Digitalisation and sustainability convergence: leveraging artificial intelligence capabilities to enhance agri-food value chains' sustainability in Africa

The convergence of digitalisation and sustainability offers transformative potential for Africa's agrifood value chains. By employing structural equation modelling, this paper investigates the convergence of digitalisation and sustainability in Africa's agri-food value chains, including the mediating role of agrifood supply chain resilience. The critical role that Artificial Intelligence plays in enhancing food supply chain resilience in Africa is at the core of this study. This study employs a deductive research approach to achieve the research objective, drawing on established theories to guide the development of the conceptual model and hypotheses. The results underline the importance of AI-driven initiatives such as Farmers’ Yield Optimization, Food Retail Demand Prediction, Real-time Data Analysis, and Enhanced Supply Chain Administration in strengthening the resilience of agri-food supply chains. These findings suggest that investing in resilience-building measures can generate long-term benefits for the stability and sustainability of agri-food systems.