La transition vers une agriculture durable : Comment tirer le meilleur parti des technologies transformatrices

The document identifies off-grid renewable energy, batteries, and information and communication technologies (ICT) as 'transformative' tools capable of increasing agricultural productivity while reducing environmental costs. It focuses on solar-powered irrigation as a key application, noting that dramatic price drops in solar PV and lithium-ion batteries are making these systems more accessible to smallholders. While these technologies offer opportunities for increased yields and income, the brief warns of risks such as groundwater over-extraction and market price drops due to overproduction. It concludes with eight policy recommendations for governments and financial institutions to ensure an inclusive and sustainable transition, including targeted subsidies, responsible lending regulations, and improved digital infrastructure.

• Three specific technologies are identified as having the potential to transform agricultural and food systems: off-grid renewable energy systems, batteries, and information and communication technologies (ICT).
• Solar PV costs have decreased significantly, with US costs falling 88% between 2009 and 2018, from 359 USD per MWh to 43 USD per MWh. Globally, the cost of recent off-grid solar energy, including storage, is now below 0.20 USD per kWh, compared to 0.60 USD per kWh for small diesel or gasoline generators.
• Lithium-ion battery storage costs fell 87% over a decade, from 1100 USD per kWh in 2010 to 156 USD per kWh in 2019, with a projected further drop to 100 USD per kWh by 2023.
• Despite long-term cost-effectiveness, the initial cost of off-grid solar pumps remains a barrier, typically ranging from 5 to 15 times higher than diesel equivalents.
• Widespread adoption of solar irrigation carries environmental and economic risks, including the potential for groundwater over-extraction due to lack of economic incentives to conserve water, and the risk of local price crashes if production increases exceed market demand.
• The document recommends eight policy actions, including providing education and training for farmers, monitoring sustainability indicators, implementing responsible lending regulations to prevent over-indebtedness, and increasing R&D investments and targeted consumer subsidies.

APA

Murphy, S., & Rose, M. E. (2021). La transition vers une agriculture durable : Comment tirer le meilleur parti des technologies transformatrices. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-03/sustainable-agriculture-transition-transformative-technology-fr.pdf

Chicago

Murphy, Sophia, and Mali Eber Rose. La transition vers une agriculture durable : Comment tirer le meilleur parti des technologies transformatrices. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-03/sustainable-agriculture-transition-transformative-technology-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Murphy |first1=Sophia |last2=Rose |first2=Mali Eber |title=La transition vers une agriculture durable : Comment tirer le meilleur parti des technologies transformatrices |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-03/sustainable-agriculture-transition-transformative-technology-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{murphy2021transition, author = {Murphy, Sophia and Rose, Mali Eber}, title = {{La transition vers une agriculture durable : Comment tirer le meilleur parti des technologies transformatrices}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-03/sustainable-agriculture-transition-transformative-technology-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }