CIRAD reported results from the Digital Divide project in May 2024 after examining dairy farming in Senegal, cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire and vegetable production in Benin. A quantitative study covered 3,660 farmers, alongside research into how technology was used in everyday work.
The team found phones central to digital activity, but ownership and capability were uneven. Farmers used calls, messaging and mobile payments to find buyers, exchange knowledge and coordinate production. Researchers reported little use of agriculture-specific applications in the studied settings. Electricity, connectivity costs and differences in access also mattered. The findings support careful design around existing practices; they are evidence from particular countries and value chains, not a claim that all African farmers have the same devices, needs or adoption patterns.
