Embracing Digital Skills in Agrifood Education

Digital technologies and artificial intelligence are rapidly reshaping the world of work, and with it, the skills young people need to access decent jobs. The agrifood sector, which includes everything from farming and food production to processing, distribution and retail, is no exception. Here, sustainability challenges and digital innovation go hand in hand. 

For young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) should be an ideal place to develop the skills they need for employment and entrepreneurship. But does TVET live up to its promise? To prepare learners for the realities of a digitally driven agrifood sector, TVET teachers must be equipped to support the change.

Why Digital Skills Matter in Agrifood

Globally, 44% of working youth are employed in agrifood systems, so reports the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and in low- and middle-income countries this share is even greater. Digital technologies are rapidly emerging and are reshaping how food is grown, processed and distributed, from mobile apps that advise on crop management to platforms that connect producers with markets. As highlighted by the World Bank report on the digital transformation of the agrifood system, digitalisation in agrifood is not only driven by innovation but is essential for building more efficient, sustainable and equitable food systems. 

Sacha Rozenstark, an agripreneur working directly with small-scale farmers in Ecuador, captures the essence of this transformation: “Today’s young people don’t want to spend 10 hours a day ploughing a field to plant potatoes. It’s incredibly hard work, and it fuels the desire to escape. I believe technology is precisely what could give young people a reason to return to the countryside, to see it not as a relic of the past, but as a modern, dynamic space.” 

For technology to have an inclusive and sustainable impact, education and training must ensure that young people have the digital competencies to engage with it. Yet many education systems are still catching up, especially in rural areas where agrifood opportunities are most present but digital infrastructure and teacher capacity often lag behind. While addressing several factors, including improving infrastructure, is necessary to bridge this gap, providing teachers with the right training and resources is key to equipping learners with the digital skills they need for the future of work in agrifood.  

Teaching Tomorrow: Are Today’s Educators Ready?

Regardless of their background, age or skills, many teachers recognise the importance of digital skills and technologies in education, so found the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM) in 2023 already. But many also lack confidence in using digital technology. According to the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization, 78% of TVET teachers feel unprepared to teach with AI. That lack of confidence has a direct effect on learners. As GEM Report senior policy analyst, Anna Cristina D’Addio, explains: “When a teacher doesn’t feel confident about teaching certain subjects, it affects learners’ confidence too. That’s why training is crucial—but just as important is ensuring there are enough resources to support that training.” 

Equally important is recognising that training must go beyond technical instruction. It should also create opportunities for connection and shared learning. This broader approach is something Dr. Daniel Masaba, a Ugandan medical doctor turned agripreneur, understands deeply. Best known as the founder and director of Farm Up Academy, Dr. Masaba left medical practice to pursue his passion for poultry farming. Starting with limited resources, he built a thriving enterprise and now shares his expertise with a global audience of over 550,000 YouTube subscribers and a large following on TikTok. His mission is to support young agripreneurs to build profitable, sustainable farms through digital technology and practical mentorship. 

Reflecting on the role of digital engagement in agriculture, he explains: “Sharing day-to-day stories on the farm connects you with other farmers around the world. When I post something, farmers in the comments often suggest better ways to do things — like feeding birds or managing crops — that I hadn’t thought of. This kind of connection makes farming more efficient and, honestly, helps you make more money.” 

His experience highlights how digital literacy can create vibrant learning communities, an essential insight for educators preparing young people to navigate the changing agrifood sector.

Bridging Education and the World of Work

With support from the Flemish and Belgian governments, VVOB’s Skilling for Sustainable Futures flagship strengthens and leverages existing systems for teacher and school leadership professional development to ensure educators are prepared to teach relevant skills and improve the overall quality of teaching. Through projects like LEAP in Uganda and VAMOS and CAMBIAR in Ecuador, VVOB and government partners invest in online and blended  professional development opportunities that not only promote the use of career talks, project-based learning and work-based learning as innovative pedagogical practices, but also strengthen teachers’ own digital literacy by learning online.  

In Uganda, Komagum Oscar, a teacher who completed a VVOB-supported continuous professional development course, shares: “We learned about what we call blended learning, whereby we integrate the computer into traditional ways of learning. I brought in the computer to the extent that my students can draw production plans and come up with a very good cash flow statement using the computer.” Oscar’s story shows that building digital confidence leads directly to more engaging and meaningful learning experiences for students. 

Initiatives like CAMBIAR, VAMOS and LEAP do more than build technical know-how. They create learning environments where learners, especially those in rural communities, can gain confidence in their digital skills and see a future for themselves in modern agriculture. By aligning what is taught in classrooms with the real-world needs of the world of work, learning becomes more relevant and more motivating. This connection between classroom and workplace is crucial. It makes the digital transition not just a theoretical concept, but a lived experience, one where young people are active participants, not just passive recipients. 

As we mark World Youth Skills Day, one thing is clear: preparing young people for a digital agrifood future starts with preparing their teachers. When educators gain digital confidence, they pass it on, turning classrooms into springboards for innovation and opportunity.