Mapping the climate and agronomic digital advisory services landscape in West and Central Africa: A step towards making food systems productive and climate resilient

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0338010 December 3, 2025 16 / 20 DAGs to be effective, inclusive design must be prioritized. Gender, age, education, and regional disparities should be cen- tral considerations in platform development and outreach strategies. Failure to do so risks exacerbating existing inequali- ties in access to agricultural services. 4.3. Opportunities and policy implications Despite several challenges, the results point to several promising opportunities and investment priorities. Our findings suggest that many services remain narrowly focused—targeting specific crops, inputs, or farmer groups. This fragmenta- tion often forces farmers to engage with multiple platforms, increasing costs and complicating access. Bundled services, which combine agro-advisories with essential services like credit, insurance, and access to inputs and market, appear to be especially effective in addressing multiple farmer needs simultaneously [46]. This approach minimizes transaction costs for farmers and increases efficiency for providers [19,46,47]. Present review revealed that bundled services came next to the agro-advisory services in terms of the number of registered users in the study area, suggesting high aware- ness as well as their demand. However, operationalizing such models requires strengthening rural infrastructure and connectivity, promoting digital literacy through inclusive training, and ensuring gender-responsive approaches. Public-private partnerships can help

scale successful innovations while addressing gaps in access and affordability. In rural areas, where these prerequisites are often lacking, the scalability and sustainability of digital advisory platforms remain constrained. Addressing these foundational issues is essential for service equity and long-term adoption. Finally, improved data governance, including harmonization and privacy safeguards, are critical for maximizing the value of digital platforms. Addressing these systemic constraints will determine whether digital agriculture evolves into a tool for inclusive climate adaptation or exacerbates existing inequalities. Furthermore, national policy frameworks play a vital role in shaping the digital agriculture landscape. Countries such as Rwanda and Nigeria have implemented progressive policies, including the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (2022) and Digital Agriculture Strategies, which aim to promote youth engagement, simplify enterprise operations, and improve access to land, credit, and training [48]. These measures have facilitated greater participation among younger, technologically up-to-date farmers—an important demographic for the uptake of digital tools [49,50]. Nonetheless, significant gaps remain in data governance. While open data (e.g., crop, weather, and market data) is key to innovation, limited cross-organizational collaboration and inconsistent regulatory frameworks restrict access—particu- larly for private sector actors and emerging agri-tech start-ups. Issues of data privacy, ownership, and cybersecurity also

persist. Although countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Rwanda have initiated legislative responses, others—such as Burundi and Ivory coast—lack adequate policies for agricultural data governance. The absence of harmonized and interoperable systems further constrains the scalability and integration of digital services. 4.4. Limitations and future research While this review mapped a diverse range of existing digital solutions, the analysis is limited by data availability, partic- ularly for Burundi, Ivory Coast, and the DRC. Furthermore, the study primarily examined farmer adoption, leaving gaps in understanding how service providers and policymakers utilize these tools. Future research should focus on assessing the effectiveness of DAGs in improving agricultural productivity under climate stress, with attention to gender and equity outcomes, considering the size of country. Longitudinal studies would also help to evaluate whether current innovations deliver sustained resilience over time. In summary, these findings indicate that while digital agriculture is rapidly expanding, its potential to build climate resil- ience is constrained by deep structural and institutional barriers. Closing these gaps will require coordinated investments in infrastructure, digital literacy, and inclusive policy frameworks, alongside efforts to harmonize data and strengthen governance. Moreover, ensuring that digital solutions are accessible to marginalized groups, particularly women and rural