Resilient Farming in the Digital Age: Overcoming AgTech Adoption Challenges
1 Angel Lane London EC4R 3AB UK
About this Event
Digital AgTech holds transformative potential for climate resilience among smallholder farmers in Africa. Research shows digital tools drive yield improvements up to 170% and boost income by 20–60%. Yet adoption remains alarmingly low—only 13% of farmers register as users, with just 5% who actively use digital services. This gap persists despite clear benefits.
Systemic barriers block widespread adoption. Device costs exceed farmer budgets. Digital literacy remains limited. Gender disparities restrict resource access. Rural infrastructure fragments across regions.
GSMA and MSC will co-host this invite-only, Chatham House-rule roundtable with the CIFAR Alliance’s Climate Resilient Agriculture CoLab, FCDO, and the Gates Foundation. Technology providers, donors, and policymakers will examine why adoption lags behind potential. Participants will explore necessary changes in product design, business models, fund allocation, and policy frameworks to enable meaningful uptake of digital solutions by smallholder farmers.
Real-world case studies and collaborative dialogue will generate practical recommendations. We hope the discussions will move the focus from hype to measurable impact and lead to solutions that meet farmers’ needs and scale sustainably.
The roundtable will produce a roadmap for increased adoption and usage rates. Actionable recommendations will target funders, policymakers, and AgTech developers.
Who should attend: Executives from AgTech firms, investment agencies, donor organizations, and policymakers committed to bridge the digital divide in African agriculture.
Contact: For participation inquiries, please contact us at info@microsave.net.
GSMA and MSC
MSC (MicroSave Consulting) is a boutique consulting firm that has, for 25 years, pushed the world towards meaningful financial, social, and economic inclusion. With over 300 staff of different nationalities and varied expertise, we are proud to be working in over 68 developing countries. We partner with participants in financial services, enterprise, agriculture and health ecosystems to achieve sustainable performance improvements and unlock enduring value. Our clients include governments, donors, private sector corporations, and local businesses. We can help you seize the digital opportunity, address the mass market, and future-proof your operations.
GSMA
The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive.
Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Solutions and Events.
Connectivity for Good engages members, governments and civil society, to advance positive policy and spectrum outcomes, facilitate digital innovation to reduce inequalities in our world, and tackle today’s biggest societal challenges such as digital inclusion, climate change and sustainability.
Industry Solutions supports the technology and interoperability that make mobile work. For instance, we assist the industry’s development in areas such as 5G, Mobile IoT, fraud and security, through our projects, working groups and other collaborative activities.
While our services offer data, resources and tools to help businesses in the ecosystem work together more effectively, ultimately leading to better customer experiences on mobile devices.
Our events provide successful ways of bringing the ecosystem and adjacent industries together, to make strong business connections and drive positive impact. From the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event, MWC, in Barcelona, Shanghai, Las Vegas and Africa, to the growing M360 series that has a more regional focus.
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