Modernising African Agriculture

Irrigation systems

Only seven percent of African agriculture is under irrigation. The rest is rain-fed and subject to erratic rainfall patterns. Solar-powered irrigation provides a cost-effective, time-saving and environmentally friendly solution to producing crops all year round. Solar-powered drip irrigation offers specific advantages, including an increase in crop yields, improved soil moisture conditions and reduced labour. The latter will improve the quality of life for women and children, who are usually responsible for fetching and carrying water.

Desalination plants

Desalination facilities require significant amounts of electricity to function. Energy supply accounts for nearly 15% of global freshwater withdrawals each year. As a consequence, the availability of water resources to extract fuel and generate power determines energy security.

In many water-scarce regions, desalination is one of the solutions available to meet water shortages. However, it usually relies on fossil fuel-based, energy-intensive processes to meet its water needs. In other words, fresh water is used to supply the electricity needed to run the desalination plant to supplement fresh water sources.

Renewable energy-based desalination technologies could play an increasing role in bridging the water gap. Although still expensive, it is a more sustainable solution and contributes to food security, since the agriculture and food supply chain make up 30% of the world’s energy consumption — it is the largest consumer of water resources, using about 70% of all freshwater.

Refrigeration capabilities

A significant percentage of food produced today spoils before it can be consumed or even reach consumers. Post-harvest losses are estimated at 30% of global food production, while less than 10% of perishable foodstuffs are refrigerated.

Rising temperatures, growing populations and increased urbanisation further complicate the issue. Most developing countries lack the basic infrastructure and management skills to develop integrated cold chains for the distribution of perishable foods. In rural areas the handling, storage, transport, sale and consumption of perishable food commodities often take place entirely outside temperature-controlled environments.