Artificial Intelligence to Turn Climate-Struck Farmers into Smart Farmers

Students in Senegal want to develop artificial intelligence (AI) at the Dakar Institute of Technology (DIT). Their goal: enabling farmers affected by climate change to improve their crop yields.

“I am convinced that by analysing data we can give (farmers) better solutions,” says Fabrice Sonzahi, a 30-year-old data analyst enrolled in the course.

West Africa is among the worst climate-hit regions, with floods and droughts devastating populations that depend on agriculture.  DIT opened in September of this year, with the first 10-week training program teaching nine students how to use data to solve these climate-related issues.

Sonzahi aims to make good use of his AI skills at Ivorian startup ATA Solution. The company advises farmers on how to best use scarce resources by collecting data on soil and weather, but AI can bring this information to the next level: data could be processed to show the exact time and place that farmers should add water or fertilizer to improve their crop yields.