New initiative AgriConnect Brasil launched at IICA headquarters to strengthen connectivity and digital inclusion for rural family farms

The launch of AgriConnect Brasil took place at the headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Brasília. An IICA press release shared that this new initiative, backed by the World Bank Group (WBG), is focused on enhancing rural connectivity, promoting digital inclusion, and integrating family farmers into broader markets.

Aiming to reach over one million family farmers across Brazil by 2030, the program intends to bolster access to modern technologies, financial resources, knowledge-sharing, and digital tools. Its overarching goal is to boost farmers’ incomes, create employment opportunities along the agrifood value chain, and improve food security, thereby fostering more inclusive and sustainable rural progress.

AgriConnect forms part of the World Bank Group’s comprehensive global strategy to reform the agri-food sector worldwide. The initiative aspires to support up to 300 million smallholder farmers globally by 2030, facilitating a transition from subsistence farming to more productive and market-oriented agricultural enterprises.

The initiative is backed by an estimated annual global investment of $9 billion, with the potential to attract an additional $5 billion in investments. This funding aims to promote innovation, enhance financing options, and develop service ecosystems tailored to the needs of the agriculture sector.

In Latin America, the program is being implemented in partnership with several international and regional organizations, including IICA, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Latin American Association for the Development of Agricultural Insurance (ALASA). It also involves collaborations with financial institutions, private sector entities, foundations, and knowledge-sharing partners.

In Brazil, the significance of AgriConnect is particularly notable given the extensive scale of family farming in the country. Brazil hosts nearly 3.9 million family farms, which constitute about 75% of rural properties, employ close to 10 million people, and are vital to the nation’s food production.

Globally, the agri-food sector holds a strategic position in economic and social development. Beyond providing food security, it generates millions of jobs, stimulates local economies, and sustains the livelihoods of hundreds of millions, especially in rural regions.

In this context, digitalization and rural connectivity are increasingly recognized as critical factors for expanding economic opportunities, boosting productivity, and increasing the resilience of agricultural systems against climate variability and market fluctuations.

To realize its goals, AgriConnect focuses on three key areas:
– Mitigating agricultural risks by strengthening climate and market risk management strategies;
– Enhancing value chains and logistics to improve producers’ access to markets and commercial prospects;
– Promoting digital transformation through the deployment of digital tools, knowledge platforms, and technological solutions aimed at production management.

IICA stated that beyond expanding market access and technological adoption, the program also aims to generate economic opportunities for rural populations, especially young people. It encourages them to stay in the countryside by fostering innovative, productive activities linked to global value chains.

Initiatives like AgriConnect are expected to accelerate the digital transformation of agriculture, bolster productive inclusion, improve sector competitiveness, and promote more sustainable rural development across the Americas.