The first day of the 2023 Africa Agri Tech Conference offered an exciting display of cutting-edge innovations and robust discussions around agricultural technology in Africa. Experts explored various topics, including the potential dark side of agritech.
The conference kicked off in spectacular fashion on Tuesday, 14 March at the Sunbet Arena in Menlyn Main, Pretoria. Some of the highlights include a panel discussion on the conduit from sustainable farmers to sustained communities.
In this discussion, facilitated by news personality Lynette Francis-Puren, Partners in Agri Land Solutions (Pals) operational manager Lennox Plaatjies pointed out that embracing technology does not necessarily mean replacing farmworkers.
Farmworkers are part of the solution
“We need to spend our energy in South Africa in bettering what we’re doing currently so that we can reduce food insecurity. I believe there is a lot more that technology can help us with, and I don’t think it will replace farmworkers,” said Plaatjies,
He highlighted that farmworkers using technical devices were in fact a transformation movement that not only improves farm processes but assists workers in working more effectively and with more ease.
Zander Ernst from Allesbester Boerdery agreed that farmers and farming communities needed to embrace technology.
“We need to embrace technology in everything everywhere that we can. You’re not discarding old-school ways but if you don’t embrace new technology, you will be left behind,” he said.
Philip Retief from Van Loveren Wines shared their sentiments, adding that the goal for a farmer was not to reduce labour but ensure efficient results. “If you really want to grow, you need to embrace new technology,” he said.
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A tech ‘red-flag’
Day one also saw discussions around securing the agriculture sector against cyber threats and trends taking place.
Research group leader from Cyber Security Systems CSIR Billy Petzer gave insight on cybercrime. Petzer advised farmers to be cautious as they navigate the new world of agricultural technology.
“Cyber attacks are a serious threat to businesses and individuals alike. It is important to be aware of the different types of attacks and how to protect yourself from them,” he said.
Petzer explained that cyber-attacks are common, mostly in the form of social engineering, malware, exploiting vulnerabilities, and data theft. These attacks are most common during the transformation stage, and this is because agriculture is a new technical industry, Petzer said.
Strengthening the guard
He advised farmers to invest more in human presence on the farm, cyber security, supply chain, general security hygiene, vendors, social engineering, and technical environment security to protect themselves from possible cyber attacks.
“Technology is something that we need to embrace otherwise you’ll be left behind and powered by competition. But technology does not need to be the scary unknown, it should rather be viewed as the enabler of the process,” added Petzer.
Day two of the 2023 Africa Agri Tech Conference will focus on biotechnology and scientific advances in agriculture. The conference is a rare chance for players in the agricultural industry to connect with leading experts and explore the latest technological advances.
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