"Digital technologies are potentially revolutionary solutions to improve the performance and sustainability of food and agriculture systems."

Digital technologies are potentially revolutionary solutions to improve the performance and sustainability of food and agriculture systems. However, there has been a strong divide in access and adoption of digital technologies between low, middle, and high-income countries. One of the probable causes is unsynchronized efforts by different stakeholders including governments, donor organizations, and private sector players among others. Thus, a country-level Digital Agriculture roadmap is crucial to develop an intense and dense digital ecosystem, harmonizing efforts, identifying blind spots, and using the resources efficiently for delivering multiplier effects in the digital agricultural transformational journey. The Digital Agriculture roadmap should provide the policymaker with a context of the present situation and equip them with strategic and implementation frameworks.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in 2021, in collaboration with the BMGF, developed comprehensive digital agriculture profiles for a series of 14 geographies (11 countries in Africa and 3 states in India) – these profiles included a detailed overview of the broader economic, agricultural, and digital context, an assessment of the digital stack across key digital agriculture use cases, as well as a mapping of key players in the digital ecosystem. BCG also used an iterative process to develop a four-stage maturity model and segmentation of regions. 

Building on these learnings, the National Roadmap for Digital Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services (DAEAS) roadmap was developed using a constructive and iterative approach, engaging multi-sectoral stakeholders, both from Ethiopia and other parts of the world. The Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia in partnership with the Agricultural Transformation Institute has developed a National Roadmap for Digital Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services (DAEAS) until 2030 in collaboration with the development partners. The DAEAS roadmap defines the vision for Ethiopia by 2030. The goal of DAEAS is to improve the agricultural sector and farmer livelihoods within Ethiopia. The four DAEAS objectives are to (a) increase farmers’ productivity and income, (b) improve farmers’ climate resilience, (c) advance inclusion of women and youth farmers, and (d) improve nutrition and food security. To reach this vision and overcome the challenges mentioned above, the DAEAS roadmap proposes 30 actions organized under six pillars: Pillar 1 - Solutions Pipeline, Pillar 2 - Hardware and Connectivity, Pillar 3 - Data and Analytics, Pillar 4 - Policy and Governance, Pillar 5 - Human Capital, and Pillar 6 - Business Environment. The DAEAS roadmap also includes an implementation plan, governance structure, and reporting routine to ensure successful implementation of the roadmap. 

In this webinar, speakers shared their vision, the methodology adopted, key findings, and key lessons across these efforts that will enable different partners to craft, and scale comprehensive, focused, digital agriculture roadmaps in other parts of Africa and the world.  

Stewart Collis from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in his introductory speech covered the vision and thought process behind the diagnostic studies and digital agriculture roadmaps. 

Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju from BCG detailed he approaches, and methodology tools adopted for the development of digital agriculture roadmaps in Ethiopia and across different geographies. 

Dr. Mandefro Nigussie from Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency shared the process adopted and key learnings from the Digital Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services (DAEAS) roadmap development process from Ethiopia. Dr. Nigussie also shared the role played by the government and other stakeholders.