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Paper short abstract

This action research examines extension-led digital climate adaptation support for smallholder farmers in Zambia. Empowerment pathways relied on institutional arrangements for device access and sharing, social learning, and the role of extension workers in bridging technology and motivational gaps.

Paper long abstract

Numerous digital services in agricultural extension have increasingly targeted smallholder farmers in the Global South. However, empirical evidence on whether and how these tools are empowering farmers and their scalability remains limited.

This action research was conducted in Eastern Zambia between 2024 and 2025 in order to examine different delivery methods, involving 157 members of six farmer groups, most of whom lacked access to digital devices, as well as 24 individual smartphone users. Extension workers (EWs) provided smartphones to farmer groups for shared use and introduced an app designed to support climate change adaptation through step-by-step, video-led participatory tools translated into the local language.

The results were mixed, especially for group members, while positive results were found for smartphone users. Many groups engaged their members in the training and most participants in these groups developed and implemented adaptation ideas or plans, however, this depended largely on the quality of group leadership and the group dynamics. The app and videos enabled some farmers to learn and carry out activities at their own pace and facilitated knowledge sharing with family and community members. Nonetheless, the study highlighted the challenges of empowering certain types of farmers who may require more in-person support, suggesting the importance of intermediaries to bridge socio-technological gaps.

This study underscores the need to critically assess whom digital technologies include and exclude in rapidly digitalising agricultural extension systems. This provides implications for the challenges and opportunities for future scaling.