A Systematic Review of Policy Enforcement as a Catalyst for Digitalizing Agriculture in West and East Africa

Abstract

Digitalization is an opportunity for African farmers, as it brings several services and innovative technology closer to them. Nowadays, the digital agriculture ecosystem in Africa involves hundreds of start-ups and projects that work toward innovative and sustainable solutions. However, the government policies that need to create a conducive environment do not always keep pace with the digital ecosystems needs. In this article, we review ICT-related policies and their influence on agriculture in thirteen countries from West Africa and six from East Africa. The review was conducted using a mixed-methods approach. We used MCI and EBA ICT index for quantitative analysis on one hand, and on the other hand the content analysis technique Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used. The analysis yielded four main conclusions. First, government policies address mainly the areas of infrastructure development, digital finance and access to credit, and data protection. Second, countries with a dedicated ICT for agriculture strategy are scarce in East and West Africa. Third, in-country actions on e-agriculture are scattered with weak coordination and synergy. Fourth, East Africa is farther ahead than West Africa in terms of digital policy enforcement for agriculture on the continent. The findings have implications for policies that are more adapted to farmers’ context and needs.

Digital Agriculture Policies and Strategies for Innovations in the Agrifood Systems: Cases of five West African Countries

“…An overview of the Mobile Connectivity Index (MCI) [43] indicated steady progress (Figure 1) in key enablers of mobile internet adoption (infrastructure, affordability, consumer readiness, and content and services) in all five countries. However, the MCI in the five countries reflects the trends reported in the West Africa region [44], with an MCI below 60, suggesting a significant gap exists. Ghana and Nigeria have the highest MCI, followed by Côte d'Ivoire, Benin and Burkina-Faso.…”

Digital Agriculture Policies and Strategies for Innovations in the Agri-Food Systems—Cases of Five West African Countries

“…An overview of the Mobile Connectivity Index (MCI) [19] indicated steady progress (Figure 2) in key enablers of mobile internet adoption (infrastructure, affordability, consumer readiness, content, and services) in all five countries. However, the MCI in the five countries reflects the trends reported in the West Africa region [52], with an MCI below 60, suggesting that a significant gap exists. Ghana and Nigeria have the highest MCI, followed by Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, and Burkina Faso.…”