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Beyond the Hype: Ten Lessons from Co-Creating and Implementing Digital Innovation in a Rwandan Smallholder Banana Farming System
The article explores how fourth agricultural revolution (Agriculture 4.0) envisions a smarter, more efficient, and socially responsible agricultural sector, enabled by digital tools that make farming more planned, predictive, and productive. However, smallholder farmers face barriers like limited digital infrastructure, low literacy, and socio-cultural norms, which hinder the adoption of these technologies. Additionally, evidence on the benefits of digital tools for farmers remains limited. This article shares insights from a six-year digital agriculture project in Rwanda, aimed at combating banana disease using a smartphone app, USSD, chatbots, and other channels, reaching over 272,200 smallholder farmers. The study highlights the importance of user engagement, incentives, and tailored communication in fostering adoption. Ten key lessons from the project provide valuable guidance for developing and scaling digital innovations in smallholder farming systems.
Country Applicable
Global
Target Audience
General