UN, AU officials urge science-led innovation to boost Africa's farming

United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) officials have called for wider adoption of science and agricultural innovations to boost agricultural productivity and food supply across Africa.



The appeal was made Tuesday as the Africa Science and Innovation Forum opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the theme "Harnessing Science and Innovation for Agrifood Systems Transformation."



Africa needs to widely adopt artificial intelligence and other innovations to increase crop yields by turning complex farm data into real-time and actionable decisions, said Abebe Haile-Gabriel, the Food and Agriculture Organization assistant director-general and regional representative for Africa, in his keynote address.



A widening innovation gap in Africa increases production costs and negatively affects product quality, food safety, processing, and the ability to meet market requirements. It also affects the ability to manage climate shocks, said Haile-Gabriel.