Data-Driven Digital Agriculture

The global food system is complex, fragmented, and unable to meet the challenges facing society. Despite significant increases in output, the system is inefficient and wasteful, with abundance and hunger existing side by side. At the heart of these failures is a lack of equal and adequate access to information among farmers and within markets, where inflexible systems promote high transaction costs. Improved access to data and analytics, alongside digital technology, can help connect the world's 570 million farms to 8 billion consumers, reducing inequality and global hunger.

Our goal is to encourage the use of data, digital technology, and innovation to transform the agri-food system. Improving the collection and use of data and harnessing the power of digital tools will enable smallholders to increase efficiency and promote equity. Data-driven digital agriculture improves crop yields, reduces waste, supports transparent price discovery, lowers costs, strengthens resilience, and decreases harmful emissions. We support data collection for policy action, and public and private investment for results, to promote inclusive agriculture.

We are working to expand the frontier of financing and expertise for digital agriculture. Our multidisciplinary team builds on the convening power of the World Bank to bring data, analytics, and investment together for impact. Our network of thought leaders, innovators, public sector leaders, CEOs, startup founders, and researchers share knowledge, advice, and expertise to ensure that the global food system reaches its potential. To date, we have supported the design and implementation of 53 projects across 36 countries, amounting to about $1.15 billion in lending.