ASSESSMENT OF DIGITALIZATION IN THE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS OF THE SADC REGION

Background    

CCARDESA is a key player in Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) activities and intends to take the AR4D agenda forward by ensuring that digitalization accelerates Agricultural Transformation through enhancing productivity and sustainability across all actors and value chains in agriculture and food systems.

IMC Worldwide was appointed by CCARDESA to carry out a situation analysis (baseline) of the status of digitalization in the agricultural systems of the SADC region, to map the status of national and regional policies and regulatory frameworks of the SADC countries in providing a conducive environment (policy space) for agricultural digital innovations.

The baseline has been completed. It has documented and verified a range of digital and AgriTech innovations available in each country in the SADC region and evaluated the extent to which the current agricultural syllabi in agricultural Universities and innovation hubs facilitate digital agricultural skills development in the region. A more systematic understanding of these innovations creates the opportunity to exploit their impacts including enhanced efficiencies in reaching farmers, increasing agricultural productivity, improving farmer incomes and food security and in encouraging opportunities for employment from the sector in the 16 countries across the SADC region.

This study focused on key actors within the digital economy for agriculture, including governments, civil society, private sector, universities, and AgriTech innovators to provide the first of its kind, regional multi-component baseline to understand how these actors may work collaboratively together to drive digital integration and the development of a vibrant digital ecosystem made up of multiple stakeholders. The results are presented through an interactive Agrihub portal within the CCARDESA website.

Proposed activities

The event will involve presentations and discussions of the baseline findings and a walk-through of the interactive results of the study on the CCARDESA website.

Purpose of the webinar

The purpose of this webinar is for the study team to present the highlights from the research, the key insights and recommendations for the region to build on this work moving forward.

Outcomes    

At the end of the webinar, participants are expected to have an appreciation of:

1. 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.
2. Policy opportunities and gaps that need to be addressed if the SADC region is to fully take advantage of the digital transformation.
3. The various agricultural digital innovations available in each country.
4. The various agricultural digital players within the region and their roles in the digitalization value chain.
5. 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.
6. The interactive Agrihub portal within the CCARDESA website.

Participants    

• SADC FANR Directorate
• Representatives of SADC Member states
• World Bank
• CCARDESA Partners
• ICKM Focal Points