Digitisation in agriculture to bring in next big Green Revolution: Amitabh Kant

Amitabh Kant said that until and unless technology touches small farmers, we will not see increased productivity

Lauding the strides made in digitising agriculture and harnessing technological innovations, stating that these have been central priorities during India's G20 presidency this year, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant underscored the significance of agricultural digitisation in bringing the next big Green Revolution and transforming the agriculture sector into a data-driven, adaptive system that can effectively combat challenges of climate change.

“Let technology, innovation and data be the next big green revolution in Indian agriculture, taking Indian agriculture to its helm,” Kant added. He was speaking at the G20 India Agri-tech Summit 2023 held on August 28 in New Delhi.

Emphasising the role played by small farmers in the crucial farm economy, he said that until and unless technology touches small farmers, we will not see increased productivity. “Digitisation in India has helped but must reach small landholders for a bigger impact,” he said.

“Transforming the agriculture sector into a data-driven, smart and adaptive to climate change is integral to the transformation of the agriculture sector which would entail focusing on aspects like open access agricultural data platforms and recognising them as global public goods while co-opting startups,” he added.

Stressing the need for responsible investments both from the private as well as public sector, for enhancing the welfare of farmers, especially small and marginal, he said, “Our ambition should be to transform agriculture, the agri-food sector into an attractive and lucrative modern business enterprise. This needs to be done by keeping the farmers at the core of this digital revolution, by facilitating affordable access to an inclusive digital infrastructure and by exploring digital tools that cater to the needs of the agri sector.”

The agricultural working group of G20 had identified four priorities during India’s presidency this year including food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture and financing green and climate resilient agriculture, strengthening infrastructure for small and marginal farmers, and the digitalisation for agricultural transformation with emphasis on standardised agricultural data platforms and leveraging new-emerging digital technologies to transform the agri-food sector.

“This can be done by providing farmers with real-time data, creating crop production forecast models, integrating AI for projections regarding crop disease outbreak, agri inputs which may help control output, especially in terms of irrigation methods,” he said.

The Sherpa emphasized the need for the creation of a comprehensive and harmonious database for further growth and development in the agri sector.

“The creation of a dynamic database that seamlessly interwinds precise information about farmers' characteristics and agriculture sector statistics, with a wealth of supplementary information encompassing weather patterns, demand and supply dynamics, market trends, and much more, has the potential to empower our farmers to make informed decisions. The implications of such a harmonised database extend far beyond mere convenience. Stakeholders across various domains, including the policymakers and experts who steer the trajectory of our progress, would find themselves empowered by key insights delivered through this data-sharing network,” he said.

India, as per Kant, needs to grow in the agricultural sector and its productivity must enhance rapidly. “That would mean we acquire a lot of new cutting-edge tech. So digitisation of agriculture, tech transformation and innovation in agriculture has been central priority push in Indian G20 presidency this year.”

India's G20 Sherpa stressed on the deployment of digital tools to enhance agricultural practices, such as using soil maps to increase the efficient use of fertiliser. He urged the gathering to utilise the summit platform for learning, strengthening networks to improve food safety, and creating a mechanism for investing in food safety in a sustainable way.