In Ivory Coast new digital solutions have enabled small-scale farmers to pick up their smartphone to find valuable technical information and directly contact specialists for help. 

This real-time advice is a competitive advantage when it comes to increasing yields. And farmers in the west African country can use all the support they can get. Rising temperatures have completely disrupted the rhythm of the growing seasons. In some regions, drought is so bad that farmers have to water their fields twice a day or risk losing their crops. 

Researchers from the Ecole Superieure d'Agronomie are working on the Cultiv4G app to help farmers face the uncertainties to come. New online marketplaces are also putting producers and consumers in contact, with guaranteed delivery and payment conditions.  

The biggest remaining problem is to bring power and digital coverage to even the most remote regions to ensure equal access for everyone. When more people connect digitally it will mean less wasted production and fewer supply problems down the road. 

A film by Clelia Benard

Project goal: Develop digital apps that enable farmers to increase their crop yields and become more resilient to climate change at the same time. 

Budget: Developers of agronomic advice apps are aiming to make such solutions free. They also want to allow farmers to use some data without an internet connection to avoid data costs. Membership in the virtual market costs 25,000 CFA francs, which is around €38. 

Partner organizations: The developers of various digital apps are being assisted by researchers, notably at the Ecole Superieure d'Agronomie of the Institut National Polytechnique Felix Houphouet-Boigny.

Duration: The first apps appeared 15 years ago, but appetite for further solutions suggests a good future for the technology.