The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) launched a Status report on Digitalization in Agricultural Systems of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The study was conducted by IMC Worldwide, a consultancy firm commissioned by CCARDESA in November 2020. The launch was held virtually on the 23rd of June 2022, officiated by Mr Domingos Gove – Director for SADC Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Directorate, Dr Marie-Agnes Jouanjean – a representative of the World Bank, and Dr Simon Mwale – CCARDESA’s Acting Executive Director.
This is a World Bank funded initiative, which is Coordinated by CCARDESA under the Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA). Over and above the financial support, the World Bank provided technical support throughout the study. The report reflects the current landscape of national and regional digital Agritech innovations, coupled with an assessment of the policy environment. Essentially, the study managed to document and verify a range of digital and agritech available in each country within the SADC region and evaluated the extent to which the current syllabi in agriculture universities and other institutions of higher learning as well as innovation hubs facilitate digital skills development. It also discusses in detail how these actors may work collaboratively together to drive digital integration and to develop a vibrant digital ecosystem made up of multiple stakeholders.
In his remarks, Mr Gove noted that this study is aligned with the Regional Agricultural policy framework as it contributes towards the agricultural transformation agenda of SADC. “Agriculture is the first pillar under the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP, 2020-2030) and such initiatives have the potential to address most of the challenges in the sector such as access to improved technologies, climate smart agriculture and many others”, added Mr Gove when delivering his opening remarks. Dr Simon Mwale, who was speaking on behalf of the Executive Director and Head of Mission, Dr Cliff Dlamini further highlighted that digitalization in agriculture is a game changer as it contributes significantly to increased productivity, profitability, adaptation and resilience to climate change. Speaking on behalf of the World Bank, Dr Marie-Agnes Jouanjean thanked CCARDESA for facilitating the study and IMC for delivering a quality product. She further noted, with appreciation, the critical role played by the SADC FANR Directorate in making this study a reality.
From this webinar, participants were able to appreciate: The extent to which national and regional policies and regulatory frameworks of the SADC countries provide a conducive environment (policy space) for agricultural digital innovations; Policy opportunities and gaps that need to be addressed if the SADC region is to fully take advantage of the digital transformation; The various agricultural digital innovations available in each country; The various agricultural digital players within the region and their roles in the digitalization value chain; The extent to which the current agricultural syllabi in agricultural Universities and colleges embrace digital agricultural skills, innovations and applications that encourage youths to become digital entrepreneurs; and the interactive Agrihub portal within the CCARDESA website.
Please download the report here and access the Digital Agricultural Platform here.
