AI-powered soil testing revolutionises farming for small-scale farmers in East Africa
By Zablon Oyugi
Small-scale farmers in East Africa are on the verge of a groundbreaking transformation in their farming practices, thanks to an innovative collaboration between Boomitra, an international soil carbon marketplace, and Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA).
This partnership is set to introduce AI-powered soil testing that eliminates the need for physical soil sampling, making soil health monitoring more accessible, cost-effective, and efficient for local farmers.
The initiative, under the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator, is poised to revolutionise agriculture in the region, with far-reaching implications for smallholder farmers and the environment.
Traditionally, soil testing in East Africa has been a cumbersome and expensive process, requiring farmers to collect soil samples and send them to laboratories for analysis.
This method has often proven impractical for small-scale farmers who lack the resources, time, and funds needed for conventional soil testing. However, the new AI-powered approach promises to change this narrative.
Boomitra’s groundbreaking technology uses remote sensing and artificial intelligence to monitor soil conditions, including soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (NPK) levels, and moisture levels. By doing so, it provides farmers with real-time data on their soil’s health and requirements without the need for physical sample collection.
This digital approach not only eliminates the disruption of farming operations but also offers several advantages to small-scale farmers.
In addition to providing valuable soil health information, this collaboration aims to boost carbon sequestration efforts, which can have a significant impact on offsetting greenhouse gas emissions.
The project is expected to remove an additional 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) from the atmosphere annually.
The Farmer Service Center (FSC) model, at the heart of this project’s implementation, empowers local communities by improving access to information, quality inputs, affordable financing, and market connections. It also offers income opportunities for FSCs, strengthening the local economy.
Small-scale farmers are set to benefit not only from enhanced soil health and increased crop yields but also from new revenue streams generated through carbon credits.
By adopting climate-smart agriculture practices based on AI-powered insights, these farmers can secure their livelihoods while contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.
The success of the pilot phase in Kenya is expected to lead to the expansion of this groundbreaking partnership to other countries in East Africa where FtMA operates, further enriching the lives of small-scale farmers and ensuring sustainable agricultural practices for generations to come.