Climate-Resillient Agriculture: Tackling Climate Change and Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Climate change tends to be seen primarily as a global environmental issue; however, it’s also a direct threat to food security, especially in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where over 250 million people experience food insecurity and rely on small-scale farming efforts for their livelihoods. To meet the needs of the region’s quickly growing population, it’s estimated that agricultural productivity will have to increase by 70% by 2050. Yet, with unpredictable weather patterns, pests, and fungal diseases exasperated by climate change, farmers will need all the help they can get to meet this rising demand.

To help address these growing challenges, organizations like Echoing Green are investing in social entrepreneurs who are developing agricultural technologies that can change the very nature of agricultural practices in the face of climate change. Their 2024 Fellows have been developing technologies that would not only increase crop yields but also help reduce the long-term effects of climate change so that agricultural productivity can evolve alongside environmental protection. 

How Echoing Green empowers innovation

For almost four decades, Echoing Green has been committed to supporting social entrepreneurs who seek to create systematic change against worldwide disparities. Since the organization started, they’ve invested over 50 million dollars to support individuals and organizations working towards bettering the world. Each year, they choose a group of Fellows who contribute to this mission, providing them with $80,000 in unrestricted funding and community support to push forward their initiatives and scale their impact for meaningful social change. This year, Echoing Green has chosen 44 Fellows, with two standing out for their efforts in advocating against climate change and food insecurity.  

Esther Wanjiru: revolutionizing pest control with AI

Esther Wanjiru of Farmer Lifeline Technologies has developed the first-ever solar-powered device to detect crop pests and diseases. Their revolutionary AI-driven technology uses small camera modules to scan up to 730 meters of farmland and notifies farmers directly to their phones about any problems with their crops. Following the notification, farmers are given expert advice tailored to the specific pest or disease that has been identified. Then, farmers can use this guidance to take quick and targeted action so that they can reduce crop losses and minimize the need for widespread pesticide use. 

Rather than using broad-spectrum pesticides as a preventative measure for crop health, the technology created by Farmer Lifeline can help farmers only use pesticides when and where it’s completely necessary to minimize any environmental harm. Pesticides are still an important tool for protecting small farms from major crop losses that could cause food and financial insecurity; however, the frequent use of broad-spectrum pesticides can negatively impact the environment and the soil Health that supports crop success. Pesticides can reduce the negative impacts of insects and fungal pathogens on crops, but they can also have a negative influence on surrounding wildlife, such as birds and beneficial insects and fungi. Farmer Lifeline Technologies makes sure that pesticide interventions are precise and only applied where needed so that both crops and the environment can continue to thrive and sustain the communities that rely on them. 

Taita Ngetich: smart greenhouses for climate-resilient farming

Synnefa, led by Taita Ngetich, also aims to support small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with farming technologies that optimize irrigation, reduce land usage, and increase crop yields. Their goal is to create smart farming tools for farmers so that they can grow high-value crops throughout the year without using as many resources, which would, in turn, improve their incomes and overall quality of life.

Their smart greenhouses have solar-powered sensors that monitor environmental conditions like temperature, humidity, and soil moisture. All monitored data is then processed through their FarmCloud™ platform to give farmers a real-time update on their mobile devices, allowing them to precisely control the conditions of their crops. This automation helps reduce water usage by up to 60% and increases crop yields by 30%. 

Synnefa’s system also utilizes vertical farming and hydroponics, which allows farmers to grow crops in stacked layers without the need for soil, therefore maximizing available farming space and allowing for year-round production. This system limits the strain imposed on typical farming land, decreasing the amount of land required for farming operations and protecting soils from nutrient loss and infertility. Plus, since crops are grown in a greenhouse, they’re under controlled conditions that reduce the need for excess fertilizers or chemical pesticides. 

The future of climate-resilient agriculture

The only way to ensure an adequate global food supply in the face of climate change is to reshape the way we think about agriculture. Unsustainable agricultural practices like monocropping, chemical pesticides, and the overuse of fertilizers may boost short-term crop yields but, in the long run, can often leave too poor soil health and biodiversity. As a result, crops are more difficult to grow, and soil is no longer suitable for growing large amounts of nutrient-dense food.

Echoing Green’s 2024 Fellows understand that the future of agriculture must not only be productive but environmentally sustainable. Esther Wanjiru’s and Taita Ngetich’s technologies demonstrate that food insecurity can be tackled while also protecting the environment and its natural ecosystems. Their innovations go beyond optimizing yields–they are designed to foster long-term resilience in farming practices which is essential to reverse decades of environmental degradation and prevent any further damage to the environment or farmland.

Yet as great as these high-tech agricultural solutions are, nature itself also offers one of the most effective allies in boosting soil health and crop yields–fungi. As we move forward towards more climate-resistant farming models, it’s important to understand the role that fungi play in supporting sustainable agriculture. Numerous studies have found that fungi can play a major role in boosting soil health, increasing plant yield, and targeting harmful pests without disrupting beneficial organisms or degrading the soil. Additionally, fungi have the ability to absorb and sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide, storing it in the soil, which helps slow the progression of climate change. 

It’s crucial to protect the natural biological systems that are so integral to sustainable agriculture, and by working with both nature and technology, we can create more resilient and productive farming systems. This gives us the best chance at meeting rising food demands while ensuring that future generations can continue to use the land, relying on it for their livelihoods for years to come.