[Special Feature for the Founding Anniversary] Kenya on the Front Line of the Climate Crisis Finds Answers to Food Security in ‘K-Smart Agriculture’

[Korea Agricultural Technology Newspaper = Reporter Baek Cheol-hyun] Climate change and the food crisis are no longer problems confined within national borders. Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services (Jeonnam ARES), which has led South Korea’s advanced agriculture, has joined hands with KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) to begin sharing ‘K-Smart Agriculture’ with Kenyan agricultural public officials. This training program was designed as a venue for ‘mutual exchange,’ simultaneously transferring the advanced agricultural technologies accumulated by Jeollanam-do while also learning Kenya’s traditional farming methods.

The first-year course of the ‘Smart Agriculture Capacity-Building Training for Food Security in Kenya,’ which is being carried out under a three-year roadmap from this year through 2028, was held from May 10 to 23. During this course, in-depth discussions continued on introducing Korea’s advanced technologies and analyzing infrastructure and economic sustainability in Kenya’s field conditions.

“Locally tailored application is key”… Kenyan officials fill the classroom with passion

On May 21, in Small Conference Room 201 of the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju, Kenyan agricultural public officials nearing the end of their training and other trainees were busy discussing and preparing their final Action Plans. Based on the technologies they had studied in Korea for about 10 days, the trainees established concrete measures to apply in Kenya.

When Professor Jeong Seon-woo of Chonnam National University, who led the training, urged the groups to wrap up their discussions, the trainees moved more quickly. They continued their discussions by reviewing what they had directly experienced, from Jeonnam ARES’s smart agriculture research facilities to smart farm sites in Goheung, the use of agricultural drones, and tea industry research sites. They appeared to be intensely considering which technologies were most urgent and effective for their home country’s agricultural environment.

From staple maize to AI irrigation systems… presenting a locally tailored blueprint

The action plans derived through group discussions by Kenyan officials included concrete alternatives directly linked to food security. They clearly showed Kenya’s immediate agricultural challenges and needs, as well as what kind of technical support Korea could provide.
First, to protect maize, the ingredient of ‘ugali,’ Kenya’s staple food, a plan was proposed to build a database incorporating Korea’s ‘smart pest and disease forecasting and control technology.’ In addition, an integrated project covering production, processing, and distribution was presented, including expanded distribution of certified sunflower seeds, a crop that has recently emerged as a climate change response crop.

Also, in the livestock sector, a core part of Kenyan agriculture, attention was drawn to the idea of solving the chronic feed shortage problem by linking the livestock identification and traceability system (ANITRAC) with ‘feed bank management.’ Considering Kenya’s environment as a water-scarce country, a proposal to introduce an ‘AI-based precision irrigation system’ to prevent waste of water resources by irrigated farms also received a positive response.

“Smart agriculture technology is the only means to mitigate an uncertain climate”

Patrick Shunda Okoth, a researcher in the R&D department of Kenya’s state-run seed company who participated in the training, said, “The drone-based pest control, solar-powered irrigation system, and automated control system were especially impressive during this training.” He continued, “In water-scarce Kenya, smart agriculture technologies, including drip irrigation technology, are key means to overcome uncertain climate change,” adding, “I will continue to pay close attention and make efforts to identify which technologies can be applied in ways suited to local conditions in Kenya.” 

Professor Jeong Seon-woo of Chonnam National University, who led this training, said, “Climate change is a global phenomenon, so it is not easy to predict and prepare for,” adding that because the climate phenomena occurring in Kenya are not merely Kenya’s problem, this will become a venue for sharing problems and exchanging technologies. He also predicted, “There are many areas where Kenya’s agricultural issues can be addressed through Jeollanam-do’s technologies, so there is potential for expansion into an official development assistance (ODA) project in the future, and this could become an opportunity to spread not only to Kenya but across Africa as a whole.”