Towards a Connected Climate - Leveraging digital technologies to break the cycle of food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa
This policy paper, published together with United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), unpacks three of the major stumbling blocks preventing African countries from improving agri-food systems and shows that only if we address issues around access to information and financial resources, improve overall farm efficiency and market access, and ensure equitable digital resources, we can unlock the potential of Africa’s agriculture.
The goal of feeding Africa’s growing population, conserving its natural resources, and building resilience against market and climate changes requires a renewed focus on increasing productivity across existing farmlands. This is where digital technologies, especially mobile-based solutions, can help. While these solutions do not serve as a silver bullet to solve Africa’s complex and multi-faceted food security concerns, tech can provide farmers with accurate information and real-time data so that they can farm more effectively and, in doing so, increase the yield on their existing land for the benefit of all.