Agricultural information systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Rethinking the role of governments in the age of private digital services

Information systems play a key role in agricultural risk management strategies and production and marketing decision optimisation strategies. This makes them an important tool for poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Yet information alone is not enough. If it is to have an impact, it needs to not only be considered as relevant by its users, but also to be associated with other services to foster the economic inclusion of stakeholders. Over 20 years after the arrival on the African continent of the new information and communication technologies and the gradual appearance of a new generation of information systems with a massive increase in digital technology and integrated services (information, technical advisory and financial services), it is important to consider their relevance, effectiveness and limitations and explore the role that the different players (public and private) should play in the definition and introduction of future systems.