and GIS Integration Consultancy Project. Their report 'Towards Cost and Benefit Analysis of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to Support Agricultural Production' is synthesized in this well crafted video animation.

Members of the study group include: Vinicius Perin, Ramin Heidarian, Simon Veen, Erwin Van den Berg and You Zhou. Coach: Sytze de Bruin

Those interested in the technology related to the use of drones or better "unmanned aerial vehicles' in the agricultural domain should join the dedicated discussion list www.uav4ag.org.

Follow UAV for Agriculture on Twitter at @uav4ag


Friday, May 6, 2016

Sri Lanka's drone pioneers

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Sri Lanka has begun to experiment with drone technology to support a wide range of studies like crop monitoring, disaster mitigation and disease prevention.

In recent months, the Colombo based International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has begun to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – also known as drones – to monitor rice crops in and around the water scarce area of Anuradhapura. The institute is testing the data-collecting capabilities of UAVs for various purposes. For example, RGB (red, green, blue) colour and near-infrared (NIR) sensors were used to capture images over the paddy fields. These technologies have the potential to help farmers detect fields that are under stress and to help them identify low-laying areas prone to pooling.

IWMI's drone is also regularly used in partnership with local authorities. In December 2015, the Survey Department of Sri Lanka was developing a disaster mitigation plan for Badulla, the capital city of Uva Province. The Survey Department needed a high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the town for the plan, and asked IWMI to use its drone to capture the required aerial imagery.

Using conventional techniques, it might have taken over a year to survey the town. However, the drone used by the IWMI team was able to survey the entire 10 square kilometres area in just three days, by carrying out fourteen UAV flights and shooting 4,600 high-resolution images, with an average spatial resolution of four centimetres.

Disease prevention


Drone imagery can also be used to better understand the spread of disease, allowing health analysts to create high-quality maps. Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Aetiology (CKDu) is one of the most serious non-communicable diseases presently afflicting Sri Lankans, and it remains poorly understood. First diagnosed in the mid-1990s, the disease has now been found to occur in six out of the nine Sri Lankan provinces. It is essentially confined to the dry zone and only affects farmers engaged in rice cultivation. CKDu is believed to have resulted in the death of approximately 25 thousand people to date, while over 8 thousand people are currently estimated to be receiving treatment for the condition.

In the CKDu-affected area of Mahiyangana, the disease is believed to be spread via contaminated drinking water, which originates from wells. The UAV has been used to gather geo-referenced data on where households live and where wells are located. The collected data can be used in addition to a digital elevation model to locate the high and low areas of two villages, Sara Bhoomi and Badulupura.

The gathered data has been used in support of a pilot project on prevention of CKDu in the area. According to project leader Ranjith Mulleriyawa, these aerial photos and maps have provided researchers with an improved overall picture of the area, helping them understand how contaminated wells are linked to the spread of CKDu in affected areas.

High accuracy


IWMI also plans drone initiatives in Nepal to map fresh water springs by using a small thermal sensor. The targeted watersheds in Nepal have dense canopy cover, and it is difficult to use standard optical sensors to identify and locate the springs. The drone-mounted thermal sensor can see through the dense canopy cover to find these springs, as their temperature is lower than the temperature of the earth surrounding them.

While the use of UAVs in research and other practical applications remains in its infancy, IWMI’s initial tests have already demonstrated their usefulness. Drones can be used to carry out surveys over large and hard-to-access areas, in a relatively short timeframe and with high accuracy. For policy experts and decision-makers, these aerial images can provide them with more accurate and up-to-date information than has hitherto been possible. For farmers, high-quality drone images can help them detect potential crop failure early, giving them enough time to respond.

IWMI thinks that UAV based surveys will be especially useful in studies that require highly accurate and repeated monitoring. These include checking for changes in cropping patterns, shifts in the status of important water resources, and documenting the extent of environmental disasters. It doubtless won't be long before farmers routinely use UAVs to monitor their crops, just as they use more conventional machinery to sow and harvest.

About the author:


Salman Siddiqui (S.Siddiqui@cgiar.org) is senior manager of the Geographic Information System (GIS), remote sensing and data management unit at the International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka.

Source:

Republished with consent from http://ictupdate.int

Friday, March 4, 2016

IWD2016 - From GPS to drones – women leading the way

Tanzanian entrepreneur Rose Funja believes that information and communication technologies (ICTs) hold the key to a better future for young women, especially in the agriculture sector. Setting an example to them all, she has launched a start-up that links small-scale farmers to financial institutions – and is now turning her thoughts to drones.

An ICT start-up that grew out of a CTA hackathon contest is poised to help solve one of the most intractable problems facing farmers in Tanzania – how to show banks that they own the land they farm, so that they can secure loans using it as collateral.

Behind AgrInfo, which uses geographical information system technology to map information about farmland and the crops it produces, is dynamic ICT specialist and entrepreneur Rose Funja. The idea came to her and her partner Grace Makanyaga as a solution for tree farmers, but the young women quickly realised there was potential for scaling out the concept to reach other producers. In many parts of Tanzania, land ownership is unrecorded, aside from in village customary documents, making it difficult for farmers to obtain credit.

"We all know that for a smallholder farmer, the farm is their major asset," said Funja. "AgrInfo profiles the farmer and the farming business – the farm, the location, the size, the produce – and posts this data on an online platform, then gives access to this to financial services who use it to assess the creditworthiness of the farmers and give them loans."

The business concept received a major boost when AgrInfo won the runner-up prize in the CTA AgriHack Talent Programme for East Africa in 2013, a contest based on the idea of a hackathon – a gathering that brings together computer programmers for a short period of time to develop an ICT application or platform that addresses a specific challenge.

Refining the business model


In the run-up to the tournament finals, Funja and Makanyaga received technical support to develop their idea, as well as advice on how to draw up a business model, how to approach investors and how to pitch their idea to the judges and the audience. After the hackathon, a follow-up phase offered incubation and mentoring from a local ICT innovation hub, together with smartphones and a cash prize of €4,000, which proved invaluable as a first investment.

"The help of CTA and the training we received took our idea to a whole new set of levels," said Funja. "That's when everything started rolling out, and it's been a roller coaster ever since."

Rose and her new business partner – Makanyaga is no longer closely involved in the start-up – are currently running a marketing campaign to explain the AgrInfo service to farmers, mainly targeting producer organisations. The service works on a subscription basis, with the charge added to producer-organisation membership fees for farmers who decide to sign up.

The cost of the service is deliberately pitched at an affordable price, and Funja predicts that it will pay for itself in terms of better access to credit for farmers, so that they can expand operations.

"We go and collect the GPS coordinates for a farm and check the ownership," she explained. "We couple that with an assessment of what is produced on the farm, as a basis for a credit analysis. We also update the data as time goes on, which will increase a farm's credit worthiness. So if a farm increases from one to five hectares, for example, the bank sees the growth and will be more willing to make a loan."

Future plans involve extending the database model to cover the entire value chain, connecting farmers with farm supplies, extension workers, weather forecasts and a host of other value-added data, including information on markets.

Always on the lookout for new horizons, Funja is currently exploring the idea of offering a drone service to monitor land maintenance, aimed at reducing damage by fires. Firebreaks – cleared pathways between land boundaries of between 1 and 5 metres – can be effective in preventing fire from spreading from one farm to another, but keeping them from becoming overgrown can be a challenge, and each year hundreds of hectares of farmland are burned.

An ICT boot camp for girls


Funja is firmly convinced that ICTs are the way forward for development in Africa, and especially for women. She is co-founder of a network in Tanzania that promotes women's involvement in ICTs. Called She Codes for Change, the organisation recently ran a month-long ICT boot camp for girls aged 14–19, introducing them to technologies such as web applications, video-game design and electronics.

"ICTs can definitely open up new opportunities for women and I think it's important for them to venture into technology at an early age," said Funja, who in 2014 spent six weeks in New York after being selected as young female leader for US President Obama's project, the Young African Leaders Initiative. She is also director of ICT at the University of Bagamoyo, and as a result of her contacts with farmers for AgrInfo she has recently entered the sector herself, cultivating sesame.

"What I would like to see is women becoming more educated in using technology for socio-economic purposes, instead of just social engagement. So rather than seeing mobile phones and the Internet as a way of spending time on social media, I would like them to understand that it can be a very valuable tool to help them improve their livelihoods, for example by enabling them to sell their crops for a better price by accessing information about markets."

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Better farming with drones

Technology is part of everyday work life for this farmer and drone enthusiast from north-eastern Germany, who relies heavily on computers, GPS control technology and data networking for running his agricultural enterprise. This short video documents how drone technology can be of immediate use to the farmer in spotting and locating problems on his fields.