Orange, in partnership with the European Union and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), announced the launch of the DigiGreen & Agri project, an ambitious initiative to promote digital innovation for a transition to a more sustainable and inclusive economy. The overall objective of this project is to contribute to the creation of decent jobs, support the development and financing of start-ups within the ecosystem and promote sustainable investments.
Initiated as part of the Team Europe Initiatives for sustainable cocoa and the low-carbon transition, the DigiGreen & Agri project focuses on the development of entrepreneurship, enhancing youth employability across the entire value chain of cocoa and sustainable agriculture, through digital technology. There will be a particular emphasis on youth in rural youth, women, girls and people with disabilities through the Orange Digital Centre in Côte d’Ivoire.
This ambitious partnership benefits from joint funding of €7.6 million and aims to achieve several strategic objectives:
- Improving professional skills: the project aims to strengthen the professional skills of young people and women in the digital sector by offering them new opportunities in the constantly changing labour market.
- Entrepreneurship promotion: DigiGreen & Agri will support the creation and strengthening of strong digital start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), thus fostering innovation and economic growth.
- Development of sustainable digital solutions: the partnership will strengthen the capacities of start-ups and MSMEs to develop and market innovative digital solutions, thus contributing to the modernisation and innovation of sustainable agriculture sectors, low-carbon transition and corporate social responsibility.
- Acceleration of the growth of seed start-ups: a seed fund will be dedicated to financing the most promising start-ups. Orange and GIZ will draw on the expertise of the Digital Africa programme to provide funding to start-ups in the ecosystem to enable them to develop their activities and accelerate their growth.
By working closely with local stakeholders, Orange, the European Union and GIZ are committed to supporting young talent, promoting entrepreneurship and catalysing economic development in the most vulnerable communities.
Orange and GIZ are collaborating under the develoPPP programme, which is implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The DigiGreen & Agri project is supported by the special initiative, Decent Employment for a Just Transition, and co-financed by the European Union.
Francesca Di Mauro, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, said:“I am delighted to attend the launch of this DigiGreen & Agri project, which places youth employability at the heart of its objectives, by proposing the development of new digital solutions for sustainable agriculture and the green economy and the creation of quality jobs. This project reflects the European desire to strengthen smart, clean and secure links in the digital sector, one of the pillars of the Global Gateway strategy.”