African countries have made considerable progress in increasing agricultural productivity and reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. But  continued population growth, urbanization, changing diets, and climate change are putting pressure on food systems not only to provide more food but also to make more diverse and nutritious foods available and accessible. New digital technologies and services are already making an impact on how food is being produced, processed, marketed, traded, and consumed across the continent. How African countries position themselves to harness and deploy digital technologies will determine the future competitiveness of African agriculture and its contribution to African economies.

This seminar will explore how African countries can develop a “digitalization ecosystem” to help foster growth and competitiveness in the continent’s value chains. Participants will also discuss the institutional and policy innovations that have already been implemented by African governments as well as efforts by the private sector and ag-tech startups to increase the development and use of digital tools and services in agriculture.

Speakers

• Ousmane Badiane, Director for Africa, IFPRI (Presentation)
• Debisi Araba, Regional Director for Africa, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) (Presentation)
• Katrin Glatzel, Program Head, IFPRI (Presentation)
• Farbod Youssefi, Program Manager, World Bank Group (Presentation)

Moderator

• David Spielman, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI