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Policy related to digitalization of agriculture in the Global South: Comparative insights from West Africa and Latin America

Richebourg C., Le Coq J.F., Paget N.. 2026. In : Bellon-Maurel Véronique (ed.), Bonnet Pascal (ed.), Gauche Karine (ed.), Gosme Marie (ed.), Mignon Sophie (ed.), Roche Mathieu (ed.), Paget Nicolas (ed.), Enriquez Martha Lucia (ed.), Lyon-Caen Nathalie (ed.), Garcia Françoise (ed.). Convergence Of Research in Digital Agriculture Leading Labs (CORDiALL) - Book of abstracts. Montpellier : CIRAD, p. 138. Conference Convergence Of Research in Digital Agriculture Leading Labs (CORDiALL), 2026-04-14/2026-04-17, Montpellier (France).

Since the mid-2010s, the digitalization of agriculture has emerged as an issue in the political agendas of many countries in the Global South. Presented by its promoters as a “new agricultural revolution”, digitalization is expected to enhance productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability. Yet, this vision is largely shaped by a modernist and technicist narrative, supported by global digital actors and agribusiness suppliers' firms and translated into public policies that vary across contexts but share common trends. This paper analyzes the construction of agricultural digitalization policies in West Africa and Latin America, focusing on the actors involved, the policy instruments mobilized, and their implications for family farming inclusion. Based on a comparative analysis of policy documents and programs, the study highlights both convergences and divergences between regions. In both cases, the digital agenda was initially driven by Ministries of Telecommunications or Science and Technology, with agricultural ministries engaging only recently. Three policy configurations emerge: (1) general digital strategies with no agricultural component; (2) cross-sectoral digital agendas with partial agricultural integration; and (3) specific agricultural digitalization strategies led by agricultural ministries. Across both regions, governments deploy a diverse set of policy instruments— normative, organizational, incentive-based, and capacity-building. Normative instruments include data protection regulations and digital identification systems that formalize producers' digital and financial inclusion but also raise concerns about surveillance and exclusion. Organizational instruments—such as Brazil's Agriculture 4.0 Commission or Chile's Rural Connectivity Roundtable—seek interministerial coordination. Incentive-based instruments promote connectivity and digital Innovation ecosystems, often through public–private partnerships or international cooperation. Capacity-buildi

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