Challenge
Digital technologies have the potential to transform food, land and water systems for greater climate resilience and sustainability. There are three challenge areas that CGIAR’s expertise can help to address:
The digital divide: The Global South — especially women and rural areas — are underserved by digital technologies and infrastructure. More than 600 million people live outside of mobile network coverage, 67% in sub-Saharan Africa. Enabling policies and investments are urgently needed.
Inadequate information: Weak information systems prevent evidence-based policy responses, exacerbate poverty and slow economic growth. More than 300 million small-scale producers lack access to digital climate advisory services, and unmanaged risks hinder producers’ adoption of improved technologies.
Limited digital capabilities: Digital literacy and skill levels across the Global South remain low, particularly for marginalized and food-insecure individuals and groups, such as women. Research, codesign and capacity strengthening are needed to channel new evidence to decision-makers, tailor digital advisory content and support better risk management.
Objective
This Initiative aims to support sustainable and inclusive transformation of food, land and water systems by bridging the gender and urban-rural digital divide, improving equitable access to and quality of available information and systems, and strengthening local capabilities to best make use of the potential of digital technologies.
