The MADE Alliance Africa, co-chaired by the African Development Bank and Mastercard, aims to provide digital agricultural access to 100 million Africans, benefiting smallholder farmers, particularly women.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Mastercard have launched the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance Africa to provide digital access to critical services for 100 million people across the continent within 10 years. Focusing on agriculture, the Alliance’s first phase will benefit 3 million smallholder farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria by using Mastercard’s Community Pass digital credential. This initiative aims to improve farmers’ access to financial services, high-quality agricultural inputs, and broader markets, ultimately boosting productivity and economic empowerment.
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Dr. Beth Dunford, Vice President of Agriculture at the AfDB, emphasized Africa’s agricultural potential, with 65% of the world’s remaining arable land and agriculture accounting for nearly 60% of employment on the continent. Smallholder farmers, many of whom are women, face various challenges, such as limited access to quality inputs and financing. By providing digital identities through Community Pass, the MADE Alliance will connect farmers to essential services, including financial institutions and agricultural buyers.
Despite challenges such as limited connectivity in rural areas and low digital literacy among farmers, the MADE Alliance aims to scale its efforts by working with farmer cooperatives and boosting education on the benefits of digital technologies. By addressing these barriers, the initiative seeks to make agriculture more sustainable and profitable for smallholders.
The MADE Alliance will particularly benefit women, who make up half of Africa’s smallholder farmers but often lack access to resources such as property titles, inputs, and financial services. Through digital access, women can gain greater transparency, access to essential services, and the opportunity to create a more sustainable livelihood in agriculture. Dunford noted that investing in women farmers is key to fostering economic growth and empowerment across the continent.
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