With sensors and apps, young African coders compete to curb hunger
From an app to diagnose disease on Zambian farms to Tinder-style matchmaking for Senegalese land owners and young farmers, young coders have been finding solutions to hunger in the first Africa-wide hack-a-thon on the issue.
Eight teams competed in the hack-a-thon, organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and a Rwandan trade organisation in the country’s capital Kigali this week.
Experts say keeping young people in farming is key to alleviating hunger in Africa, which has 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, but spends $35 billion a year on importing food for its growing population.
“In our families, agriculture is no longer a good business. They don’t get the return,” said Rwandan Ndayisaba Wilson, 24, whose team proposed a $400 solar-powered device (in Africa solutions have to deal with problems First World countries don't anticipate or have to plan for) that can optimise water and fertiliser use.
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With sensors and apps, young African coders compete to curb hunger Experts say keeping young people in farming is key to alleviating hunger in Africa. |