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Paper short abstract

This paper examines how digital agro-climate advisories can be scaled equitably. Applying AICCRA’s framework of technical excellence, investment and demand, and sustained use, it shows that inclusive scaling depends on institutional embedding and farmer agency, not technology alone.

Paper long abstract

Digital agro-climate advisories are increasingly promoted as scalable instruments for enhancing climate resilience among smallholder farmers. However, scaling such services without explicit attention to equity and farmer agency risks reproducing structural inequalities and dependency on externally driven digital systems. This paper examines how digital agro-climate advisories can be scaled equitably using the CGIAR Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) program as a case study, drawing on AICCRA’s scaling framework of technical excellence, investment and demand, and sustained use.

The paper argues that technical excellence—defined by the accuracy, timeliness, and local relevance of climate and agronomic information—is a necessary but insufficient condition for equitable scaling. In AICCRA, technical quality is complemented by investment in institutional partnerships with national meteorological agencies, extension systems, and research organizations, enhancing legitimacy and long-term viability. Demand generation is pursued through participatory design processes that engage farmers, address gendered and socioeconomic barriers to access, and deploy multiple delivery channels, including digital platforms, radio, and intermediary-mediated services.

Sustained use is supported through integration of digital advisories into existing advisory ecosystems, capacity strengthening of local intermediaries, and attention to data governance to protect farmer autonomy and trust. Together, these dimensions illustrate that equitable scaling is not achieved through rapid technological replication alone, but through adaptive alignment of technology, institutions, and user needs. The AICCRA case demonstrates that digital agro-climate advisories are more likely to deliver inclusive and durable climate adaptation outcomes when scaling strategies recognize farmers as active decision-makers and knowledge partners, rather than passive recipients.