AI and women’s economic empowerment in agriculture

The role of women in agriculture in Africa is widely recognised and well documented. In Senegal, women account for 62.6% of agricultural labour in rural areas (Gender Profile in Senegalese Agriculture / FAO ECOWAS 2018). Family farms, where women work, make limited use of technology. However, innovation through smart solutions is seen as a strategy for transforming agriculture and making it more efficient. How can women – key players in the agricultural sector – benefit from tailored AI solutions? The aim is therefore to propose AI solutions to improve and strengthen women’s economic empowerment in agriculture, particularly with regard to:

• Access to and control over land resources and other factors of production by men and women
• Profitability and productivity
• The development of other sectors in which women play a significant role, such as the processing and marketing of agricultural produce

Technology is being used in agriculture. Around the world, AI solutions are being implemented to help make agriculture more profitable and efficient (Plantix, etc.). AI is seen as a field that could help revolutionise traditional agriculture. What is the situation in Africa? We have seen the development of integrated software that collects data via drones or sensors – on irrigation and soil moisture – with a view to boosting yields and productivity. Furthermore, several start-ups have been set up and are contributing to the development of e-agriculture across the various stages of the supply chain; notable examples include MLouma and Grenier Intelligent in Senegal. As regards land management, tools such as the Land Use and Allocation Plan (POAS) are increasingly incorporating gender considerations. How can these various tools, which utilise data on agriculture and land use, – through machine learning – promote the roll-out of inclusive AI solutions that make agriculture more profitable and sustainable, whilst analysing and addressing gender inequalities in agriculture and access to productive resources?