How AgTech supports women and youth to shape Africa’s farming future

Women and youth represent both the present and the future of African agriculture. Women make up over half of the agricultural labor force in sub-Saharan Africa, yet studies [FAO] show that they produce 20–30% less than men. The gap is not due to a lack of skill, but rather due to unequal access to resources, resulting from systemic barriers such as limited access to credit, land rights, and extension services. 

Additionally, over 70% of Africa’s population is under 30 [UN], making it the continent with the largest youth population in the world. Yet, many young people struggle to enter and succeed in agriculture due to limited access to land, finance, and farming knowledge. In addition to these barriers, farming is often perceived as a last-resort career, associated with low social status and demanding labor. We have found that young people across the continent remain eager to engage in agriculture, but want to see it as a modern, innovative, and prosperous career path. 

Agriculture technology (AgTech) provides a powerful entry point to meet this aspiration of making agriculture more appealing. It provides farmers with modern technology and innovation through a wide range of digital tools and solutions to make farming more efficient, productive and sustainable, by expanding access to farming tools, information, and opportunities.

However, for millions of farmers in Africa, the benefits of AgTech remain largely out of reach. High internet costs, poor connectivity, and digital tools that are not tailored to local realities continue to limit access and have a negative impact.

We believe that closing the agricultural digital divide is key to securing Africa’s food future. Prioritizing women and youth in the rollout of AgTech solutions ensures inclusivity, wider adoption, and stronger long-term impact. Women and young people are both critical drivers of innovation, resilience, and scale, whether through managing household food systems, introducing new business models, or championing digital tools. By centering their participation, AgTech can unlock systemic change that benefits farming communities across the continent. FAO estimates that by closing the gender gap, agricultural output in developing countries would be boosted by 2.5–4%, potentially reducing global hunger by 12–17%, equivalent to feeding 100–150 million people.

What AgTech can unlock for women and youth farmers

Convenient access to quality farm inputs

In Kenya, One Acre Fund developed the Tupande App, offering thousands of farmers a convenient way to access the farming tools they need, when they need them. For women farmers who often balance farming with household responsibilities, this convenience saves critical time and effort that they can direct elsewhere. For young people, many of whom are already tech-savvy, the app offers a modern and streamlined way to order agricultural products.

Expanding access and opportunity

Digital platforms also open up opportunities for youth to become AgTech service providers, whether as data collectors, digital extension agents, or local input advisors. One Acre Fund’s growing network of field officers, many of whom are young people from farming communities, is increasingly integrating digital tools into their daily work, providing a model for youth engagement in rural transformation. 

In Rwanda, we utilize USSD, a simple and interactive communication protocol accessible on basic feature phones, to facilitate easier enrollment for farmers. This approach enables farmers to sign up quickly without requiring internet access, making it particularly valuable in areas with limited connectivity. By simplifying and streamlining the enrollment process, USSD has enabled us to reach more farmers and extend the benefits of our services to communities that might otherwise be left behind. Close by, in Kenya, we are using a learning app to train our field teams. This allows them to learn at their own pace, refresh their knowledge when needed, and has boosted training uptake from 60% to over 75%, while improving knowledge retention from 60% to over 90%. 

Still in Kenya, we also launched a Digital Marketing Training program to equip young men and women with business skills, market access, and peer mentorship. The program helps youth agri-entrepreneurs connect, share insights, and collaborate, while responding to their interest in using smartphones and tech solutions to grow their agricultural ventures.

Optimized agronomy

Farmers also need knowledge that allows them to deploy good agricultural practices. Traditionally, they have relied on trial and error or inherited practices when choosing seeds or fertilizers. Thankfully, we now have the means to deliver tailored recommendations based on soil data, climate patterns, and crop type. One Acre Fund is looking to pilot machine learning–based agronomy tools that provide hyperlocal recommendations on seeds, fertilizer, soil health, and planting techniques. Delivered via mobile phones or through our field officers, these recommendations will enable farmers to make informed choices by investing in the best inputs tailored to their unique conditions, thereby reducing waste and boosting yields.

Climate-smart decision support

The world is changing rapidly, and smallholder farmers are navigating some of its toughest challenges.

Erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and floods are disrupting traditional planting cycles, affecting farmer harvests, and jeopardizing household food security and livelihoods. 

In Burundi, Nigeria, and Rwanda, we are trialing Digital Weather Advisory for young farmers. This trial aims to equip youth households to make informed decisions about planting timing to further boost agricultural incomes and build resilience to adverse weather events. In Rwanda, for example, this service has reached 20,000 youth households. This advisory supports farmers in farming smarter, adapting to climate uncertainty. For young farmers, this will help them see agriculture as a modern, tech-enabled livelihood. 

Tech-enabled financial safety nets

We are also innovating in crop insurance, a critical but underserved area for farmers who often lack buffers against shocks. We are looking to integrate remote sensing technology to gather information about crops from a distance, allowing us to conduct near-real-time field-level monitoring that helps ensure quicker and more accurate payouts for farmers facing drought, pests, or floods. This reliability is particularly valuable for women farmers, who often bear the responsibility for family welfare, and for young farmers just starting out, who are highly vulnerable to early losses.

Continuous improvement and growth

At One Acre Fund, we rigorously track yields, incomes, and food security to assess how digital innovations are improving lives. Equally important, we listen closely to farmer feedback. By co-creating solutions with the input of women and youth, we ensure that new technologies are practical, relevant, and more likely to be successfully adopted. 

More can and must be done to expand equitable access. To truly close the agricultural digital divide, we invite technology innovators, insurance providers, funders, and policy leaders to partner with One Acre Fund in co-creating inclusive, farmer-first solutions that put women and youth at the forefront of Africa’s AgTech revolution.