Smart Technologies, Climate Change, and Smallholder Farmer Production in Zimbabwe

Much of the food consumed globally is produced by smallholder farmers and yet smart technology access remains their major challenge. With the agriculture sector changing rapidly because of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) mega technologies which have resulted in smarter ways of farming, available literature remains with blind spots concerning how these technologies can be accessed and utilized by smallholder farmers not only to increase production but also adapt to climate change factors. Drawing on empirical evidence gathered in the Chipinge South Constituency, Zimbabwe, as well as secondary literature obtained in both academic and gray literature databases, this chapter explores the knowledge of, perceptions of, and adoption of 4IR technologies by smallholder farmers. It finds that while farmers recognize the potential of 4IR technologies to make them adapt to climate change, lack of knowledge, skills, and training; high costs, religious beliefs; partisan politics; and poor policies, among others, remain key challenges that hamper adoption and adaption of smart technologies by smallholder farmers.