With a growing global population and evolving climate patterns, countries face more pressure than ever to develop agrifood systems that are productive, sustainable, and resilient to the impact of climate change.  The World Bank Group’s recently announced strategic pivot to agribusiness aims to pursue a more integrated approach towards that goal.  

Advanced technologies will play a key role in meeting the rising global demand for food while addressing the challenges posed by climate change. Technologies such as high-yielding seed varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases and digital technologies that help connect farmers to markets can significantly boost agricultural productivity and supply. At the same time, using drought-resistant crop varieties, irrigation systems that conserve water, and weather forecasting tools that help farmers plan better will help build climate resilience into agrifood systems.

A new Evaluation Insight Note (EIN) from the Independent Evaluation Group, Agricultural Innovation and Technology in World Bank projects, reviews the available evaluative evidence on how the World Bank uses these technologies in its projects. Based on an analysis of 158 active and 113 closed World Bank projects focused on agriculture and irrigation between the years 2016 to 2023, the note offers insights to inform the Bank’s future efforts in agricultural development:  

1. Limited coverage of advanced technologies

The EIN finds that the World Bank’s agriculture and irrigation portfolio shows limited coverage of advanced technologies. In terms of technologies promoted in its agricultural projects, the World Bank has tended to focus more on technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), early warning systems, and Monitoring Information Systems (MIS). Technologies such as the use of bio-fortified crops and other biotechnological advancements, climate-smart agricultural practices, and mobile applications and digital technologies that help connect farmers to markets, are generally less represented in the portfolio. There has been a slight uptick recently in the use of climate smart technologies and technologies such as drones (between the closed and active portfolio of projects). But use of other advanced technologies such as biotechnology, precision agriculture, or alternate Wetting and Drying for water conservation is still limited.

2. Primarily focused on agriculture productivity, with limited attention to technologies facilitating market linkages

Connecting farmers to markets by improving access to price information, digital finance and payment systems, mobile banking, among others, is as important as supporting them with technologies in raising their crop yields and production volumes. The EIN review found, however, that most of the technologies that the World Bank promotes in its agricultural projects focus on raising productivity. A few of the technologies highlighted above have seen some growth, but their overall presence in the portfolio is modest.  

3. Combining demand-based technological solutions with training and technical assistance enhance adoption of technology

Demand-based solutions put the needs and preferences of the farmers at the center. New technologies are likelier to be adopted if they are aligned with farmers’ needs and are tailored to their circumstances. These kinds of bottom-up and participatory models foster a sense of ownership among farmers, which is crucial for sustained adoption. For instance, in Bangladesh, a decentralized extension structure, which closely worked with local institutions through a strong emphasis on community mobilization helped engage with farmers more substantively, leading to higher technology uptake and sustained use. 

When such solutions are combined with training and technical assistance, they have a higher probability of adoption and dissemination among farmers. For example, in Brazil, a demand-driven extension model complemented by farmer training and on-farm technical assistance, resulted in a high adoption rate of technology (i.e. pasture renewal techniques) promoted by the project, with around 80% of farmers continued to use them even after the project closed. 

4. Strong collaboration between research and extension agencies aids the diffusion of technologies

Diffusing technologies effectively requires a strong collaboration between research and extension agencies with well-defined responsibilities. For instance, in Bangladesh, strong collaboration and a clear demarcation of roles between research and extension agencies helped disseminate technologies efficiently from research to adoption by farmers. Collaboration worked in Bangladesh due to the governance and oversight structures in place that promotes these linkages. Conversely, in Cote d’Ivoire and Brazil, unclear roles and responsibilities led to competition and conflicts among agencies, hindering project implementation which  can also affect uptake of technologies by farmers. 

5. Combining technology dissemination efforts with investments in enabling environment facilitates technology adoption

Investing in infrastructure, such as roads and markets, is an important complement to efforts to disseminate technologies. For example, in Cote d’Ivoire, the EIN noted that the rehabilitation and maintenance of rural roads ensured the continued and timely delivery of improved seeds promoted by the project. This infrastructure development not only facilitated the adoption of new agricultural technologies, but also helped enhance market linkages. Similarly, in Vietnam, the project invested in marketing infrastructure (meat slaughterhouse, wet markets) and promoted the adoption of food safety standards alongside technology adoption initiatives (e.g. adoption of good animal husbandry practices to ensure the production of safe and high-quality food products.) By combining investments in technologies with supportive measures such as rehabilitating and maintaining roads or physical marketplaces can not only promote technology adoption but also strengthen value chains for crops and livestock. 

6. Building sustainable institutional models is key to technology uptake and use

Lastly, ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of agricultural projects and innovations requires that sustainable institutional models are in place. Local institutions such as farmer organizations, cooperatives, and community-based organizations continue to play a vital role in promoting technology uptake and use even after the project closes ensuring that the benefits of the projects are long-lasting. 

Building sustainable institutional models, however, continues to be challenging in Bank-supported projects. IEG field assessments found that many local institutions ceased operations after project closure, indicating the need for sustained efforts in building the capacity of these organizations or ensuring continued engagement with them on technology adoption and use.  

In summary, this assessment found that there is some room to grow for World Bank support on advanced agriculture technologies, particularly on achieving market linkages. Based on field-based project assessment, some useful strategies include combining demand-based technological solutions with training and technical assistance - this promotes technology adoption by aligning with farmers' needs and fostering ownership. In addition, effective technology diffusion requires strong collaboration between research and extension agencies with clear roles, as well as with the private sector (although this was not part of the assessment). Infrastructure investments are also key as they support technology dissemination and market linkages. Finally, sustainable institutional models are essential for long-term technology uptake. This is, however, challenging, as many local institutions cease operations post-project, highlighting the need for ongoing support and capacity-building.