The global food system has recently been facing new challenges due to various factors, including rising fertilizer prices, increasing energy costs, and climate change. In particular, the surge in fertilizer prices is directly impacting agricultural production in developing countries, leading to increased production costs and food security issues in many nations. In this environment, policy approaches that enhance the efficiency of input resources while maintaining agricultural productivity are becoming increasingly important. One such approach is "soil information–based agriculture."

The Importance of Soil Data

Agricultural productivity is heavily influenced by the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. However, in many developing countries, soil information is not sufficiently accumulated, resulting in agricultural policies or fertilizer applications that do not adequately reflect regional soil characteristics. Accurate soil information holds the following strategic values

 ∙ Establishing fertilizer application strategies tailored to regional soil characteristics.

 ∙ Agricultural input management tailored to local agricultural environments.

 ∙ Promoting sustainable soil management and environmental protection.

 ∙ Designing agricultural policies in response to climate change.

International organizations are especially emphasizing that accurate and up-to-date soil data plays a pivotal role in fertilizer management and productivity improvement.

Case Study: Ethiopia’s National Soil Information System (EthioSIS)

A representative case of soil data-driven agricultural policy is Ethiopia's "National Soil Information System (EthioSIS)." In the past, Ethiopia expanded fertilizer use to boost productivity, but the lack of consideration for specific soil characteristics limited the resulting gains. Consequently, the government initiated a national-level soil data infrastructure project to systematically analyze soil conditions and utilize them in agricultural policy.

Through this project, a national soil database and digital soil maps were established. Based on these tools, fertilizer strategies matching regional soil properties and nutrient status were proposed. This approach contributed to increasing agricultural productivity while improving the efficiency of fertilizer use. Furthermore, the soil data-driven fertilizer recommendation system provided smallholder farmers with crucial information for making more accurate agricultural decisions.

Expansion of Data-Driven Agricultural Policy

In the field of international development, "precision agriculture" policies—which utilize not only soil information but also various other data points—are expanding. This approach features the following characteristics.

 ∙ Soil analysis using satellite and spatial data.

 ∙ Agricultural input management tailored to local agricultural environments.

 ∙ Provision of agricultural information through digital platforms.

 ∙ Simultaneous improvement of agricultural productivity and resource efficiency.

Data-driven agricultural policy is recognized not merely as a means to increase yield, but as a core policy tool for building a sustainable agricultural system.

KDS Insight

In line with these trends, Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS) has accumulated deep expertise in establishing data-driven agricultural policies and management systems to support the agricultural productivity and rural economic development of developing countries.

In particular, based on our experience in consulting and implementing various projects—such as building agricultural information systems, analyzing agricultural policies, and establishing rural development strategies—we present sustainable agricultural development models that align with the specific environments and policy goals of each nation. Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS) aims to contribute to strengthening the agricultural competitiveness and food security of developing countries by expanding data-driven agricultural policies and precision agriculture strategies in the future.