In the rapidly advancing digital landscape, emerging technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) have the potential to revolutionize the way we perceive agrifood systems and communicate development work. VR enables us to engage with high-resolution video, spatialized audio, and panoramic images from a 360-degree view. Statista projects that VR and similar technologies could boost the USA’s GDP by over $150 billion by 2030, a potential boon for African partners working with digital innovations in food value systems. With 70 percent of Africa’s population relying on agriculture for their livelihood, technological innovations are particularly relevant.

Bringing farmers to the fore with Virtual Reality Field Trips
Dr. Mitchell McTough and Nicole Langa from IWMI conducting VFT Demonstrations at the ICTforAG Conference 2024. Credit: Sander Zwart

Taking advantage of VR and the possibilities of more immersive and sustainable digital platforms, the CGIAR Initiative for Diversification in East and Southern Africa (Ukama Ustawi), led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), constructed a VR world to amplify the voices of farmers and agricultural businesses in Africa, which are often hard to reach in remote or fragile settings. Accessible via mobile phones, desktops, laptops, tablet computers, and specialized head-mounted displays (HMDs), virtual field trips (VFTs) offer an immersive experience of remote and otherwise inaccessible locations. A significant plus is the environmental benefit VFTs offer by minimizing the carbon footprint of travel, thereby promoting sustainable practices.

The voices of our farmers in our VFTs are equally important to us. Agnes Ndia, smallholder farmer in Kenya:

“I feel pleased to have many people learn from my farm, I feel that I am somebody who can stand in front of many people. I know people have gained knowledge through my farm.” — A farmer

Research on extended reality (XR), including VR, is also on the rise. A review of applications of XR in agriculture, livestock farming, and aquaculture revealed over a 50 percent increase in studies from 2001 to 2021. VR’s capabilities allow research organizations to demonstrate their interventions and impacts to stakeholders, partners, and potential investors effectively. VFTs using VR enable key players in the agricultural sector to immerse themselves in these environments, offering firsthand insights and encounters with the smallholder farmers they are supporting.

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https://farmerstrend.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/VFT-demo-960x443-1.jpghttps://farmerstrend.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/VFT-demo-960x443-1-150x150.jpgFarmersTrend# TrendingVirtual RealityIn the rapidly advancing digital landscape, emerging technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) have the potential to revolutionize the way we perceive agrifood systems and communicate development work. VR enables us to engage with high-resolution video, spatialized audio, and panoramic images from a 360-degree view. Statista projects that VR and...New Generation Culture in Agriculture