Unlocking Africa’s Digital Future: Empowering Smallholder Farmers

By Edson Mpyisi

This week, the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance Africa hosted a pivotal side meeting during the African Development Bank’s Scaling Finance for Smallholder Farmers in Africa Conference. Co-chaired by the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Mastercard, this ambitious initiative aims to extend digital access to 100 million people and businesses across Africa over the next decade.

In his statement, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, unveiled the Bank’s US$300 million pledge to support this transformation during the first five years.

During the event, I had the privilege of presenting DIFAS (Digital Identity for Smallholder Farmers to Access Agricultural Services) – one of AfDB’s flagship initiatives contributing to the MADE Alliance’s mission.

Smallholder farmers are the backbone of Africa’s food security, responsible for producing 70 percent of the continent’s food supply. Yet, millions of these farmers remain excluded from critical services such as quality inputs, credit, insurance, and market access.

While progress has been made in digitizing farmer data through initiatives like:

• KIAMIS (Kenya): Over 6 million farmers registered
• e-Kilimo (Tanzania): Over 6 million farmers registered
• Agro-Pockets (Nigeria): A growing digital database

These databases have not yet reached their full potential, hindered by concerns around data privacy, security, and equitable access. This is where DIFAS steps in.

Designed to bridge these gaps, DIFAS aims to empower smallholder farmers by:

1. Providing Technical Assistance for Data Governance: Supporting governments in developing policies that enable responsible data sharing while safeguarding farmers’ rights.
2. Enhancing Access to Agricultural Services: Enabling agritechs, fintechs, and financial institutions to securely utilize government digital platforms to deliver financial products, advisory services, and market connections to farmers.
3. Developing Farm Input Markets: Facilitating Partial Trade Credit Guarantees (PCGs) to reduce investment risks for the private sector, ensuring farmers have access to high-quality seeds and fertilizers.

The ultimate goal of DIFAS is to create a seamless digital ecosystem where smallholder farmers can securely access financial products, quality inputs, advisory services, and markets – empowering them to thrive.

With strong partnerships, cutting-edge digital solutions, and strategic investments, the MADE Alliance is set to drive meaningful impact, transform agriculture, and foster financial inclusion across Africa.

Edson Mpyisi is the Chief Financial Economist and Coordinator of the ENABLE Youth Program at the African Development Bank. The program aims to empower youth as agripreneurs by offering agricultural and business training, mentorship, placements in agribusinesses, and facilitating access to finance for youth-led agribusiness ventures.