Selected Topic

Promoting sustainable production and food sovereignty.

Project Description

Africa Agriculture Watch – Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Satellite Remote Sensing Data for Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture

Amid the numerous threats facing Africa’s agricultural sector, from supply chain disruptions to extreme climate events and variabilities and health crises, there is an urgent need for accurate, timely, and disaggregated data for tailored intervention planning. However, data analytics with predictability capabilities are not often readily accessible to decision-makers and policymakers across Africa. In response to the agricultural data gap, AKADEMIYA2063 scientists devised a new tool, which uses cutting-edge machine learning predictive modeling technologies and satellite remotely sensed data to predict food crop production for nine key crops across 47 African countries at the pixel level and weeks before the harvesting periods.

The web-based Africa Agriculture Watch (AAgWa) platform harnesses remote sensing and machine learning techniques to support crisis management, preparedness, monitoring, and mitigation efforts in African food production systems. The tool has provided predictions for agricultural production on key crops for African food production, including maize, cassava, and sorghum.

Through its crop prediction calendars and agricultural production forecast briefs, AAgWa’s innovative interventions promote sustainable production and food sovereignty, especially amid a context of volatility, while equipping policymakers with a decision-support tool. AAgWa is the fourth core program of AKADEMIYA2063, a pan-African non-profit research organization whose mission is to create state-of-the-art technical capacities to support AU Member States to achieve the key goals of Agenda 2063 of transforming national economies to boost economic growth and prosperity. Visit https://www.aagwa.org/.

About the Institution

AKADEMIYA2063 is a pan-African non-profit research organization with headquarters in Kigali, Rwanda and a regional office in Dakar, Senegal. Inspired by the ambitions of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and grounded in the recognition of the central importance of strong knowledge and evidence-based systems, AKADEMIYA2063’s vision is an Africa with the expertise we need for the Africa we want. This expertise must be responsive to the continent’s needs for data and analysis to ensure high-quality policy design and execution. Inclusive, evidence-informed policymaking is key to meeting the continent’s development aspirations, creating wealth, and improving livelihoods. AKADEMIYA2063’s mission is to create state-of-the-art technical capacities to support African Union Member States’ efforts to achieve the key goals of Agenda 2063 of transforming national economies to boost economic growth and prosperity. The main goal of AKADEMIYA2063 is to help meet Africa’s needs in data, analytics, and mutual learning for the effective implementation of Agenda 2063 and the realization of its outcomes by a critical mass of countries. AKADEMIYA2063 strives to meet its goals through programs organized under five strategic areas—policy innovation, knowledge systems, capacity creation and deployment, operational support, and data management, digital products, and technology—as well as innovative partnerships and outreach activities.