Morocco’s UMP6 Harnesses Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture

Rabat – As nations around the world aspire to become more sustainable in the post-COVID-19 world, African countries are equally ramping up their efforts to finance scientific research with the goal of developing more sustainable agriculture.

Last week, Euronews, a leading global news outlet focusing on European issues, published an article underscoring Morocco’s efforts to spearhead the transition into a more sustainable, and data-driven agriculture.

Titled “Planting for the future: Morocco lays the seeds for Africa’s agricultural revolution,”, the article focuses on a promising line of “Smart Farming” research pioneered by researchers at Mohammed 6 Polytechnic University UM6P.

While not totally a new concept, Smart Farming is an initiative to accelerate the incorporation of data processing and technology to optimize cultivation.

UM6P’s Smart Farming unit is a multifaceted innovation lab utilizing diverse modes of technology to optimize the yield.

Within the lab, Aeodrive Engineering Services is the startup aiming to harness drone technology to improve cultivation.

Using drones, the startup harvests data by scanning soil. It then uses the compiled data to offer feedback to farmers on how to use fertilizer, watering techniques, among others.

Water scarcity is no longer an imminent threat for the future; it’s already here. With the increasing width of dryland, the importance of transiting into water-efficient agriculture is vital.

Given the lack of advanced cultivation techniques in Africa, the ghost of food insecurity is looming closer to the continent.

However, research on the continent into water-efficient crops is underway and it’s highly promising.

In Morocco’s Rhamna, a region suffering from severe drought, UMP6 has helped farmers transition to a high-yield crop production that is resilient in the face of climate change.

UMP6, which some observers have described as “Africa’s Silicon Valley,” has more ambitious plans for scientific research and is capitalizing on Africa’s young demographic to bring change to the young continent.