By Faridat Salifu
Countries around the world are increasingly turning to digital identities for farmers as part of broader efforts to modernize agriculture, improve subsidy management, and connect producers to markets.
In Moldova, the Digital National Farmers Register is set to become a nationwide system with support from the UNDP and European Union.
The three-year, €3 million (US$3.5 million) project aims to align the country’s agricultural sector with EU policies, modernize employment services, and expand access to agricultural jobs and support. Currently holding 20,000 records, the register’s expansion will assist farmers with subsidies and other services while integrating the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture.
India is also accelerating digital identification in agriculture. The state of Puducherry recently launched the Smart Farmer Identification Card (SFIC) as part of the national AgriStack initiative.
SFICs, which replace traditional ID booklets with QR-coded digital credentials, simplify access to loans, subsidies, and government programs. India aims to issue 110 million digital farmer IDs nationwide by the end of 2027, under support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Global innovations are increasingly using blockchain to secure farmer identities. Platforms such as Ztudium Group’s Citiesabc Impakt provide AI-driven weather and crop intelligence, digital wallets, and a global marketplace, all linked to verifiable digital IDs for farmers.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank’s AgroWeb3 project is piloting digital credentials for smallholders to manage economic and environmental assets, with full implementation expected by 2029.
Experts say digital IDs can transform agriculture by ensuring transparency, improving access to finance, and linking farmers to global markets.
As these systems expand, farmers worldwide could gain verified identities, smarter tools, and greater economic opportunities, marking a shift toward a digitally empowered agricultural ecosystem.