Enhancing Diversified Farming Systems by Combining ICT-Based Data Collection and Behavioral Incentives: Potentials for South African Agroforestry

Our world is presently facing major crises in regard to climate, biodiversity, and food security, particularly affecting developing countries, such as South Africa. These can only be encountered by rethinking the way land is managed and used. Diversified farming systems, such as agroforestry, have the ability to generate synergies, contributing to mitigating all three of these crises. In spite of the manifold opportunities provided through agroforestry practices, the adoption and implementation still face several challenges. Regardless of existing approaches, a complete internalization of present externalities together with all-encompassing indicators, measuring ecosystem benefits is currently non-existent, prioritizing the need to develop these in further research. Therefore, immediately feasible and cost-effective behavior incentives are identified, showing the ability to visualize and promote the benefits resulting from these multifunctional, integrated agricultural practices. Enhanced technical possibilities in unarmed aerial vehicles and image sensor technology, as well as advancements in automatic data processing offer increasingly cost-effective ICT solutions measuring the required, communicable data. The identified approaches can help to address key South African agroforestry strategies, regarding policy, knowledge development and adaptation, by demonstrating and sharing ascertained benefit awareness, strengthening knowledge development in agroforestry together with creating awareness and disseminating information across all stakeholder groups.