13 MARTINDALE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE pile, and analyze data to enable rapid detection of the presence of disease and pest invasions and output instructions for specialized treatment of crops. Variation in pest attacks, weeds, and soil conditions, even within small areas, necessitates specific analysis and treatment. Traditionally, herbicides and pesticides are applied to an entire field, adding to costs for farmers and generating runoff that harms surrounding ecosystems (Subeesh & Mehta, 2021). Agtech allows for precise treatment, with fewer materials used and improved response times. Fertilizer is a significant source of financial and material waste for farmers; excess application can harm neighboring ecosystems. Applying a precise amount of fertilizer can benefit financial and environmental sustainability of agriculture with more productivity per unit. Without digital technologies, soil testing can be a tedious, elongated process, requiring external laboratory testing, and one that is unable to account for soil differences across small changes in location on the plot of land. Sensor networks, however, quickly collect data, which feed into artificial intelligence models that generate predictions and decisions for creating a precise fertilization plan (Subeesh & Mehta, 2021). Agtech can aid in addressing the puzzle of “cultivating the precise crop at the precise time” (Villalba & Abd Elkader, 2020). With climate change causing volatile weather patterns, digital technologies can be useful tools in monitoring weather data to make informed and strategic real-time decisions based on atmospheric changes, precipitation, and temperature, to determine precisely what, where, and when to plant, thereby increasing overall agricultural yield (Villalba & Abd Elkader, 2020). Understanding precise soil conditions, changing plant threats, and precipitation levels helps mitigate the risk of planting the wrong crops or at the wrong time, which can be detrimental for small farmers who depend on each year’s yield for food and income. With better yield and reduced risk, agtech can open doors for small farms to boost profit and move into the category of the agricultural middle class. Accessibility of digital agriculture Morocco is introducing digital technology slowly and inequitably in agriculture. Not every farmer has equal access. A key step in analyzing the accessibility of digital technology to farmers in Morocco is considering how prevalent it is in the country overall and what programs exist to promote its spread to small farms. These factors determine the proper steps to expand usage of agtech. Current scope of agtech At present, Morocco is sitting at a point between traditional and modern agriculture, hoping to transition to Agriculture 4.0 (World Bank, 2019). Agtech is certainly present and gaining traction but is not widespread, and many farmers are not yet using it, especially those on remote, smaller farms. The Moroccan government is pushing expansion of digital technologies to build resilience in the agricultural sector, with robust, industrialized yields. Generation Green, created in 2020, is a plan intended to correct the flaws of the Green Morocco Plan, which had focused too much on industrial agriculture at the expense of neglecting smaller farms. This plan lays out a strategy for Morocco’s agriculture sector, from 2020 to 2030, in hopes of supporting farmers, increasing yield, and becoming resilient to climate change. Generation Green focuses on establishing an “agricultural middle class,” consisting of between 350,000 and 400,000 households, by encouraging high-value agriculture through support to young entrepreneurs (International Trade Administration, 2024). One of Generation Green’s goals is to improve the quality of production, by adapting to technological trends. The plan states that R&D investments will almost double to better disseminate agricultural technology (Ministry of Agriculture..., n.d.-b). Generation Green makes it clear that farmers utilizing digital technology will contribute to resource sustainability by allowing for precise application of water and treatments. Such a prominent plan putting digitalization at its forefront is a strong indicator that there is a push to implement these technologies in Morocco along with official plans to ensure its outreach. The Moroccan agriculture sector is augmenting its support of digital technologies, including expanding satellite imagery. The databases used most widely are Crop Growth Monitoring system, National Agricultural Registry, and FERTIMAP (Fertility Map of Cultivated Soils in Morocco) (World Bank, 2019). Additionally, digital management services are provided to larger cooperative and producer associations to be disseminated to farms. The COVID-19 pandemic catapulted Moroccan agriculture into digitalization of information transfer, education, trade, and communication. Agricultural education institutions are also playing a large role in the development and dissemination of agtech in Morocco. In 2003, the National Institute of Agricultural Research established networks to provide seven regional and three central sites with internet coverage, an infrastructure that supports digital technologies (Qamar, 2013).
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