While Moroccan agriculture faces multiple challenges (water crisis, labor shortage, rising input costs…), digital agriculture, also commonly called agricultural digitalization, seems capable of providing answers to each of them.
This new form of agriculture is indeed one of the foundations of the "Green Generation" strategy. By 2030, the Kingdom plans to connect at least 2 million farmers to digital service platforms.
Sensors, drones, connected objects, and mobile applications would play a strategic role in the pursuit of Moroccan agriculture's competitiveness and in adapting to climate change.
Faced with this rapidly expanding market, many Moroccan start-ups specializing in "agritech" have emerged and are demonstrating great dynamism. This is the case of SOWIT, for example, which develops mobile applications designed to provide farmers with precision data on irrigation, fertilization, and yields through sensors, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence.
Other companies such as AgriEdge, which designs a precision agriculture services platform and a digital agricultural products marketplace; or Arwa Solutions, a start-up specializing in irrigation management via a mobile application and connected sensors, are now part of the Moroccan agritech ecosystem.
The digitalization of agriculture in Morocco is generating great interest, which sometimes borders on fantasy, as digitalization also presents challenges that must be addressed to ensure its beneficial use.
Provided it is developed as an intelligently designed and useful tool, the digitalization of the agricultural sector can offer multiple opportunities.
what opportunities does digitalization offer Moroccan agriculture?
Making agriculture more attractive to the younger generation
The offering of turnkey and technologically effective tools generates interest among young people for agriculture. In an era where humanity's relationship with technology is undergoing a turning point, digitalization takes on a social dimension as a means of emancipation and social advancement. (Filali and Moujadidi, 2022) Furthermore, the use of new technologies facilitates agricultural entrepreneurship, potentially enabling rural youth to access the middle class. (Yatribi, 2020)
Reduce work hardship and optimize time
Digitalization allows for the rationalization of tasks considered low value-added, such as irrigation, by automating processes, which relieves a certain burden and makes room for more profitable activities.
In an interview with Nechfate, Rachid (name changed), a farmer growing vegetables and olives in Sefrou province, explains:
"Automating and triggering my irrigation system remotely allows me to dedicate one day a week to an entrepreneurial activity that brings me additional income".
Image: valve controller (gray box) which allows you to trigger and program your irrigation system remotely via a mobile application. The mobile application communicates commands to the controller via a low-frequency radio network LoRaWAN. The LoRaWAN network is the most widely used communication protocol for digital agricultural solutions. However, in Morocco, the frequency bands used for this network are not authorized by ANRT (National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency). Specific equipment compliance is necessary, but is little known to farmers and is also rarely implemented by Moroccan companies or subsidiaries of foreign companies.
Promote equity and inclusivity
Digitalization can offer the opportunity to make knowledge and digital tools accessible to all, including women, thereby promoting greater equity in the agricultural sector. This can prove to be an additional opportunity for the empowerment of rural women. (Douar Tech Initiative)
Strengthen resilience in the face of climate change
The collection of reliable and accurate data on precipitation, temperatures, and biodiversity status could make it possible to adapt agricultural practices to address the impacts of climate change at the local level. This data can therefore be valued through climate services, such as index-based insurance in West Africa .
Promote collaboration between farmers and scientists
Digitalization can facilitate the exchange of knowledge, data, and practices between farmers and scientists, thereby making it possible to jointly construct resilient agrosystems that guarantee the country's food sovereignty. The MAGO initiative -Mediterranean wAter management solutions for a sustainable aGriculture supplied by an Online collaborative platform- is a good example.
While Moroccan agriculture faces multiple challenges (water crisis, labor shortage, rising input costs…), digital agriculture, also commonly called agricultural digitalization, seems capable of providing answers to each of them.
This new form of agriculture is indeed one of the foundations of the "Green Generation" strategy. By 2030, the Kingdom plans to connect at least 2 million farmers to digital service platforms.
Sensors, drones, connected objects, and mobile applications would play a strategic role in the pursuit of Moroccan agriculture's competitiveness and in adapting to climate change.
Faced with this rapidly expanding market, many Moroccan start-ups specializing in "agritech" have emerged and are demonstrating great dynamism. This is the case of SOWIT, for example, which develops mobile applications designed to provide farmers with precision data on irrigation, fertilization, and yields through sensors, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence.
Other companies such as AgriEdge, which designs a precision agriculture services platform and a digital agricultural products marketplace; or Arwa Solutions, a start-up specializing in irrigation management via a mobile application and connected sensors, are now part of the Moroccan agritech ecosystem.
The digitalization of agriculture in Morocco is generating great interest, which sometimes borders on fantasy, as digitalization also presents challenges that must be addressed to ensure its beneficial use.
Provided it is developed as an intelligently designed and useful tool, the digitalization of the agricultural sector can offer multiple opportunities.
what opportunities does digitalization offer Moroccan agriculture?
Making agriculture more attractive to the younger generation
The offering of turnkey and technologically effective tools generates interest among young people for agriculture. In an era where humanity's relationship with technology is undergoing a turning point, digitalization takes on a social dimension as a means of emancipation and social advancement. (Filali and Moujadidi, 2022) Furthermore, the use of new technologies facilitates agricultural entrepreneurship, potentially enabling rural youth to access the middle class. (Yatribi, 2020)
Reduce work hardship and optimize time
Digitalization allows for the rationalization of tasks considered low value-added, such as irrigation, by automating processes, which relieves a certain burden and makes room for more profitable activities.
In an interview with Nechfate, Rachid (name changed), a farmer growing vegetables and olives in Sefrou province, explains:
"Automating and triggering my irrigation system remotely allows me to dedicate one day a week to an entrepreneurial activity that brings me additional income".
Image: valve controller (gray box) which allows you to trigger and program your irrigation system remotely via a mobile application. The mobile application communicates commands to the controller via a low-frequency radio network LoRaWAN. The LoRaWAN network is the most widely used communication protocol for digital agricultural solutions. However, in Morocco, the frequency bands used for this network are not authorized by ANRT (National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency). Specific equipment compliance is necessary, but is little known to farmers and is also rarely implemented by Moroccan companies or subsidiaries of foreign companies.
Promote equity and inclusivity
Digitalization can offer the opportunity to make knowledge and digital tools accessible to all, including women, thereby promoting greater equity in the agricultural sector. This can prove to be an additional opportunity for the empowerment of rural women. (Douar Tech Initiative)
Strengthen resilience in the face of climate change
The collection of reliable and accurate data on precipitation, temperatures, and biodiversity status could make it possible to adapt agricultural practices to address the impacts of climate change at the local level. This data can therefore be valued through climate services, such as index-based insurance in West Africa .
Promote collaboration between farmers and scientists
Digitalization can facilitate the exchange of knowledge, data, and practices between farmers and scientists, thereby making it possible to jointly construct resilient agrosystems that guarantee the country's food sovereignty. The MAGO initiative -Mediterranean wAter management solutions for a sustainable aGriculture supplied by an Online collaborative platform- is a good example.