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The AU's Inaugural Digital Agriculture Conference: A Significant Step Toward Agenda 2063
- Adrian Cross
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
By News Desk | December 11, 2025
As the echoes of thunderous applause fade from Addis Ababa's African Union (AU) Headquarters, the continent stands at a digital crossroads in agriculture. The just-concluded Inaugural African Union Digital Agriculture Conference (DAC), held from December 1–3, 2025, has ignited a renewed fire under Africa's agri-food systems. Under the theme "Shaping Agricultural Policy for Africa’s Future: Innovation, Climate-Smart Practices, and Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development," the three-day gathering convened ministers, policymakers, innovators, farmers, and investors to chart a tech-driven path to food security and resilience. In a region where agriculture employs 60% of the workforce yet grapples with 282 million undernourished people and climate shocks costing USD 7–15 billion annually, this event wasn't mere dialogue—it was a declaration of intent to harness Agri-Tech for Agenda 2063's vision of a prosperous, integrated Africa.
Hosted by the AU Commission through its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the DAC aligned seamlessly with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the Kampala Declaration on Agrifood Systems Transformation. Attended by over 500 delegates—including AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment H.E. Moses Vilakati and Ethiopian State Minister of Innovation and Technology Bayissa Badada—the conference underscored digital tools as the linchpin for inclusive growth. As Vilakati aptly noted, "Digital transformation is not just the future of agriculture on the continent; it is the present." The outcomes? A blueprint for action that could add trillions to Africa's economy by 2063, if implemented with the urgency the sessions demanded.
A High-Stakes Gathering: Voices from the Vanguard
The DAC opened on a note of unyielding optimism, with AU Deputy Chairperson H.E. Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi declaring the event a "landmark" in Africa's quest for agricultural sovereignty. "This conference operationalizes our Digital Transformation Strategy (2020–2030) by focusing on practical solutions for farmers and agribusinesses," she emphasized, calling for "bold action" from governments, private sector actors, and research institutions. Her remarks set the tone: Africa, with its youthful workforce, vast arable lands, and burgeoning digital ecosystem, must lead—not lag—in global Agri-Tech.
Key sessions delved into cross-cutting themes: Digital Extension Services for real-time farmer advisories; Agri-Tech Innovations like AI and IoT for precision farming; Market Access and Value Chains to slash post-harvest losses (up to 40% continent-wide); Climate-Smart Agriculture to combat erratic weather; Policy and Regulation for enabling environments; and Data Management and Privacy to safeguard sovereign assets.Ethiopian Minister Adisu Arega Kitessa highlighted his nation's Digital Agriculture Roadmap (2025–2032), integrating satellite monitoring and digital marketplaces under the Digital Ethiopia 2030 banner—a model ripe for continental replication.
The forum buzzed with real-world spotlights: IoT systems monitoring soil in Kenya's maize fields, AI platforms delivering Chichewa advisories in Malawi, and mobile tools fostering financial inclusion for Nigerian smallholders. AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf reinforced the stakes: "Innovation and digital tools can unlock productivity, strengthen resilience, and create inclusive opportunities for farmers, women, and youth." Discussions also tackled trade imbalances—80–85% of Africa's agri-exports flow to Europe—urging AfCFTA levers for intra-continental markets.
Key Outcomes: Commitments That Could Reshape Agri-Food Systems
The DAC's closing communique was a clarion call to action, adopting resolutions that weave digital Agri-Tech into Agenda 2063's fabric. Among the headline deliverables:
Establishment of a Biennial AU Digital Agriculture Conference (DAC): This flagship platform will foster ongoing knowledge exchange, partnerships, and innovation scaling—ensuring the momentum from Addis doesn't dissipate.
Actionable Policy Recommendations: Delegates generated insights for harmonized regulations on data governance, cybersecurity, and digital public goods. A push for "Africa-led" Agri-Tech policies emphasizes protecting agricultural data as a "strategic sovereign asset," with calls for broadband investments to reach 80% rural connectivity by 2030.
Investment and Partnership Pledges: Renewed commitments from governments, donors, and private sector to fund digital infrastructure and skills training. Highlights included mobilizing USD 1 billion for climate-smart Agri-Tech pilots and empowering 10 million smallholders with mobile tools by 2027—aligning with CAADP's 10% budget allocation target.
Focus on Inclusivity and Resilience: Emphasis on youth and women (who comprise 43% of Africa's agri-labor) through digital skills programs and gender-responsive innovations. The conference spotlighted climate-smart practices, like AI for drought forecasting, to build resilience against shocks projected to displace 118 million Africans by 2030.
Implementation Pathways: A roadmap for AU Member States to integrate digital Agri-Tech into national plans, including digital marketplaces for 50% smallholder market access by 2030 and Agri-Tech hubs in each REC (Regional Economic Community).
These outcomes echo the Kampala Declaration's call for transformed agri-food systems, positioning digital tools as accelerators for Agenda 2063's Aspiration 1: "A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development."
Tying It to Agenda 2063: From Vision to Viable Fields
Agenda 2063, Africa's 50-year blueprint for unity and self-reliance, envisions agriculture as the engine of economic transformation—eliminating hunger, creating jobs, and harnessing the blue economy's potential.The DAC operationalizes this by embedding Agri-Tech in flagship programs like CAADP and the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). Digital innovations promise to raise productivity 20–30%, cut waste, and expand markets via AfCFTA—directly fueling Aspiration 6's integrated continent and Aspiration 7's sustainable environment.
As State Minister Bayissa Badada affirmed at the close, "Africa's challenges are catalysts for innovation—our youngest workforce and arable lands position us to lead, not follow." The conference's message of hope: With political will and tech alignment, digital agriculture can forge resilient systems, empowering 300 million agri-dependent livelihoods.
The Road Ahead: From Addis to Action
The DAC's true test lies in execution. AU Member States must now domesticate the communique—rolling out digital extension services, investing in broadband, and fostering public-private synergies. Development partners like the World Bank and FAO, active participants, pledged support for pilots in 20 countries by mid-2026.For innovators and farmers, it's a clarion call: Scale solutions like Ethiopia's satellite marketplaces or Kenya's AI advisories to continental impact.
As Africa hurtles toward 2063, the DAC proves one truth: Digital Agri-Tech isn't a luxury—it's the seedbed for sovereignty. The harvest begins now.
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