Three Key Takeaways From Discussions on Digital Transformation in Agriculture
Development Gateway: An IREX Venture (DG) hosted a discussion titled “Transforming Food Systems: The Power of Interoperability and Partnerships” at both Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF) 2023 and the recently concluded ICT4Ag conference. Discussions from these critical events revolved around key themes crucial to DG’s ongoing work, including connecting people, institutions, partners, and systems when we think about technology working at scale to transform agriculture. In this blog, we explore three key takeaways from these conversations.
aLIVE Program Reaches Milestone: Livestock Data Standards Endorsed by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture
In early 2024, the “a Livestock Information Vision Ethiopia” (aLIVE) governing committee endorsed a comprehensive set of standards to guide the collection, storage, and maintenance of livestock data in Ethiopia (i.e., a data standard). The data standard specifically focuses on standardizing data on cattle, sheep, goats, and camels in the country. The National Livestock Data Standard document contains standardized data sets for national animal data recording, animal disease, diagnosis, treatment, vaccination recording, animal events recording, location, and other additional attributes.
Connecting Digital Dreams to Infrastructure Needs: Three Lessons from the aLIVE Program
After eighteen months of implementing the aLIVE program, we’ve learned three lessons on how to best support our partners in Ethiopia, advance our work in data systems and management, and ultimately, reach our overall goal of supporting Ethiopia in achieving food security and building a more robust, independent economy.
Digital Transformation for Public Value: Development Gateway’s Insights from Agriculture & Open Contracting
In today’s fast-evolving world, governments and public organizations are under more pressure than ever before to deliver efficient, transparent services that align with public expectations. In this blog, we delve into the key concepts behind digital transformation and how it can enhance public value by promoting transparency, informing policy, and supporting evidence-based decision-making.
The Future of Food Systems: Spotlight on Ethiopia
When we discuss food systems, we are not just talking about farms; we are referring to the entire food supply chain. We are talking about how people eat, live, and navigate an increasingly volatile climate.
This blog post analyzes Ethiopia’s national food systems strategy as an example of where UNFSS can go next in strengthening food security globally.
Beyond Kigali: Where Does Africa Go from Here with AI?
As the AI momentum builds, Development Gateway is asking different questions: where the data comes from, how reliable it is, how legacy systems will supply usable data, and whether governments have the capacity to govern and trust the AI tools they’re being urged to adopt.
From Data to Impact: Why Data Visualization Matters in Agriculture
This blog explores why data alone isn’t enough; what matters is turning it into usable insights. In agriculture, where decisions have lasting impacts, user-friendly tools help farmers and policymakers alike make better choices.
Defining Decision-Making: Connecting the Dots Between Data and Impact
Strong, data-driven decision-making is critical for transforming the livestock sector and achieving national goals for food security and economic growth. However, we often talk about what is needed to enable strong decisions and the potential outcomes of data-driven decision-making without connecting the dots. What decisions are we actually talking about, between the data on one end and the impact on the other? What does data-driven decision-making actually entail?
Building Lasting DPI Through Local Ownership: Lessons from Ethiopia’s Livestock Information
Sustainable DPI depends on more than technology – it requires local capacity and government ownership. Drawing on lessons from Ethiopia’s aLIVE program, this blog explores how investing in both can build more resilient and lasting DPI.