Assessing Preparedness for Smart Farming and Technology Adoption among Kenyan Farmers

Abstract

Agriculture is crucial in reducing poverty, promoting economic prosperity, and ensuring food security for the world’s growing population, which is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. This sector is vital to the global economy, contributing significantly to GDP and providing jobs for a large workforce. Precision agriculture and e-commerce advances have proven beneficial, boosting crop yields and rural incomes. Sub-Saharan Africa faces similar agricultural challenges as it anticipates a population of 2.1 billion by 2050. Although the region has made strides in expanding farmland and labour, improvements in crop yields have been limited. The digital revolution offers new opportunities to tackle issues such as undernutrition by improving access to information and technology. In Kenya, with a population projected to reach 95 million by 2050, expanding food production is a pressing challenge. Significant hurdles include declining soil fertility, inadequate water management, and a lack of technical support. While technologies like Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and Machine Learning (ML) have the potential to enhance agricultural productivity, their adoption is constrained by infrastructure issues, high costs, and a shortage of technical expertise. Addressing these barriers and improving farmer education is essential to fully realising these technologies' benefits.