Solidaridad Southern Africa Calls For Robust Digital Innovations at AGRF 2024

Solidaridad Southern Africa, a civil society organization that attended the Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF) 2024, in Kigali, Rwanda, shed light on “Building Resilience in Agri-system Investments” as means of exploring the transformative role of youth-led digital solutions in Southern Africa’s agricultural landscape.

“It is time to unpack how bundled services, such as soil testing, weather data, insurance, and financial products, delivered through digital platforms, are improving access to essential services for smallholder farmers. This model provides a scalable and efficient approach to strengthening agricultural systems, making these services more affordable and accessible,” says Shungu Kanyemba, Managing Director for Solidaridad Southern Africa while speaking to media at the Kigali International Convention Centre in Rwanda, to emphasize the importance of digital solutions in fostering agricultural resilience.

According to Kanyemba, Solidaridad believes that the future of African agriculture lies in leveraging innovative digital tools. He continues that the mission is to empower smallholder farmers with the resources and services they need to enhance their productivity and incomes while ensuring that these solutions are sustainable and inclusive. He alleges that by prioritizing youth and women, it is possible to accelerate progress toward a food-secure future.

Curently, Solidalidad is working in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. It is in Rwanda for a learning mission.

“We are not implementing anything in Rwanda, but we are learning from Rwanda so that we can implement in other areas. Rwanda is actually quite advanced in terms of digital services. The government has already put together a steering committee that has got different organizations that are creating a highway through which different services can be delivered to farmers. So this is something that is quite new to Southern Africa and we can actually learn quite a lot of lessons from what Rwanda is doing,” Kanyemba highlighted.

The message being shared by Solidaridad at the AGRF 2024 lies on the power of digital innovations in enhancing agriculture service provision for smallholder farmers. This is done through showcasing the success of Solidaridad’s bundled services model in enhancing the productivity and resilience of smallholder farmers.

This approach aligns with Solidaridad’s theory of change, which focuses on creating sustainable supply chains that are prosperous, inclusive, and in balance with nature. The bundled service model facilitates partnerships between farmers, businesses, and governments, fostering a supportive business ecosystem that drives progress in African agriculture.

“Digital tools not only streamline access to essential services but also enable better data collection and monitoring. This empowers African countries to track agricultural progress and make informed decisions for policy development. We are proud to contribute to innovations that are making a tangible difference in the lives of farmers across the continent,” Candice Kroutz-Kabongo, Digital Innovations Lead for Solidaridad, noted.

She emphasized that a key area Solidaridad needs to look at is an enabling legal environment because the context in Europe is very different to the one in Africa. The legislation that is being adopted by African countries needs to be more culturally sensitive to our context.

Solidaridad Southern Africa is part of the global Solidaridad network, an international civil society organization which is dedicated to promoting social justice and sustainability in supply chains. The organization works across the region to improve livelihoods, support gender equality, and promote environmentally sustainable practices.

Africa’s Food Systems Forum- AGRF, is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African food systems forward. The forum is designed to energize political will and advance the policies, programs, and investments required to achieve an inclusive and sustainable food systems transformation.