African smallholder farmers, livestock keepers, and fisherfolk need to enhance their productivity to contribute to the continent’s economic growth, employment, and food security. The issues of agriculture as a priority sector have been elaborated in the Agenda 2063 of the African Union, the 2014 Malabo Declaration, and the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). Subsequently, the African Union Commission has developed a Digital Agriculture Strategy (DAS), and a webinar was held on June 12, 2025, to project the Strategy and Implementation Plan covering the period 2024-2030. Visit https://au.int/en/documents/20240212/au-digital-agriculture-strategy-das-and-implementation-plan-2024-2030 for the full document.
The African Union Digital Agriculture Strategy (AU-DAS) and Implementing Plan is a continental initiative to transform agriculture through digital technology. It seeks to overcome the obstacles of climate change, gender exclusion, youth unemployment, digital illiteracy, and financial exclusion. On the other hand, it seeks to promote innovation in the development of digital tools and technologies, stakeholder engagement, and enabling environments.
In brief, the DAS envisions an inclusive, resilient, and transformed agricultural sector with access and connectivity to digital tools. Its mission is to empower and support African Union member states to create national digital agriculture strategies. Also included in the document are seven strategic objectives. Stakeholders, therefore, have the responsibility to play their roles in implementing the strategy and plan.
The strategy identifies five categories of stakeholders and presents them in the form of a pyramid. At the base are the producers—crop and livestock farmers, fishers, and cooperatives. The next level is key actors, and they comprise the private sector, civil society, agencies, research, extension, and advisory services. In the mid-section are the 55 member states, followed by the regional economic communities, with the African Union Commission at the apex. Their roles are specified accordingly.
Generally, each member state is to develop and implement a national digital strategy per the peculiarities of its agricultural ecosystem. Regional economic communities are to build the capacities of their members to support them in formulating their strategies and plans. The African Union plays a coordinating role. It also intensifies cooperation with relevant bodies, among other roles.
The implementation plan is based on the strategic objectives and is put into three horizons: 1. Preparation and Mobilization, 2. Core Actions Rollout, and 3. Coordination and Scaling.
SkyFarmGh is prepared to promote e-agriculture, especially the rural digital literacy drive of this programme.
