Agriculture sits at the centre of the climate challenge: it is highly exposed to changing weather and, at the same time, a significant source of emissions and a major user of land and water. Climate-smart approaches aim to raise productivity, strengthen resilience and cut emissions together. Digital technologies can make each of these aims easier to achieve, but only when they fit the realities of farmers, cooperatives and companies that must use them.

The course starts by grounding participants in climate-smart agriculture and in the architecture of a food system, from input supply to consumption. It then explores the digital toolbox: earth observation, weather analytics, sensors and automation, decision-support apps, mobile and voice advisory services, traceability platforms and digital finance. Each technology is examined for what it can do, what it costs, what data and connectivity it needs and who benefits. The programme also tackles the enabling environment, including data ownership, interoperability, digital literacy, gender inclusion and partnerships.

Participants work throughout on a transformation case of their own choosing. They map the problem, select suitable tools, estimate benefits and risks and draft a pilot design with indicators. Peer review and facilitator coaching sharpen each plan before the final day.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain climate-smart agriculture and where digital tools add value in the food system.
• Select suitable digital technologies for specific farm, cooperative or value chain problems.
• Interpret satellite, weather and sensor information for planning and early warning.
• Design mobile-based advisory and market information services for farmers.
• Assess data governance, privacy, inclusion and connectivity risks in digital agriculture.
• Build a business and impact case for a digital agriculture pilot.
• Define indicators for tracking resilience, productivity and emissions outcomes.

The course is designed for people who plan, fund or deliver agricultural and food system programmes, including:

• Agricultural extension officers and county agriculture staff
• Agribusiness managers and cooperative leaders
• Programme managers in climate, food security and resilience projects
• Agritech founders and product managers
• Value chain and market systems specialists
• Researchers in agricultural universities and institutes
• Development partner and donor officers
• Policy advisers in ministries of agriculture and environment

Participants leave with:

• A framework for matching digital tools to climate-smart agriculture goals.
• A one-page technology selection matrix with costs, data needs and risks.
• A draft pilot design with indicators and a monitoring approach.
• Guidance on safeguarding farmer data and ensuring inclusive access.
• A stakeholder and partnership map for digital agriculture initiatives.
• Ideas for scaling a pilot into a sustainable service.

The programme blends technology awareness with field-relevant design thinking. Participants experience:

• Demonstrations of satellite, weather and farm management tools with open or low-cost data
• Case studies of digital initiatives serving smallholders and commercial farms
• Group design sprints to plan a climate-smart digital pilot
• Discussion of risks, ethics and inclusion with practitioners
• Coaching on a personal transformation case through the week

A CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion from Vision Reach Global Consultancy is awarded once participants have attended the programme and presented their pilot design.