Paper Contents
Abstract
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly impacted various sectors, and agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa is no exception. This paper examines the effects of AI-driven e-commerce solutions on smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region where agricultural markets are often fragmented and characterized by inefficiencies. Through AI-powered platforms, farmers gain access to real-time market information, dynamic pricing models, and more efficient distribution networks, potentially transforming their economic outcomes.Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to assess the impacts of AI integration on farmers access to markets, income levels, and transaction costs. A sample of 300 smallholder farmers across several Sub-Saharan African countries was surveyed, and 20 in-depth interviews were conducted with both farmers and stakeholders from e-commerce platforms and agricultural agencies. The findings reveal that AI-driven platforms significantly enhance market access by reducing transaction costs and increasing the number of potential buyers. Specifically, farmers reported a 200% increase in market reach and a 47% decrease in transaction costs after adopting AI solutions. Moreover, AI-driven platforms enable farmers to engage in price discovery, leading to more favorable market conditions.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 KEHINDE ONAYEMI ADESOGA, Adiamo Afeez Adeyemi, RAHEEM LATEEF IDOWU. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
