The #SDF Flagship Project: Digital Agriculture Africa

Marginalized communities, especially women, are among the most vulnerable groups to global crises. The #SmartDevelopmentFund (#SDF) was created to respond to the impact of global crises. One of the innovative projects supported by the #SDF is Digital Agriculture Africa (DAA).

Over 60% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa relies on agriculture*. The economic impacts of the pandemic, along with the climate crisis, have further exacerbated the existing challenges for small-scale farmers.
*McKinsey, 2019

Women are responsible for 80% of food production in the region*. Nevertheless, the gender gap is reflected in access to digital services. Although these can help female farmers increase their productivity and income, the likelihood of having access to and utilizing these technologies is significantly lower.
*Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Digital Agriculture Africa aims to enhance the resilience of African small-scale farmers and bridge the digital gender gap. The platform provides a free and accessible learning platform that not only grants farmers access to current and reliable information but also keeps them updated on modern and sustainable farming methods.

To ensure the successful adoption of DAA services, the project implementing partners Mercy Corps Agrifin, FSPN Africa, and CoAmana organize field workshops with local farming communities. During these visits, the platform farmers can further educate themselves on more efficiency through digital tools.

Women bear a disproportionately high responsibility for household and caregiving tasks, limiting their time to grow their farming business. Therefore, Digital Agriculture Africa focuses specifically on empowering women in agriculture.

DAA has been implemented in five African countries: Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria. The project has already directly reached more than one million African smallholder farmers.

The #SmartDevelopmentFund believes that digitalization should include the unique cultural heritage of the communities benefiting from it. An outstanding example of such innovative projects is Digital Agriculture Africa (DAA).

The photo is from a field visit and workshop conducted by one of the local partners in the Machakos district of Kenya.