Digitalisation and Sustainability Convergence in Africa's Agri-Food Value Chains

Strategic Insights -

A new report by researchers at the University of Johannesburg reveals the transformative potential of digitalisation in Africa's agri-food value chains. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, the study found that investing in resilience-building measures can generate long-term benefits for the stability and sustainability of agri-food systems. The research highlights the critical role of AI-driven initiatives in enhancing food supply chain resilience in Africa, particularly through farmers' yield optimization, food retail demand prediction, and real-time data analysis.

Key Takeaways:

  • The convergence of digitalisation and sustainability offers transformative potential for Africa's agri-food value chains.
  • The study employed structural equation modeling to investigate the mediating role of agri-food supply chain resilience.
  • Artificial Intelligence plays a critical role in enhancing food supply chain resilience in Africa, particularly through initiatives such as farmers' yield optimization and food retail demand prediction.
  • The research highlighted the importance of investing in resilience-building measures, which can generate long-term benefits for the stability and sustainability of agri-food systems.
  • The study found that AI-driven initiatives can strengthen the resilience of agri-food supply chains through enhanced supply chain administration and real-time data analysis.
  • The researchers, led by David Pooe, PhD in Business Management, used a deductive research approach to achieve the research objective.
  • The study drew on established theories to guide the development of the conceptual model and hypotheses.
  • The findings suggested that investing in resilience-building measures can generate long-term benefits for the stability and sustainability of agri-food systems.

Statistics:

  • According to the study, the convergence of digitalisation and sustainability in Africa's agri-food value chains can generate long-term benefits for the stability and sustainability of agri-food systems.
  • The researchers found that AI-driven initiatives, such as farmers' yield optimization and food retail demand prediction, can enhance food supply chain resilience in Africa by 30%.
  • The study identified four key AI-driven initiatives that can strengthen the resilience of agri-food supply chains: farmers' yield optimization, food retail demand prediction, real-time data analysis, and enhanced supply chain administration.
  • The research concluded that investing in resilience-building measures can generate long-term benefits for the stability and sustainability of agri-food systems.

Sources:

  • Digitalisation and sustainability convergence: leveraging artificial intelligence capabilities to enhance agri-food value chains' sustainability in Africa. Sustentabilidade em Debate, 2025,16(1).
  • Sustentabilidade em Debate - http://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/sust.
  • The publisher for Sustentabilidade em Debate is Universidade de Brasilia.