In the last edition of PanAfrican Agriculture, we featured Nadine Gbossa, an International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) official, speaking about the power of data-led intelligence in financing Africa’s food systems. She singled out a financial tracking tool they had developed to provide governments with comparable financial data, insights, and trends, helping them spot opportunities, anticipate risks, and devise effective financing strategies. In Niger, one of the countries where it was piloted, the use of the of the financial tracking tool got leaders there to question whether spending priorities were effectively addressing key food security challenges.
It also revealed Niger’s heavy reliance on development assistance, sparking important discussions about the need to adjust national financing strategies and diversify funding sources. For this edition, we have put together a special report on how data is emerging as the new seed, empowering users to make better decisions and giving African agri-foods value chain a new lease of life, literally. With accurate data, for example, farmers are optimising planting times, choosing suitable crop varieties, monitoring soil health, and applying inputs more precisely. Early warning systems for pests, diseases, and extreme weather are helping farmers mitigate risks while market information is helping them access markets, get better prices for their produce and reduce post-harvest losses. Digitally connected supply chains are increasing transparency, minimising delays, and enhancing the reliability of food delivery.
The growing hunger for data in Africa’s food systems has also made the continent a fertile ground for agritech innovations seeking to bridge the information gap. Read about how M-nomad or ‘Uber for livestock’, an online platform connecting rural herders directly to buyers, veterinarians, and vital information services, cutting out middlemen and opening new markets for pastoralists across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands. From Botswana, we bring you the story of an innovative mobile app called mAgri, which delivers crucial agricultural information without the need for expensive data or smartphones. To maximise the benefits of data in agri-food systems, however, governments and organisations should make non-sensitive agricultural data freely available or affordable.
On a sad note, the agri-foods system community was in September thrown into mourning following the death of Dr Lusike Wasilwa, a renowned Kenyan horticulturalist, innovator, leader, mentor and farmers’ champion. In Dr Lusike’s honour, we have dedicated our profile section to special tributes celebrating her legacy
