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NEC digital technologies to empower small-scale producers in Africa in partnership with IFAD

News Provided by JCN Newswire2025-08-21

Yokohama, Japan, August 21, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) — In an effort to develop agriculture and boost rural development, NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701), a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies, together with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will tailor high-end digital technologies – remote sensing and secure digital platforms – to suit the unique needs of vulnerable small-scale producers in Africa.

A letter of intent was signed today to forge the new partnership on the margins of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9). This new partnership aims to enhance farm productivity, build resilience to weather and economic shocks, and support farmers in adapting to climate change. The initiative will also promote new economic opportunities through the implementation of technology solutions such as CropScope, NEC’s digital agricultural platform that will enhance the capabilities of decision-makers in farm management across IFAD’s investment portfolio.

Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD (left) and Shigehiro Tanaka, Corporate Senior Executive Vice President of NEC (right) (C) IFAD

Small-scale producers are central to global food systems, accounting for over 80% of farms worldwide, and playing a crucial role in ensuring food security and sustaining rural livelihoods. Yet, millions of small-scale producers lack access to real-time agricultural advisory services, climate-resilient technologies, financial services, and structured markets.

"We are excited to partner with NEC to implement solutions that integrate digital technologies into agricultural value chains. Scaling up digital public infrastructure with scalable digital services for rural development is key to boosting rural economies, creating new opportunities and raising incomes for millions of vulnerable producers," said Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD. "Addressing these persistent challenges is critical for achieving rural transformation, a core objective of IFAD," he added.

"We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with IFAD toward the development of the African region through NEC’s strengths in digital agricultural solutions. At TICAD9, the active adoption of digital technologies by Japanese companies is being discussed as a key solution to the challenges faced by African countries. We believe that the initiatives under this Letter of Intent directly reflect TICAD9’s objectives, and we look forward to further strengthening the partnership between IFAD and NEC through this opportunity," said Shigehiro Tanaka, Corporate Senior Executive Vice President of NEC.

The partnership will pilot two NEC innovations:

CropScope is a digital agriculture platform that leverages remote sensing, data analytics, and timely insights to support data-driven precision farming and enhance the capabilities of decision-makers in farm management across the value chain.

e-Voucher is an electronic voucher system that improves targeting and efficiency in the access and delivery of agricultural inputs and subsidies to smallholders. The collaboration seeks to:

Accelerate digital transformation across IFAD’s portfolio through the deployment of NEC’s advanced technologies, directly contributing to its strategic priorities on innovation and digital inclusion.
Pilot cost-effective, cutting-edge solutions through NEC’s contributions, with potential for replication across other IFAD-funded projects.
Enhance targeting, monitoring, and adaptive management in IFAD programmes through data-driven insights.

The partnership aligns with IFAD’s Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) Strategy (2020–2030) and broader efforts to increase private sector engagement and scale up digital services that empower rural communities.

About IFAD

IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$25 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries A wide range of photographs and broadcast-quality video content of IFAD’s work in rural communities are available for download from our Image Bank.

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.” NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.

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