Kuching Declaration calls for more collaboration to sustain the tropics

The Tropical Science Foundation under the Academy of Sciences Malaysia recently hosted an international conference on the Tropics in Kuching, Sarawak. Using the tagline, “The Tropics Matter to the World”, the conference attracted more than 200 participants including the ambassadors of Brazil, Maldives and Colombia. The Premier of Sarawak graced the official opening. He spoke about how Sarawak is embarking on her own strategies to sustain the state in line with the callings of the UN-SDGs. Many are impressed by the way Sarawak navigates the sustainability path to prosperity for her people.

This multidisciplinary event brought together experts to address key tropical issues under the theme of harmonizing humanity with nature. The conference focused on four major tracks: tropical agriculture, architecture and engineering, medicine, and natural resources. It also highlighted urgent topics such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and the protection of indigenous and local knowledge, recognizing the vital role of the tropics in global environmental sustainability. Open science was a significant theme, promoting collaboration across tropical nations to share data and best practices for the benefit of global communities. Discussions emphasized the importance of safeguarding biodiversity and mitigating the effects of climate change, especially in tropical regions that are highly vulnerable to these changes.

Additionally, the conference aimed to form alliances among tropical nations to address shared environmental and developmental challenges, with a view toward fostering sustainable practices in these regions. Few would dispute the fact that sustaining the tropics is critical for the world. The forests of the tropics are the largest sequester of global warming carbon which many see as the root cause of climate change. Scientists refer to the tropical rainforests as the lung of the world. In fact, the highly biodiverse nature of the flora and fauna provides indispensable ecosystem services to the world, so much so that taking good care is crucial for the sustained well-being of humanity.

I moderated the panel discussion on smart farming. The two distinguished panelists, one from China’s Nanjing Technical University and the other Professor Siva from UPM, enlightened the audience about the growing world interest in smart farming and the many challenges making it happened. It became clear as the world faces issues of climate change, environmental malaise, and food imbalance, agriculture will have to embrace more intelligent ways to be productive. The new technologies of IoT, AI and robotics, once the subject of interest among the manufacturing sector as IR4.0, are now seeping into agriculture.

Smart farming technologies, while transformative, tend to be more suitable for larger farms than for smallholder farms for several reasons. Smart farming relies heavily on advanced tools like drones, automated machinery, IoT sensors, and AI-driven systems for monitoring crops and managing resources. The cost of these technologies, including installation and maintenance, is significant. Large farms can justify these expenses because they can spread the costs over larger areas and higher volumes of production. In contrast, smallholder farms, often with limited financial resources, may find these costs prohibitive.

Larger farms benefit from economies of scale, which means the cost per unit of production decreases as the farm size increases. Technologies such as GPS-guided tractors or irrigation systems make more economic sense on larger tracts of land. On small farms, the relative cost per hectare of implementing smart technologies remains high, reducing the incentive for smallholders to invest. Smart farming depends on strong infrastructure such as internet connectivity and access to technical expertise. Smallholder farms are located in remote or underdeveloped areas with poor access to this infrastructure.

The use of data-driven technologies such as remote sensing and AI is more effective with a large volume of data. Large farms can generate vast amounts of data across different sections. On small farms, the limited data points may reduce the effectiveness of such systems. Governments tend to direct funding and policy support toward large-scale farms because these farms can have a broader impact on national food security and export markets. Smallholders often receive less support in terms of access to affordable financing for technological upgrades. It is time for researchers to develop smart farming technologies appropriate for smallholders.