Digital technology interventions are powerful agents that can transform agriculture and improve food security. In 2021, a McKinsey paper on how digital tools can transform Africa’s agri-food systems detailed how emerging markets could benefit from technology that accelerates the work of stakeholders across the value chain. Besides tools that support precision agriculture, supply chain management and market access, digital tools that also support or integrate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) applications can genuinely transform programme impact, provided they are implemented under the right conditions.
The pressure to apply digital solutions and artificial intelligence to operations has permeated most sectors, including nonprofits delivering social and environmental impact programmes. While resource-constrained organisations must weigh the value of costly technology investments against their potential for impact, food security and agriculture programmes may have much to gain from digital M&E tools.
Kenyan research exploring innovative approaches to M&E in sustainability projects, published in 2024, identified that the inclusion of digital tools, such as mobile applications and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), significantly enhanced the effectiveness of M&E, particularly in contexts requiring real-time data collection from remote locations.
Food security programmes often operate across dispersed or rural communities where traditional monitoring methods may prove costly and slow. Agricultural interventions require responsive frameworks that can quickly adapt to changing climate conditions, pest outbreaks and shifts in market conditions. The right digital tools can enable continuous monitoring, providing the real-time data needed to make timely strategic adjustments and address needs that paper-based systems simply cannot meet at scale.
Creating the conditions for digital M&E success
Technology by itself is no guarantee of positive outcomes. The research identified several enabling conditions essential for the effective implementation of widespread digital M&E.
It highlighted the importance of community or beneficiary involvement, noting that active, local stakeholder participation in monitoring processes encourages a sense of ownership and accountability, which improves data accuracy and project outcomes. Digital M&E tools are likely to fare better when designed in collaboration with communities, rather than being imposed upon them.
It is also important to recognise the realities of the digital divide. Limited internet access and varying levels of digital literacy can hinder even well-designed systems. In these situations, strategic efforts to develop digital capacity are essential for success.
Digital tools serving food security
- South African hybrid social enterprise ABALOBI works with small-scale fishing communities to improve food security through technology. In collaboration with coastal communities, the organisation develops catch data and traceability technology, empowering fishermen to build sustainable livelihoods and advance fisheries rebuilding. The organisation demonstrates community-led data collection at scale. The ABALOBI Monitor platform operates across multiple South African coastal communities, generating real-time dashboards that support both community co-management and evidence-based policy decisions.
- OneFarm Share, a partnership between HelloChoice and Standard Bank, is a digital platform that connects surplus fresh produce from farmers and markets with food requests from registered charities. Matching supply and demand through the HelloChoice app, the initiative reduces food waste, supports smallholder farmers and helps address hunger in vulnerable communities. The platform also enables corporate social investment contributions, making it both a food security intervention and a tool for monitoring and reporting social impact.
- FoodForward SA’s FoodShare platform links beneficiary organisations with nearby retail stores to collect surplus quality food. The service streamlines the recovery of potential food waste through virtual foodbanking, improving access to nutritious food, even in remote areas. The platform also tracks inventory and distribution tonnage, provides real-time data through donor dashboards and enables online applications and offline M&E.
Recommendations for digital intervention integration
Research on the digital transformation of nonprofit organisations, published in the Advanced International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research in 2024, emphasises that digital interventions should add genuine strategic value rather than adoption for their own sake.
Besides ensuring that the inclusion or development of digital tools follows sound strategic alignment and planning, and incorporates capacity building through training, organisations looking to technology to deliver impact solutions should consider some of the harsher realities.
The incorporation or development of custom digital interventions is more than a one-time technology purchase. Digital interventions require specific infrastructure considerations, including costs for maintenance, technical support and data security. Programmes aiming to deliver sustainable, long-term impact must ensure their digital technology interventions are supported by ongoing investment and realistic plans for medium-term support.
