Digitalization and Agricultural Development: Evidence from Morocco
Hayat Lionboui, Abdelghani Boudhar, Youssef Lebrini, Abdelaziz Htitiou, Fouad Elame, Rachid Hadria, Tarik Benabdelouahab
Abstract
The agricultural sector plays a major role in the socio-economic development of several countries around the world, including African countries. Advances induced by digital innovation have positively impacted this sector and could have a considerable impact by reducing the risk of food insecurity. In this chapter, applied research experiences conducted in Morocco have been reported to highlight some of the opportunities that digital transformation can offer in agriculture. First, agricultural land management was approached through remote monitoring of agricultural land and mapping of cropland using satellite imageries and machine learning. Then, the question of what digital can offer for the management of agricultural water resources was discussed through two examples: the first deals with the use of remote sensing and modeling to support irrigation water management; and the second is related to another aspect of multi-year bioeconomic modeling for predicting changes in water management indicators. Finally, experiences on the importance of digital transformation in risk management were discussed in order to analyze the risks in a more informed way and to relate aspects that could not be connected before in the past, in an efficient and relevant manner. Indeed, an experiment on the evaluation of spatial variability of wheat yield has been reported and an example of the spatial analysis of risk related to losses in production value using satellite data was discussed. With steps added or substituted compared to the research presented in this chapter, digital innovation allows precise monitoring of agricultural land and offers socio-economic conditions that are more advantageous for farmers. Overall, all of the experiences cited on the use of digital innovation in the agriculture sector can be extended to other contexts, particularly in Africa where sustainable agricultural development remains the ultimate goal.