Day #1: Entwicklungspolitische Diskussionstage 2021 (Teil 2 / Englisch)
Channel: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Date: 08/06/2021

Trap or trampoline - Smallholder digitalisation in sub-Saharan Africa 

Mit:
- Daniel Wanjama (Coordinator, Seed Saver Network Kenya)
- Myriam Said (Digital Advisor, Government of Ethiopia)
- Janina Kaiser (Head of Strategy & Innovation für Sub-Saharan Africa, K+S Aktiengesellschaft)
- Lena Bassermann (Inkota, Referat für Welternährung und Globale Landwirtschaft)

A Kenyan farmer buys seeds at the best price with a tap on her smartphone. In Nigeria, an agricultural cooperative digitally obtains information on farming schedules and plant diseases.

Smallholders account for over 60% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa, and agriculture contributes to a staggering 23% of the regional GDP. Increasingly, smallholders rely on a wide array of digital technologies and tools to grow food, while corporations frolic over a huge “untapped” market.

But sceptics doubt that digital solutions can spearhead the social and economic development of African smallholders. On the contrary: without access to financial resources or infrastructure to benefit from digitalization, the lion share threatens to be left behind.
The event will navigate these positions by asking:

Who benefits from digitalization and who falls prey to the digital divide?
Which kind of digitalization can boost sustainable development, productivity, and food security of African smallholders?
How can inclusive digitalization be achieved across the continent and beyond?

Cooperation partner: The Centre for Rural Development