As climate change reshapes the global agricultural landscape, one truth is becoming clear, farming as we know it must evolve, and fast. Crop yields are declining in vulnerable regions. Pest outbreaks are increasing. Droughts and floods are becoming more unpredictable. Feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050 will demand not only more food, but entirely new models of food production that are adaptive, efficient, and resilient.
The term “climate-smart agriculture” (CSA), popularized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), captures this shift. It emphasizes productivity, resilience, and emissions reduction, but while many countries have embraced CSA on paper, real progress hinges on one critical factor: access to the right technology, at the right time, for the right users. That is where the global conversation often falls short.
Digital tools are reshaping agriculture, but not everywhere equally
In countries with robust infrastructure, AI and data-driven platforms are transforming how agriculture operates. In India, for instance, IBM’s The Weather Company provides hyperlocal forecasts to millions of farmers, helping them make informed planting decisions. Tools like PlantVillage’s Nuru diagnose crop diseases through smartphone cameras, improving early detection and reducing loss.
In Europe and the U.S., precision farming systems use IoT sensors and machine learning to optimize irrigation, monitor soil quality, and fine-tune fertilizer use. These tools not only reduce environmental impact, they also boost yields and profits, but while this technological progress is real, it’s far from universal.
The GSMA’s 2024 Mobile Economy report highlights a sobering fact: in Sub-Saharan Africa, 60% of people who live in areas with mobile broadband still don’t use mobile internet. That’s not a coverage issue, it’s an access issue. Devices remain too expensive. Data plans are unaffordable. And many platforms simply aren’t designed with rural users in mind.
When innovation skips the people who need it most
In regions where agriculture is still largely subsistence-based, smartphones are often out of reach. According to the Alliance for Affordable Internet, a basic smartphone costs more than 70% of monthly income for the poorest 20% of households in many low-income countries. Data usage is also expensive, especially when compared to average incomes.
At the same time, much of the content available through agricultural apps is not localized, either in language, cultural context, or relevance. As a result, farmers are being left out of the very revolution intended to support them. This isn’t just a missed opportunity. It’s a design flaw.
Despite this, global venture funding continues to pour into high-tech, capital-intensive agri-solutions, mostly in North America and Europe. The 2023 AgFunder Agri-FoodTech Investment Report showed that more than 75% of investment went to technologies suited for large-scale, mechanized farms. The smallholders who feed entire nations are, once again, an afterthought.
Who are we actually helping with these solutions?
The illusion of scalability without inclusion
As mobile data consumption is projected to quadruple across Africa by 2030, we’re approaching a crossroads. Either this surge in digital activity becomes a driver of equitable transformation, or it becomes yet another axis of inequality. Real inclusion requires more than coverage. It requires affordability, literacy, and services that reflect lived realities.
Tools like USSD, SMS, voice services, and community radio remain the most reliable channels for reaching those who are offline or underserved. These technologies are often dismissed as outdated, but for millions of farmers, they are the only viable digital tools available today. Designing for these realities is not about compromise, it’s about impact.
The World Bank’s Digital Agriculture Profiles affirm that local language support, cultural alignment, and trust are just as important as the backend technology itself. Yet many agri-digital platforms remain one-size-fits-all, missing the nuances of how people actually engage with information.
What it will take to get this right
Climate-smart agriculture will not scale without collaboration between governments, private sector innovators, and the communities they aim to serve. Policymakers must prioritize rural connectivity and digital literacy alongside traditional extension services. Tech companies must move beyond Western design assumptions and build for bandwidth, language, and local infrastructure. Civil society organizations must bridge trust gaps and deliver training that sticks.
And most importantly, smallholder farmers must be co-creators, not just recipients of innovation. Listening to the user should not be treated as a pilot activity. It should define the product from the start.
Innovation must be judged by who it reaches
The road to climate resilience isn’t paved with hype or investor decks. It’s built in the fields, in the markets, and on the phones of people who plant the seeds and harvest the crops. If innovation doesn’t make sense for them, it won’t matter how powerful it is elsewhere.
We don’t need more prototypes. We need deployment at scale, informed by real-world context and driven by inclusion , not just technology for its own sake.
If we fail to design for those who are most vulnerable to climate disruption, then all our advances in agri-tech will only widen the gap between those who thrive and those who are left behind. That is not progress. It’s digital displacement.
