Digital agriculture in FAO projects in sub-Saharan Africa

FAO (2024) Digital agriculture in FAO projects in sub-Saharan Africa.  #94 p.

The report analyses 72 FAO activities and projects in Africa, spanning various agricultural subsectors and sub-regions, and how they harnessed digitalization. It highlights where more investment is needed from FAO and others. Two sets of recommendations are made: the first centres around how generally to better leverage digital technologies for food security and food system transformation in Africa. The second articulates around how FAO may strengthen the integration of digitalization in its Africa programme priorities.

The report emphasizes the crucial importance of digital capacity-building particularly for smallholder farmers, the importance of #dataanalytics to support effective agriculture #policymaking, etc. It also provides recommendations relating to the need to continue promoting pro-smallholder digital tools and services, while exploring the potential of newer innovations including generative artificial intelligence when needed with specific stakeholders. The findings also underscore a need for further inclusion, particularly among youth and women who are essential to the sector’s future yet are currently underrepresented in benefiting from digital advancements.

This study is the result of a collaboration with Wageningen University and Research (WUR).

Related:

26 March 2024. Agricultural Data Infrastructures as Key Enablers

• hosted by the Digital Agri Hub in collaboration with The Commonwealth Secretariat, UN FAO, and CGIAR Digital Initiative.