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 17 / 20 smallholders, will be critical for achieving equitable adaptation outcomes. Without such measures, DAGs risk reinforcing existing inequalities rather than serving as tools for resilience and transformation. 5. Conclusion This study demonstrates that digital agricultural solutions (DAGs) hold significant potential to strengthen climate resilience and agricultural productivity in West and Central Africa, particularly through mobile-based advisories, climate-smart agriculture practices, and bundled service models that integrate market, financial, and climate services. These tools can reduce smallholder exposure to climate risks by improving access to timely information, resources, and decision support. However, major barriers—including poor infrastructure, high connectivity costs, low digital literacy, and gender disparities—continue to constrain equitable adoption. The predominance of private-sector initiatives has fueled rapid innovation but raises concerns about inclusivity and long-term sustainability without stronger public sector involvement and supportive policy frameworks. Unlocking the full potential of digital agriculture will require targeted investment in rural infrastructure, inclusive training, and gender-responsive approaches, alongside improved public– private collaboration and harmonized data systems. Future research should move beyond mapping existing tools to

rigorously assess their long-term impacts on productivity, equity, and resilience, with particular attention to gender and youth inclusion. Integrating DAGs into broader adaptation strategies that connect technology, institutional capacity, and inclusive policies will be essential to ensuring they contribute to sustainable and equitable food systems under a changing climate. This synthesis paper also highlights the diverse needs and challenges faced by the key user groups of DAGs, and proposes a Human-Centered Design (HCD) approach as a potential solution to improve adoption and impact of these services. Supporting information S1 Fig. Country-wise distribution of existing digital agricultural services in six countries of WCA. (PNG) S2 Fig. Country-wise distribution of innovations providing agronomic services in six countries of WCA. (TIF) S3 Fig. Country-wise distribution of innovations providing digital climate solutions in six countries of WCA. (TIF) S4 Fig. Country-wise distribution of innovations providing market information in the six countries of WCA. (TIF) S5 Fig. Country-wise distribution of innovations providing finance in the six countries of WCA. (TIF) S6 Fig. Country-wise distribution of innovations identified as agricultural service provider in the six countries of WCA. (TIF) S7 Fig. Country-wise distribution of innovations providing crop insurance to different risks in the six countries of WCA. (TIF) S8 Fig. Existing users of digital agricultural solutions in various value chains. (TIF)