Abidjan, Ivory Coast, October 16, 2024 — The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and Mastercard are co-chairing the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance Africa, an ambitious initiative aimed at providing digital access to critical services for 100 million people and businesses in Africa over the next decade. In its first phase, the $300 million commitment will connect 3 million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria to the digital economy via Mastercard Community Pass, offering them access to a network of digital agricultural agents.
MADE Alliance members include Equity Bank Group, Microsoft, Heifer International, Sustainable Agriculture Foundation, Unconnected.org, Yara, Kenya National Farmers’ Federation, Shell Foundation, and CRDB Bank, with financial backing from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In honor of World Food Day, Dr. Beth Dunford, Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development at the African Development Bank, shared her insights on how digitalization can transform Africa’s food systems by empowering smallholder farmers and women.
Why Focus on Digitalizing Agriculture?
Dunford highlighted Africa’s immense agricultural potential: “Africa holds 65% of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land, and agriculture is critical to Africa’s development, accounting for nearly 60% of employment and more than 25% of GDP in low-income countries. Women are key, contributing 60-80% of labor in the sector.” She added, “Growth in agriculture is particularly effective in lifting people out of poverty and positioning the continent as a breadbasket to the world.”
However, Africa’s smallholder farmers face major challenges due to limited access to high-quality inputs like seeds and fertilizer, or affordable financing. The MADE Alliance aims to provide sustainable digital access to essential services that will help smallholder farmers overcome these barriers.
Addressing Challenges with Digital Solutions
Mastercard’s Community Pass platform is designed to help farmers establish digital credentials, which will provide them access to agricultural inputs, markets, and financial services. Dunford acknowledged the challenges of reaching remote and rural communities, stating, “Community Pass meets farmers where they are, even in areas with limited connectivity or energy access.”
To overcome these obstacles, the MADE Alliance will focus on building capacity, enhancing digital literacy, and working with farmer cooperatives. By improving the operational efficiency of these cooperatives, farmers can access the resources they need to thrive.
Empowering Women Farmers
Dunford emphasized the importance of women in African agriculture, noting that while women make up half of the continent’s smallholder farmers, they face greater challenges than men in accessing resources and services. “Women farmers typically produce 20-30% less output than their male counterparts due to limited access to inputs, information, and assets like land,” Dunford said.
The MADE Alliance aims to bridge these gaps by providing women farmers with digital access to financial institutions, buyers, and service providers. “Investing in Africa’s women is smart economics,” Dunford concluded, noting that the African Development Bank requires all its projects to demonstrate how they will benefit women.
As the MADE Alliance continues to roll out its ambitious program, it will play a key role in helping Africa’s farmers feed the continent and contribute to the global food supply.
For more information, visit www.AfDB.org.
Contact:
For media inquiries, please contact:
Beth Dunford, Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development
Email: press@afdb.org
