Bringing digital tools to one million smallholder farmers

Smallholder farmers, who produce much of the world's food, are among the most exposed to the negative effects of climate uncertainty. Erratic weather patterns and increasingly frequent extreme events such as droughts are reducing harvests and worsening food insecurity across sub-Saharan Africa. Without access to timely, localized weather prediction information or financial safety nets such as insurance, these farmers are forced to shoulder the risk alone, threatening not only their own livelihoods but also the food security of entire communities.

Modern agricultural technology (AgTech) has the potential to change this story. For smallholder farmers, having access to data-driven tools like digital weather advisories and personalized agronomy recommendations can mean the difference between guessing when to plant and knowing the precise window to do so, between losing a season's harvest to climate shocks and protecting it with timely intervention, and between struggling to feed a family and having surplus income to invest in health, education, and the future.

Yet, for millions of African smallholders, these innovations remain out of reach due to barriers such as high costs and limited connectivity. And even when tools are available, they are often not tailored to the specific needs of smallholder farmers, making them less useful in practice.

At One Acre Fund, we see closing the digital divide as one of the greatest opportunities to strengthen farm resilience, boost food security, and unlock the long-term potential of smallholder agriculture. Guided by nearly two decades of experience, our approach begins with listening to farmers' needs and designing solutions tailored to their unique realities. This farmer-first model enables us and our partners to design technologies that truly support smallholders and deliver those tools effectively at scale.

This work forms the basis of our new Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2025:

The commitment

One Acre Fund commits to reaching 1 million smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa by 2027 with a new set of digital tools designed to improve productivity and help farmers withstand extreme weather. Nearly 490,000 of the farmers we aim to reach will be women, ensuring that the benefits of digital tools are both inclusive and equitable. The tools will be open-source, meaning they will be freely available for anyone to use and improve, so that farmers everywhere can benefit. Our commitment will focus on two areas of support:

• Optimized agronomy innovations
  We will harness machine learning and climate data to create personalized recommendations for farmers, guiding them in selecting the best seed varieties, fertilizers, planting techniques, and soil health practices tailored to their specific location. This will be paired with Digital Weather Advisory Services, which will provide local forecasts and season-specific guidance on critical activities such as when to sow and harvest. These tools will help smallholder farmers make informed decisions that strengthen resilience and boost yields.
• Enhanced safety net solutions
  As one of Africa's largest providers of agriculture insurance, we will start using remote sensing technology that employs satellites to monitor fields in near real-time. This means farmers who lose crops to droughts, floods, or pests will receive quicker and more accurate payouts. By making the process faster and fairer, we will reduce the financial shock while also building trust, showing farmers, who are often wary of insurance, that the system truly works for them when they need it most.

The path ahead

We will deliver this commitment in three phases:

• Phase I: Initial design and piloting (2025)
  We plan to reach 30,000 farmers with optimized agronomy tools in at least two countries and roll out climate-responsive insurance to 100,000 farmers, improving payout responsiveness through early yield-monitoring models.
• Phase II: Product refinement and early scaling (2026)
  In 2026, we will refine our tools based on farmer feedback and data, test the models across additional markets, and enhance insurance monitoring models for faster and more accurate payouts.
• Phase III: Scale-up (2027)
  This phase will focus on expansion. At least 310,000 farmers will receive personalized agronomic recommendations, and the improved insurance products will be extended to 1 million farmers across sub-Saharan Africa.

We can achieve this together

This commitment builds on existing partnerships. With support from the Cisco Foundation and Ezrah Charitable Trust, we are already developing and testing remote sensing tools to generate field-level insights. But closing the agricultural digital divide is bigger than any one organization.

Collaboration is at the heart of this commitment. To achieve our goal, we are seeking collaborators in four key areas:

• Technology partners to co-design farmer-facing digital tools
• Remote sensing experts to enhance crop monitoring and harvest prediction
• Insurance providers with microinsurance experience to scale smallholder coverage
• Mission-aligned funders who share our vision of closing the agricultural digital divide through open-source solutions

By working together, we can design smarter tools, scale them faster, and support farmer prosperity. For smallholders, this means practical benefits: timely information that guides better farming decisions, stronger safety nets in the face of shocks, and ultimately, more secure livelihoods for their families.

We believe that by 2027, one million smallholder farmers will have access to tools that allow them to not only survive, but to thrive. Through our CGI 2025 Commitment to Action, One Acre Fund is humbled to stand with farmers as they shape that future.