DIGITALISATION

AGRICULTURAL
The
digital
transformative INAFRICA
solutions forpotential of
agriculture INTERVIEW
Professor
emphasises
transform the systems
Frederike
food urgent
spore.cta.intPraasterink
need to TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
How will new initiatives help
women take advantage of the
Africa Continental Free Trade Area?

N°194 | September - November 2019

Digitalising
extension

SMARTFOR
SERVICES ADVISORY
FARMERS
A global perspective on agribusiness and sustainable agriculture
 Brussels
Development
Briefings
Sensitising the development community
on current and emerging ACP-EU policy
relating to rural development issues

www.brusselsbriefings.net

The Brussels Development Briefings are a joint initiative of CTA, European Commission (DG DEVCO),
the ACP Secretariat and ACP Group of Ambassadors, CONCORD and various media.
CONTENTS

EDITORIAL
N°194
Ensuring digitalisationisa
TRENDS
4|Decoding the potential of agricultural
digitalisation forceforgoodforAfrican
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
8|Vegetable gardens crop up inTrinidad
and Tobago
farming
9| Farmers' eyes in the sky in Côte d’Ivoire
Michael Hailu, director - CTA
SMART-TECH & INNOVATION
1011| SMS greenhouse farming
| Building Jamaica’s creditworthiness On 21 June, 2019, CTA was proud to launch The
with blockchain
Digitalisation of African Agriculture Report, produced
in collaboration with Dalberg Advisors, at the
CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE
1213| Reducingwater to raise riceyields AU-EU Agriculture Ministerial conference
| Stepping up climate-smart efforts in Rome. We have been pleased to see much
in Malawi
positive feedback, including on the report’s
INTERVIEWS timeliness, the usefulness of the information
14 | MurielleDiaco: thecirculareconomy to fill knowledge gaps and the opportunities for further interaction
hasalwaysbeenpresentinAfrica among various stakeholders in the sector.
16 | Frederike Praasterink: we need a The report paints a clear picture of the recent emergence of more
strategy that focuses on the
transformation of food systems than 390 digital solutions in African agriculture, as well as presenting
a geographical mapping of these applications and service providers,
including NGOs, governments, mobile network operators and other
17| Dossier commercial actors. Critically, the report provides a forecast for the
Agricultural extension: innovating advisory period 2025-2030 – a first for the sector.
services with ICTs In all, 17 institutions have worked together as part of an advisory
council to review different drafts of the report and provide feedback.
And the launch of the report at the 2019 African Green Revolution
Forum in Accra, Ghana, held in September, has provided an
29 |Agribusiness opportunity for interested partners to share experiences, and created
a space for future collaboration so that, together, we can move to
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES the next level in progressing the digitalisation for agriculture (D4Ag)
30 | Cottontransforms Mali’s textile sector
31 | Tanzania’s smallholders access agenda.
the potato snack market There is enormous potential for digitalisation to help achieve food
and nutrition security and resilience to climate change, as well as
AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS promote engagement of youth and women in agribusiness in Africa.
32 | Nigeria increases tomato production
with good practices
But this potential will not be fulfilled by chance. At such a defining
33 | Groundnut production boosts profits moment for this burgeoning market, we will only realise the true
for Zambian farmers benefit of D4Ag in Africa with strong, coordinated leadership.
One of the report’s key messages is that, up until now, D4Ag
34 | FINANCE & INSURANCE development has been mostly donor driven and rather piecemeal.
Making index-based insurance
profitable However, if these initiatives are to be scaled up and really have an
impact then collaboration is necessary to avoid duplication, and
36|TRADE & MARKETING investment must move from the public to private sector.
Fairtrade: a sweet deal for D4Ag in Africa now needs an alliance of governments, donors,
women farmers?
farmers, agribusinesses and international bodies partnering with big
38|BUSINESS LEADERS tech companies to support organisations on the ground that are well
Opportunities for women in Africa’s positioned to design products that directly serve farmers’ needs. From
free trade area trust and privacy to accessibility, a collaborative approach from all
interested parties would not only protect users and ensure fairness and
40 | PUBLICATIONS transparency, but ensure that technology is a force for good in Africa.

44|OPINION

COVER PICTURE: ©SIMON SCOTT/FARM RADIO INTERNATIONAL SPORE 194 | 3

TRENDS

D4AG REPORT

Decoding
agricultural
digitalisation in Africa
For the first time, a landmark report on digitalisation for agriculture
(D4Ag) in Africa compiles and highlights data on digital solutions
that are enabling the transformation of African agriculture.

Yanne Boloh and Susanna Cartmell-Thorp

A cross a continent where 80%

of food is still produced by
recent emergence of digital solutions
in African agriculture. It also presents
director Michael Hailu in a recent inter
view with Spore.
smallholder farmers, digital a baseline geographical mapping of
technologies and innovations are put these applications and service pro Abarometer of digital agriculture
ting Africa on the cusp of an exciting viders including NGOs, governments, The CTA/Dalberg report establishes a
new agricultural revolution. As high mobile network providers and other benchmark against which it will meas-
lighted in a study by CTA and Dalberg commercial actors, etc. Critically, as ure progress every year or every 2 years,
Advisors, which is providing the first well as surveying the D4Ag landscape, acting as a kind of barometer: what does
analysis of its kind, digitalisation is a and providing a valuable insight into the digital ecosystem in African agricul
game-changer. According to the study, the actual utilisation of digital solu ture look like, who are its main actors,
there are nearly 400 digital solutions tions in agriculture across the continent what impacts do different solutions
with 33 million smallholder farmers (mainly sub-Saharan Africa), the report have, what are their growth prospects,
registered across sub-Saharan Africa, also provides a forecast for the period who are their real users?
with an annual growth of around 45% 2025-2030 – a first for the agricultural In all, 17 institutions have worked
since 2012. Nevertheless, more than sector. The report thus shows what dig together as part of an advisory council
90% of the market for digital services ital solutions have achieved to date, sets to draw up a methodology, guide the
that support African smallholders out prospects for growth in the short and data collection and provide feedback
remains untapped, with a turnover of medium-term and, above all, analyses on the content. The report classifies
an estimated €127 million out of a total what could be achieved by reaching the digital solutions for agriculture into five
potential market of €2.3 billion. sector’s full potential. primary use categories (advisory ser-
These figures are just a taste of what As data quality improves, the report vices, market linkage, financial access,
is revealed in the Digitalisation of African notes that entrepreneurs developing supply chain management, and macro
Agriculture Report, prepared by CTA and new digital solutions for agriculture are agri-intelligence), subdivided into
Dalberg Advisors, which was launched growing exponentially. “In 2013, when secondary categories. In addition, the
in Rome, Italy, on 21 June, 2019 at the CTA organised a major international experts have proposed new terms,
AU-EU Agriculture Ministerial confer conference on ICTs for agriculture in such as middleware to describe the
ence and, in Africa, at the 2019 Africa Rwanda, there wasn’t much happening data infrastructure necessary for the
Green Revolution Forum in Accra, in this sector. But the past 5 or 6 years deployment of concrete digital solutions
Ghana. have seen a very significant increase (drones, weather stations, soil, pest and
The impressive report of more than in the number of new digital solutions crop diagnostics equipment, and field
200 pages paints a clear picture of the appearing on the market,” says CTA sensors).

4 | SPORE 194
 A new report highlights that Africa has an untapped market for digital services to transform agriculture

Christian Merz, senior advisor at line with the EU's Digital4Development – who often earn less than men – are left
the German development agency, and SDGs [Sustainable Development out. Yet digital solutions could increase
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Goals] agendas that we are proudly their capacity to increase production of
Zusammenarbeit, and member of the promoting.” higher quality produce and boost sales.
Report Advisory Council states that, Young people, on the other hand,
“This landmark report provides des- are over-represented among registered
perately needed intelligence on the users (70%), and digital technology can
“Digitalisation is a game
market of digital agriculture solutions in be a driver to attract or retain them in
sub-Saharan Africa. Stakeholders across changer in the transformation agriculture. At the same time, this figure
the sector including donors, govern- likely also indicates an important age
ments, investors but also implementers of small-scale agriculture but it divide that must be overcome in order
and solution providers need to under to engage the significant proportion of
stand size, character and coverage of the must be given the importance it farmers from older groups.
market to optimise interventions, select deserves in policies and Another striking trend highlighted
the best solution, define roll out and go by the analysis is that there are far
to market strategies etc.” investments” more registered users in Eastern Africa,
Leonard Mizzi, head of unit at the with Kenya leading the way, while
European Commission, Directorate paradoxically, there are more solu
General for International Cooperation Digital disparities tions in the West. Central and Southern
and Development agrees: “We are Despite some impressive achieve Africa remain less represented overall.
living in an era of unprecedented trans- ments in digital transformation, one of Nevertheless, despite the large num
formation and technological change. the key messages of the study’s analy ber of players that make up this young
Digitalisation can help stimulate inno sis confirms the digital divide regularly market, only 15 companies have reached
vation for sustainable agri-food systems denounced by experts: women are 1 million users or more, accounting for
and produce better and safer food while under-represented, accounting for only 70% of the 33 million registered farmers.
preserving natural resources and biodi a quarter of registered users of digital
versity. But we need to be conscious and solutions, while representing about Scaling up
support solutions that are sustainable half of the agricultural workforce in The report authors have focused on the
and that are tailored to countries’ needs, sub-Saharan Africa. Given that, in Africa, number of registered users, which is of
and embedded into conducive and 1MB of mobile data costs on average 10% interest to donors. But they do not over
broader innovation systems. This is in of the average monthly income, women look the reality of the situation, which ›

SPORE 194 | 5
 TRENDS

› is that the number of active users is far full potential, companies will now need The digitalisation of agriculture pro
lower. More than a third of users surveyed to focus on converting customer reach to vides agro-industry and governments
in the study said they used at least one actual use in order for this type of model with a better vision of their targets,
form of advanced technology (drones, to yield returns,” says Hailu. enabling them to better adapt their
field sensors, big data or machine learn- This report demonstrates the real products, services, policies and actions
ing) but only 40% admitted to using it potential of the digital sector for African in general. Goldman Sachs estimates
often, and very active users represent agriculture, and thus should convince that blockchain, for example, can lead to
no more than 10 to 20% of all those reg other potential partners who are reluc global savings of US$6 billion (€5.4 bil
istered. Yet, almost 60% of respondents tant to get involved. There has been real lion) per year in economic transactions.
stated that they expected to integrate progress in terms of performance and According to a 2018 study published
these types of technologies into their income, even if the data is still scarce. in the Journal of the British Blockchain
operations in the next 3 years. “We esti In order to provide a first set of data at a Association, the improved data traceabil
mate that 100 million small farmers will national level, CTA has therefore carried ity provided by an International Business
register with a digital or other service out more detailed analysis in Ethiopia, Machines Corporation blockchain plat
by 2020, and probably 200 million by Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal, form used by Walmart reduced the time
2030,” state the report authors. Within and some additional analysis in Kenya required to trace a mango's journey from
5 years, 87% of mobile phone users in and the Sahel. the tree to the supermarket from 7 days
sub-Saharan Africa should be connected The collection and analysis of all to 2.2 seconds (see https://tinyurl.com/
to mobile internet, the report claims. this data, and the successful projects y246sh2u).
“This report indicates that despite highlighted in the report, provide a Nevertheless, the CTA/Dalberg report
challenges, the economics of D4Ag is solid foundation for any individual or highlights that investment in digitali-
rapidly improving, with a handful of organisation in the agricultural and/ sation for agriculture to date has been
players beginning to develop viable, or technological sectors interested in isolated, scattered, and piecemeal, with
large-scale businesses. To reach their investing. This research raises awareness efforts to scale-up being unnecessar
of the challenges and opportunities of ily duplicated, causing inefficiencies
digital technology, not only in Africa, but and hampering large-scale, long-term
Digital technology can be a driver to attractor across the entire ACP region. growth. “While the opportunity is
retain young people in agriculture

6 | SPORE 194
immense, the report is not naïve about development of human resources, pub the underlying motivation for digital
the challenges that remain and the sig- lic infrastructure and regulations. “The isation: “If the data already collected,
nificant work required by agribusiness, recommendations for concrete actions standardised and analysed remains
governments, donors, and investors to to be implemented have the potential to in the hands and control of the few, it
maximise the transformative impacts transform the agricultural sector,” says defeats the whole purpose of digitalisa
of digital agriculture in years to come,” Ben Addom, one of the report authors, tion. It is only when the data is widely
states Michael Tsan, partner at Dalberg and head of CTA’s ICTs for Agriculture shared that newcomers do not have to
Advisors and co-leader of the firm’s team, pointing in particular at the need spend the same amount of time and
global Digital and Data Practice. to build an alliance of all stakeholders effort collecting the same kind of data.”
and to avoid duplication in effort. “Digitalisation is a game changer
The need for alloperators to be According to Enock Chikava, dep in the transformation of small-scale
involved uty director of the Bill & Melinda Gates agriculture but it must be given the
All of the achievements highlighted Foundation's Agricultural Development importance it deserves in policies
by this report show how important it is department, countries must start by and investments,” confirms Hailu.
for all stakeholders to invest in digital having a clear vision of their agriculture “Governments should consider digital
technology for agriculture, from donors and its potential for digitalisation. “Once isation as a priority area, as it can have
to major technology companies and the you have the vision, there is the need a strong impact on the transformation
agri-industry as a whole; investments for infrastructure. You cannot get into of agriculture, improving productivity,
in the sector started out with mainly digital agriculture if the infrastructure building resilience to climate change
donor-driven financing, but the private will not allow connectivity, so we need and creating opportunities for young
sector is now catching up. regulations and policies to attract private people and women. Governments
The study’s recommendations will be sector investment,” he said in an inter- should seriously consider the benefits
critical for the development of appropri- view with Spore. they could derive from digitalisation as
ate policies at national and regional, but However, Chikava does not shy away part of their strategies for transforming
also continental levels, as well as for the from reality, urging caution to respect agriculture.” ■

The way forward for D4Ag

4. Invest in the missing middleware infrastructure. Successful
As D4Ag develops, there is an opportunity to improve use D4Ag solutions require access to a wide range of data (from
and drive greater inclusivity and impact in Africa. But this must remote sensing data to farmer-specific data) in order to deliver
be done while actively managing the risks of digital tools, which high-quality services to farmers.
will require sector actors to make several major investments in Coordination between governments, donors, investors, farmers
the improvement of business models and, especially, the D4Ag and other interested parties will likely reduce duplication of efforts
ecosystem. As efforts are made to mainstream D4Ag, the following and result in higher-quality, efficient infrastructure that enterprises
recommendations from the CTA/Dalberg report are provided to can rely on across regions.
donors, governments and investors: 5. Invest in good data stewardship and design for the risks and
1. Develop human capital at every level of the D4Ag ecosystem limitations of digital systems.
The necessary growth in human capital includes increased Governments must design and implement approaches that
awareness of D4Ag, improved digital literacy and greater digital appropriately balance the need for good data stewardship with
skill-building among smallholder farmers and other actors across the desire not to overregulate and stifle D4Ag innovation.
the agricultural value chain as well as the capacity of government 6. Invest in the D4Ag knowledge agenda.
staff – particularly in relevant ministries – to understand how to We recommend knowledge investments in three major areas: how
use and deploy D4Ag solutions in various public initiatives. to design user-centric offerings that meet the needs of farmers, in
2. Drive greater business model sustainability. particular women and other under-served communities; research
Key to driving greater business modelsustainability will be improving to gather better market and business model intelligence to drive
value for farmers, identifying and promoting successful business models success in D4Ag; and research to gather more robust evidence on
and mobilising funding to supportamore diverse set of companies. the impact created by different use cases and business models.
3. Create greater impact by making D4Ag solutions more 7. Create an alliance of key D4Ag stakeholders to promote
inclusive of women, other marginalised groups, and smallholders greater investment, knowledge sharing and partnership building.
in regions with relatively less D4Ag investment. This alliance should be built as a partnership between
To achieve equitable growth, D4Ag needs to be more inclusive. governments, donors, international bodies, farmer organisations
Donors, in particular, can play a key role in catalysing greater and the private sector dedicated to advancing inclusive,
targeting of marginalised communities. sustainable D4Ag across Africa and beyond.

SPORE 194 | 7
ENTREPRENEURSHIP

URBAN FARMING

Vegetable gardens crop up in Trinidad

and Tobago
Student entrepreneur, Jameel Phillip, is creating adaptable food production systems in
the Caribbean by setting up small urban gardens that maximise production using space
saving designs.

Keron Bascombe

J Gardens
agriculture
ameel Phillip,
with
business
24,his up hisThumb
setGreen
fiancé, urban

Ciele
Williams, in September 2015. The com
pany combines sustainable agricultural
practices together with landscaping
principles to provide an aesthetic appeal
to home-based food production, whilst
helping to remove the stigma attached to
traditional farming.
As a geography and agriculture student
at the University of the West Indies (UWI),
Phillip undertook courses with the
Ministry of Agriculture in basic aquapon
ics and grow box production (a method In Trinidad and Tobago, entrepreneur Jameel Phillip
that uses partially or entirely closed, soil- is promoting food security through the
based or hydroponic systems maintained establishment of urban vegetable gardens
within a wooden box with equipment to
deliver optimal plant growth conditions). the clippings to use in our own garden as
Whilst completing his studies, Phillip natural mulch to keep down weeds, and
installed a 1 m2 kitchen garden on the 30 clients also prevent too much evaporation from
patio of his father-in-law’s townhouse. the soil so less water is needed daily,”
Within a brick frame, the small garden including schools, have established Phillip explains.
incorporated a mixture of sheep manure, vegetable gardens The company also works with other
compost, soil and sand for growing herbs local agribusinesses to support home
and vegetables such as basil, celery, chive, and purchase a larger tiller to maximise grown innovations. “I was introduced
dill, fennel, jalapenos and tomatoes. With time and productivity in the business,” to Mark Mica of Boissierre Greens
requests coming in from neighbours, says Phillip. YBTT partnered Phillip Earthworm Farm during an elective
Phillip began to build up his business. with mentor Rachel Renie of D’Market Vermicompost course at UWI in 2017,”
“We started with about three clients in Movers – an online delivery service of Phillip says. “Their soil is the best.
the first year and have grown to over fresh produce. “Rachel helped me to We also use their vermicompost and
30 clients, including schools,” Phillip understand what it means to do busi compost tea for our client’s gardens.
states. ness,” Phillip reveals. “She showed me Another regional product we use is Algas
To access financing, Phillip engaged how to set up and keep financial records, Organics which is an organic fertiliser
with Youth Business Trinidad and Tobago as well as how to manage clients.” made from sargassum seaweed.” For the
(YBTT) in 2016, which offers mentorship As well as other space-saving alter future, Phillip and Williams are looking
to young entrepreneurs. “I heard about natives, such as aquaponic systems that to start a programme to encourage their
the opportunity to pitch my business run along walls, Green Thumb provides clients to engage in composting utilising
to YBTT in order to qualify for a loan of vertical pots, which are used to grow their own food waste in their gardens,
$20,000 [€17,550], which was used to various leafy vegetables and herbs. “We and improve agricultural education
build a small office space, store stock, also do lawn maintenance so we collect beyond classrooms and backyards. ■

8 | SPORE 194
REMOTE MANAGEMENT

Farmers’ eyes in the sky in Côte d’Ivoire

Joseph-Olivier Biley founded drone start up WeFly Agri in January 2017 to
help farm and plantation owners regain control of their land.

Emmanuel Maduka

Joseph-Olivier
n
user-friendly,
Abidjan, Côtedrone-enabled
d’Ivoire,
Biley entrepreneur map more than 9,000 ha of land out cannot afford the service of an agron

I is providing

nologies to allow land and plantation

tech
side Abidjan. Once the plantations are
mapped, the drones are used to provide
images of farm evolution over time and
omist. With ScanLeaf, we turn their
phones into an agronomist and, with a
simple snap, they get immediate diag
owners to stay digitally connected to real-time weather reports. This infor nosis and good practices they have to
their farms. His company, WeFly Agri, mation, used in conjunction with aerial follow,” Biley explains. ScanLeaf has
delivers services such as interactive images of agriculture plots, is expected to been piloted with 1,542 cocoa farm
farm mapping, virtual reality (VR) farm help smallholders better access loans as ers and a further 46,000 farmers have
tours, and a remote employee monitor evidence of collateral. “Most smallholder recently signed up. As well as expand
ing tool to interact with employees on cooperatives are usually very traditional ing services across Côte d’Ivoire, the
the ground. Since the launch of WeFly in data collection which makes them start-up is also in discussions with
in 2017, drones have been used to survey lose financial opportunities,” says Biley. potential clients in Mali, Nigeria,
and monitor over 40,000 ha offarmland. To complement the drone services, Senegal and Togo. ■
Prior to the establishment of his com- WeFly has also developed a phone
pany, Biley’s father experienced issues of application called ScanLeaf, which In Côte d’Ivoire, entrepreneur
transparency and control on his rubber helps farmers diagnose and detect crop Joseph-Olivier Biley is providing a
farm which he managed from afar. The diseases. “The majority of small farmers variety of digital farming solutions
employees, who had been provided with using drone technology
fertilisers and other inputs, were found
to be using the supplies to start their own
plantations. Biley asked himself: “What
if my father could monitor his plantation
remotely?” To provide such a solution,
WeFly developed their employee moni
toring tool, which allows farm managers
to assign tasks digitally to their workers
using a centralised SMS system, whilst
receiving real-time information back
from employees regarding work pro
gress and task completion.
“Plantation owners typically sub
scribe to one interactive mapping a year,
and at least one VR tour per month. They
get to view their plantation from the
comfort of their home, on their laptop or
mobile phone from any location in the
world,” says Biley. Cashew nut farmer
Jean Kouame says, “Driving hours every
weekend became tiring. WeFly helped
me manage my plantation without
having to travel. It has brought confi
dence in my workers and improved my
production.”
WeFly is also working with a
3,000-member cocoa cooperative to

SPORE 194 | 9
SMART-TECH & INNOVATION

SMART GREENHOUSES

Kenyan farmers
optimise water use
with mobile phones
Remote monitoring of greenhouses is
allowing Kenyan smallholders to irrigate
their crops from afar and improve their
quality of life.

Toby Penrhys-Evans and Bob Koigi

ocally-built greenhouses and solar-powered sensors

L linked to a drip irrigation system are enabling Kenyan

farmers to efficiently manage water use on their crops. and only requested
The sensors, which are linked to farmers’ mobile phones via 10% deposit and
Smallholders are regulating their water supply
using solar-powered sensors linked to drip
irrigation systems and their mobile phones
SMS, regulate the water supply channelled through drip lines, recouped the
and also monitor temperature, humidity and soil moisture in balance over the
the greenhouse. The technology is reducing the labour required harvesting season. We now hope to bring on board financial
for manual irrigation and increasing crop yields. Nairobi-based institutions and government to scale this method.”
Illuminum Greenhouses is the company behind the innovation Recognising the need to continuously innovate and expand
and, since 2014, the agri-tech firm has built 1,200 greenhouses what it offers to farmers, Illuminum Greenhouses has devel
across Kenya with 5,500 smallholder farmers using the oped an updated version of the irrigation technology.
technology. “We have started building an online analytics inter
Wooden and metal greenhouses constructed by 5,000 face accessible via smartphones that will provide
the company are also helping to reduce the risk farmers have actionable insights on field conditions, water usage,
of crops succumbing to pests and disease when adopted warning indicators, diagnostics and other useful
grown without cover, and are enabling farmers to greenhouse information,” says Ngetich.
improve their productivity. “Greenhouses allow remote-monitoring Farmers’ lack of financial data often makes it
farmers to grow hybrid seeds (capsicum, cucum technology difficult for lenders to credit score them. To bridge
bers and tomatoes) that have a longer harvest period this funding gap, Ngetich is looking to develop a new
and up to four times greater yield compared to open credit-scoring approach using the Illuminum technol
field seeds. This massive increase in yield over a small grow ogy. “Farmers may not have financial footprints, but they
ing area with less risk exposure to pests and diseases results have data from our sensors which lending partners can use to
in increased revenue to the farmer,” explains Taita Ngetich, credit score these farmers. By sharing data on irrigation pat
cofounder and chief of operations for Illuminum Greenhouses. terns, yield harvested per season, price per kilo of produce
“The average cost of an 8 m by 30 m metallic greenhouse fully harvested, historical weather patterns and farming records,
equipped with drip technologies, installation, and greenhouse we believe we can have a credit score,” he says.
farming training, costs US$4,500 [€4,000], while the average Illuminum Greenhouses was one of four winners of the CTA
income of smallholder farmers per year is about US$2,000 Agrihack 2018 competition – which supports young entre
[€1,800],” says Ngetich. To make the structures affordable and preneurs in ICTs for agriculture – that each received a prize
avoid paying the total cost upfront, the company has created of €7,500. “The [online analytics] system will capitalise on
an asset finance mechanism – taking the constructed green Kenya’s strong smartphone adoption, as 83% of the country’s
house and the crops grown as security. “In this way, farmers internet penetration was through smartphones in 2017. This
pay up to 20% of the total value instead of the entire amount [development of the platform] has been made possible by CTA
and we structure the repayment to match with their harvest- which is funding this development and will allow farmers to
ing cycles,” explains Ngetich. “We proved this works over 2017 access big data and machine-learning technologies,” states
and 2018, where we constructed greenhouses for 345 farmers Ngetich. ■

10 | SPORE 194
FARMING INVESTMENT Soilless growing
New hydroponics
Building Jamaica’s credit IN JAMAICA, a new hydroponics
system, dubbed ‘Roottube’, has
worthiness with blockchain been developed to make the
production of root tubers, such
as yams and Irish potatoes
Pioneering technology in the Caribbean is aiming to help more labour-friendly, financially
rewarding, efficient and sustainable
financial institutions make better farming investment than traditional farming methods.
decisions in order to provide unbanked farmers with credit. “Standing pipes house the tuber as
it grows and allow them to have a
uniform shape,” says Yanque Yip,
Natalie Dookie entrepreneur and CEO at TSOTARE
Agricultural Innovators – the
company behind the innovation.
n a first for the Caribbean, blockchain The profile information will be sourced “The system protects the yams

I ate an alternative
technology be used
will sooncredit score

Jamaican farmers who want to increase

to cre
for
from verified business transactions, as
well as through third-party partnerships
with suppliers, distributors and con-
from drought, excess rain, praedial
larceny, pests and disease,” he
continues. In April 2019, Yip received
their bankability. The technology will sumers, so the farmers will not have to a financial boost to jump-start
store farmer records and create profiles provide any data themselves. “It means his venture after topping the
using information regarding farm reve that once a farmer is ready to get a loan Democratizing Innovation in the
nue, expenses and profitability to create at a bank, it’s a much easier process Americas Urban Lab programme
secure digital ledgers. Farm Credibly is for them because, suddenly, they have held by The Trust for the Americas.
the pioneering start-up behind the sys- a track record,” explains Varun Baker,
tem, which collects and evaluates the Farm Credibly’s CEO. And, while the
farmer data. farmers’ personal details and transac
Most small farmers in the Caribbean tions will be protected, a public, trusted
find it challenging to access credit operational track record will be created. Green surfing
because the majority offarming activities A winner of CTA’s Pitch AgriHack in
are paid for using cash and so, typically, 2018, Farm Credibly used the award Planting trees
there is no paper trail to validate a farm money to enable the company to launch
er’s economic activity. However, using a pilot project in August 2019 to assist AN INTERNET search engine run
the profiles and credit scores made 10 farmers to expand their Scotch Bonnet by a German start-up has planted
available on the Farm Credibly website, chilli pepper production. The pilot, which 50 million trees in 16 countries,
financial institutions will be able to is also supported by a grant from the financed by using 80% of their
establish a farmers’ creditworthiness. Development Bank of Jamaica, aims to profits from advertising. Ecosia,
facilitate farmers’ access to micro-loans founded in 2009 by Christian
through its blockchain platform. Through Kroll, claims to have removed
the same platform, Farm Credibly will the equivalent of 2.5 million tof
simultaneously launch an accrued fund CO
direct
2
from theofatmosphere
result as a
their reforestation
ing option, whereby individual investors
can view farmer profiles, and directly work and to be on target to plant
invest in the Scotch Bonnet farms. 100 million trees by the end of 2019.
“To date, Farm Credibly has “If we’re to stop the world heating
access to a database of more than above the 1.5°C warned about
200,000 registered farmers, and we are in the IPCC [Intergovernmental
embarking on an engagement with the Panel on Climate Change] report,
Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters we need to plant trees at scale,”
Associat-ion, which will greatly enrich says Kroll. One of the company’s
our credit scoring,” Baker continues. 20 partners worldwide is the Jane
After the company’s pilot is completed Goodhall Institute in Uganda where
towards the end of 2020, Baker antic- 250,000 trees have been planted,
In Jamaica, a pioneering start-up is using ipates that more farmers and financial some creating corridors to allow
blockchain technology to create profiles and institutions will be attracted to the plat chimpanzees safe passage between
credit scores for farmers form. ■ forest patches.

SPORE 194 | 11
CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE

CONSERVING NATURAL RESOURCES

Reducing water raises rice yields

in Tanzania
After enduring recurring spells of drought, floods and poor harvests, Tanzanian farmers
are taking up climate-smart skills to bolster farming efficiency.

Kizito Shigela

long
n
events
Tanzania,
experienced
are harnessing
rice farmers
extreme
climate-smart
who
weather
have entails transplanting 8-10-day-old In the highland areas of Morogoro,

I
agricultural techniques to boost their
paddy seedlings instead of waiting for
30 days to plant them to improve crop
rooting. Kassim says that planting fewer
contour bunds have been used to prevent
soil erosion and promote water reten-
tion. Farmers have received training in
yields, whilst curbing environmental seeds than usual, and keeping the paddy how to lay contour lines, dig trenches
degradation. Under a 5-year project plants alternately wet and dry rather and produce pineapple trees to provide
dubbed Strengthening the Capacity than draining the field, allows plants to reinforcement for the bunds; pineapple
for Climate Change Adaptation get more oxygen. This practice reduces production also provides an alternative
through Sustainable Land and Water competition among the plants, while source of income. With the skills acquired
Management, farmers in the Morogoro controlling the water each seedling through the project, 47-year-old Hamisi
region are adopting innovative tech receives to condition them to thrive Jaka is able to prevent soil erosion on his
niques to prevent soilerosion, and reduce in both wet and dry conditions – thus farm. With a hand hoe, he creates contour
their water and wood requirements. The increasing their resilience to drought ridges known in Swahili as fanya chini to
project, which started in 2016, is run by and floods. Kassim says that her harvest slow down the flow of water from the hill.
Sokoine University of Agriculture with in 2019 will be her best in more than a “I am not worried at all about the floods;
support from FAO. decade and that she will reap the fruits the risk of my crops being washed away is
Mwajuma Kassim is a rice farmer of her labour 3 weeks earlier than usual. minimal,” he states.
and project beneficiary in Kidugalo Mwanaidi Msungu, another farmer To reduce deforestation and increase
village, eastern Morogoro, where more in the same village who is applying the climate resilience, the initiative is
than 3,000 farmers have adopted the SRI technique on her 4 ha farm, explains also encouraging farmers to switch to
System of Rice Intensification (SRI) – a that she was a laughing stock when she energy-saving stoves that are more effi
technique of growing more rice with started applying the method 2 years ago. cient than traditional cooking methods,
less water and fewer seeds. The method “Those who were laughing at me are and use less firewood. Tanzania has
now the ones who beg me to teach them. one of the highest rates of deforesta
To increase climate resilience in Tanzania, rice I have reaped 57 bags of rice in 2019. I tion in sub-Saharan Africa, with about
farmers are adopting sustainable land and water hardly got 15 bags when using the tradi 372,000 ha of forests destroyed every
management techniques tional method,” she says. year, according to FAO’s 2015 Global
Forests Resources Assessment. “Trees are key
to protecting soil from erosion, purifying
the air and water, and reducing climate
change, but many are lost as demand for
wood increases,” says Godfrey Pyumpa, a
district water engineer involved in imple
menting the project. “We encourage local
residents to plant trees and they have
responded positively in that regard,” he
continues, explaining that so far, around
200 farmers have planted 4,308 tree
seedlings of different species. The hard
wood and fruit tree nurseries provide the
means for future energy consumption,
but also a means for economic growth
and food security. ■

12 | SPORE 194
Sustainable DIGITAL FORECASTS

learning
Stepping up climate
Greenhouse gas
inventory smart efforts in Malawi
A FREE E-LEARNING COURSE launched
in March 2019 provides the knowledge To help the growing number of Malawians effected by
required to build a sustainable national droughts, floods and emerging pests and diseases, a climate
greenhouse gas inventory (NGHGI) and
assess GHG emissions and removals resilience project is scaling out tailored weather technologies
from the land use sector. It is aimed at and advisory services to smallholders.
staff in relevantagencies tasked with
the preparation of the NGHGI, and allows
attendees to understand, among other
topics, the enhanced transparency Busani Bafana
framework of the Paris Agreement.
Developed by FAO, the course reflects the
goal of the United Nations Framework eather-based index insur-
Convention on Climate Change to tackle
global warming, as well as the guidelines
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
W ance, drought tolerant seeds
and ICT-enabled weather
information services are some of the
Change to provide an updated and approaches and technologies that are
sound scientific basis for supporting the being promoted and scaled up through
preparation and continuous improvement a climate-resilience project in Malawi.
of NGHGI’s. With the support of CTA, the National
Smallholder Farmers Association of
For more information visit: Malawi (NASFAM) has been implement
https://tinyurl.com/yymeorkd ing the Scaling-Up Climate-Resilient Farmers in Malawi are increasing their maize
Solutions (CRS) project since 2017, and yields using drought-tolerant seed varieties and
has so far reached 65,000 farmers, most conservation agriculture techniques
of them women.
Resilient rice Across the five project districts example, planting when the rains are
of Mchinji, Mzimba, Nkhota Kota, anticipated.
Drought resistant Ntchisi and Zomba, CRS developed a The availability of drought-tolerant
prototype weather-based insurance maize at farmer level in Malawi is low,
farming index to demonstrate the benefits of with most agro-dealers operating in
weather-based insurance to smallhold urban areas far from smallholder villages.
AN INNOVATIVE research programme in ers. “It has the potential to build the To address this issue, NASFAM has inten-
Madagascar has led to the selection of resilience of smallholder farmers by sified seed fairs at the village level, which
a rice variety, Fofifa 182, which produces providing a pay-out in bad years to help have also demonstrated the demand
0.5 t/h higher yields than traditional seeds, farmers survive and protect their assets. for seed varieties to local agro-dealers
and is better adapted to drought. Over the And through the promotion of drought and seed companies. Since 2017, over
last 2 years, 40 farmers have collaborated resistant seeds, we ensure seed availabil 4,100 smallholder farmers have attended
with researchers of the Altitude Production ity to smallholder farmers at affordable the seed fairs which are held each year.
System and Sustainability at the Ministry prices, and sustain seed demand among Farmers are also receiving training
of Agriculture, and agronomists of the them,” says Wycliffe Kumwenda, head in conservation agriculture techniques,
Direct Seedling Grouping of Madagascar of NASFAM’s farm services unit. which is helping to enhance their
to test about 50 varieties of upland Also helping to increase the climate productivity. “I started practising con-
rice in the Madagascan highlands. The resilience of the farmers are tailored servation agriculture in 2013 when I saw
different varieties are cultivated under real weather forecasts and agricultural advi a drop in my soil fertility. The use of holes
conditions by smallholders who evaluate sory services relating to specific crops dug in the ground and mulching helped
the plants according to precise criteria: and locations, which are sent to farm me improve my yields. I used to harvest
size of the plants, productivity, adaptation ers through their mobile phones. Once 15 bags (50 kg) of maize from my plot;
to climate change, shape and taste, size digitally registered with the project, the now I have 40 bags,” says Mtonga, who
of grains, and tolerance to weeds and farmers can use the information received also grows drought-tolerant groundnuts
diseases. to sequence their cropping activities, for and pigeon peas on her 8 ha plot. ■

SPORE 194 | 13
INTERVIEWS

FREDERIKE PRAASTERINK

“We need a strategy

that focuses on the
transformation of
food systems”
Professor Frederike Praasterink is a lecturer in sustainability and future
food systems in the Netherlands. She strongly believes that leadership at
the local level is needed to transform food systems.

Susanna Cartmell

There is no time to lose. The global the efficient use of resources, etc. But How do you define and describe transfor
population is increasing and climate intensification has brought biodiversity mation of food systems?
change is impacting on the world’s loss and soil degradation, and this, in Our team at the Future Food Systems
ability to feed itself. At the same time, the face of a global malnutrition prob- professorship, a research group at HAS
nutrition problems remain with too lem where one in every three citizens University of Applied Sciences, has
many people malnourished and many worldwide suffers from one of its forms: been working for some years on defin-
others over nourished and obese. It is too much, too little, or the double bur- ing the transformation of food systems.
time to rethink the global food system. den of too many calories but too little We work on this in collaboration with a
Professor Praasterink gives her insight micronutrients. Dutch foundation called the Transition
into what she feels needs to be done. So now the world is slowly becoming Coalition Food – an organisation of more
aware that, in addition to sustainable than 150 businesses, NGOs, govern-
The world faces a huge challenge to feed intensification, we also need a strategy ments, and knowledge and education
a growing population in a time of climate that focuses on transformation of food institutes. The coalition was formed
change and environmental degradation. systems toward a sustainable and resil about 3 years ago, and is actually a
Surely, without a healthy world, it is not sur ient state. Preserving our ecosystems ‘bottom-up movement’ based on a col
prising that too many have unhealthy diets? as well as the health and wellbeing of lective feeling of urgency that something
That is right, and the increases in food people, and reaching the Sustainable needed to be done in addition to what
production needed to feed a growing Development Goals, really is dependent we already do in the ‘usual’ innovation
and wealthier population cannot be on a structural transformation of the programmes.
achieved by simply extrapolating our food system – making it ‘net positive’ So, we have defined transformation
current production and consumption rather than ‘less bad’. of food systems in a number of transi-
trends. This would undermine the very I am pleased to see that a growing num tion paths; one focuses on redesigning
resource base on which the food system ber of organisations, including FAO, the agricultural production systems towards
itself depends. If you look at the world’s World Business Council for Sustainable more diversified agro-ecological produc
strategies for food production, we have Development and also our own Dutch tion systems that are climate resilient, for
been focusing quite a bit on sustaina- Ministry of Agriculture, have adopted, or example, growing polycultures (a diver
ble intensification and still do, which have programmes and activities on, the sity of crops) rather than monocultures
concerns producing more with less and strategy of transforming food systems. to regenerate soils and biodiversity. And

14 | SPORE 194
 Professor Frederike Praasterink emphasises the
need for coalitions as part of the strategy for
transforming food systems

food system problems like biodiversity

loss. These paradigms are, for example,
productionism, profit maximisation, and
a disconnection from food and nature.
Leverage points can be on all these sys-
tem levels, but changing the paradigms
is really transformative.

You are building this movement, but

would you say it is very much a Western ap
proach or is it happening on a more global
scale?
I think it is happening on a global
scale. And interestingly, the younger
generations, for example our students
here at my university, really understand
the challenge that we face, and want to
be part of the solution. Look at the cli-
mate marches. So I am very hopeful that
there may be a ‘silent revolution’ of the
circular production, for example, by using usually work with groups of people that younger generations that will lead us all
food waste streams as feed for animals, or are involved in the field to make a food to sustainability.
by using edible insects like black soldier systems analysis. We look at the pri But we have very little time and we are
fly larvae that upcycle organic waste to ority issues, the patterns of behaviour already exceeding a number of planetary
high quality proteins and fats. that cause them, the underlying struc boundaries from our food system. We
Another transition path is on food tures and the paradigms that make the are contributing a quarter more green
consumption, which involves moving problems persist. This sounds all a bit house gases from agriculture and food
towards sustainable diets that consist of conceptual but, in fact, it is very practi than from other sectors, so clearly, we
much more plant-based foods, including cal when applied to a specific situation need to do something more radical than
plant proteins. These sustainable diets or theme. This results in a series of inter what is happening currently. However,
should also help work towards more ventions that could be applied in the transition starts with awareness that
preventive healthcare, through food, the short, medium and longer-term. food systems are related to other issues;
food environment and lifestyle. For example, we organised a master climate and food and water security, for
We also work on business models class at the beginning of 2019, with instance, are all inter-related so we can
based on true cost accounting, which highly motivated students from different not just apply a quick-fix or a technology
includes the hidden cost of our food, courses as part of an honours programme push.
cost forand
sions, loss healthcare
of biodiversity,
costs
CO2due
emis and in cooperation with a national Worldwide, the food system needs
to foundation on food waste. Instead of to be changed and Western countries
unhealthy lifestyles. A team of seven of looking at food waste as the problem, we maybe need to change the most. Dietary
our students are currently undertaking looked at food waste as the symptom of patterns are an example – reducing meat
a very interesting assessment of the an unsustainable system. So, instead of consumption and eating more fruit and
perceptions in our agri-food sector on focusing on what to do with food waste, vegetables are simple things, but very
true cost accounting and how it can be we looked at why food waste happens effective for the global system.
applied. again and again – what are the struc To adopt the strategy of transform
tures, patterns, models and paradigms ing food systems, we need to work in
And what exactly do you mean by a sys of the food system that continue to cause coalitions. And we need leadership to
tems approach? food waste at various levels. This led to transform food systems, both formal
With our systems approach we look an intervention that did not just target leaders like presidents, policymakers or
at the food system as a whole, not just the re-use of waste, but also, the under- captains of industry, as well as ordinary
chains, to define intervention strategies lying patterns. The interesting thing is people as leaders in their community
that would help reduce specific prob- that, when you work on the paradigms or circles of influence. Never underesti
lems, such as food waste and losses. We of food waste, you realise that they are mate how your sustainable choices can
have developed a number of steps, and actually similar to the paradigms of other contribute to big change. ■

SPORE 194 | 15
INTERVIEWS

Murielle Diaco

The circular
economy in Africa
Launched in 2016, the Djouman platform brings together African start-ups
and investors looking to initiate joint innovation projects. Managing director
of the platform, Murielle Diaco, explains the company’s objectives.

Vincent Defait

Through her company, are therefore starting to imitate eco to enable young people to shoulder the
Djouman, Murielle Diaco system models instead of monoculture responsibility of sustainability by creating
is building youth models. In Burkina Faso, for example, their own income-generating activities
capacities in associations and small enterprises have through entrepreneurship. Towards this
agroecology and green developed agroecology projects, where end, we are building youth capacities in
entrepreneurship for a they have combined traditional skills agroecology and green entrepreneurship
more sustainable future with innovative methods that reuse through AgroBootCamp training centres.
production residues to make improved
The circular economy may seem rath compost or treat crops. In Benin, the Consumers are beginning to make more
er nascent across the continent; do you feel Jardins de l’Espoir (Gardens of Hope) ethical decisions, which is driving change in
that the pace of development towards a more – an incubator of agriculture projects agribusiness to be more sustainable and use
sustainable future is fast enough? with educational demonstration farms resources more efficiently, but how can poli
The circular economy has always been – has developed a compost made from cymakers also support this?
presentin Africa, through many practices, rice residues called BOKASHI. In South Policymakers are aware that we cannot
such as the sparing use of raw materials, Africa, initiatives are underway to continue to exhaust all the resources, for
the reuse of products, and ‘tontines’ (eco ensure food security in shanty towns example, through ultra-intensive farming.
nomic cooperatives), which are part of where people grow their own produce. The move to action, however, is slow. At
the participatory economy for promoting Djouman, we are encouraging the crea
the sharing of knowledge and services. What inspired you to launch Djouman and tion of regulatory frameworks that force
Africa is leaning towards a ‘Westernised’ how do you see the future of your company? industrialists to take greater account of
consumerist economy and starting mass My main motivation was to help their impact. We know consumer pressure
production, with enormous internal and Africans to be self-sufficient. I was on major brands, forcing change, works,
external pressure on African popula- spurred on by the many projects aimed so we need to call on civil society players
tions and their leaders to consume more, at creating greater sustainable develop in order to put forth proposals and per
and in a linear fashion. The challenge ment in Africa. These projects, however, suade policymakers to impose restrictive
is presenting other, more inclusive and are limited because they lack connec- frameworks. Without restrictions, nothing
sustainable models of development, as tions to global networks, financing and will happen.
people get the impression they are being skills. The idea of Djouman is therefore In addition, we need to shed light on
prevented from attaining what developed to bring all that to the players who are responsible and sustainable initiatives
countries possess. At ACEN – the Africa already doing interesting things in the that work well, such as ‘green businesses’
Circular Economy Network – we explain field; we want to develop a network in which have minimal negative impacts on
that development involves drawing on sub-Saharan Africa between countries the global or local environment, society
what we already know how to do. with relatively similar development and the economy. We need to create dia-
problems, so they can learn from one logue between all stakeholders – private
Where do you see the most exciting exam- another. and public sectors, associations – to find
ples related to agribusiness? Concerning our vision for the future, we solutions for how to transition towards
We are seeing many permaculture also made the decision to engage in youth increasing such enterprises to achieve sus
and agroecology projects emerge. We training projects. At Djouman, we want tainable development. ■

16 | SPORE 194
 Dossier

ENHANCING
AGRICULTURAL
EXTENSION
WITH ICTS
To enable smallholder farmers to improve production,
reduce crop loss and ultimately increase productivity, it’s
crucial to transform agricultural extension services through
impactful decision-support tools and digital know-how.
ANALYSIS

DIGITALISING EXTENSION

Supporting advisory
services for smart
farming
Digitalisation is improving the
agricultural extension system by
providing services at the right time, and
facilitating adoption of new agronomic
practices, resulting in yield improvements
and higher incomes for farming
households.

Tiane Cline

raditionally, small-scale farmers Village-level extension via video Agriculture’s vast national extension sys-

T make decisions based on their

own experiences, influenced by
conventional practices and collective
According to the International Food
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in
Ethiopia video as a form of agricultural
tem; more than 60,000 extension agents
are tasked with reaching 60 million
farmers.
knowledge, but this does not necessar extension reaches 24% more farmers Digital Green’s videos feature local
ily translate into productivity or profit. when compared to other kinds of agri community members sharing testimo-
“Hands-on extension services, ranging cultural extension; and extension agents nials or demonstrating a practice. “By
from soil preparation, irrigation sched using video make greater efforts to visit enabling rural community members to
uling, selecting resistant cultivars and farms and provide follow-up advice play an active role in creating and shap
integrated pest management strategies than those who do not. ing content, Digital Green gives even
in Africa's agriculture sector is cru “This IFPRI study led to the develop isolated communities a voice,” adds
cial because the potential to safeguard ment of our video-enabled approach, Gandhi. Village-level extension agents
global food security is lurking, but the which, in a controlled evaluation, was (trained by Digital Green) screen the vid
infrastructure, skill and social devel found to be seven times more effective in eos among groups of 20-25 farmers using
opment do not yet exist to unlock such terms of adoption of new practices, and battery-operated, mobile projectors.
potential,” explains Marili Mouton, an 10 times more effective on a cost-per Mediators facilitate the screening, engage
agronomist working in South Africa. adoption basis,” explains Rikin Gandhi, the audience in discussion, answer ques
If Africa’s agriculture sector is to Digital Green’s executive director. Digital tions, capture feedback and motivate the
be transformed, Mouton believes that Green was launched in India in 2008 as community to adopt the featured practice.
smarter ways of working are needed and a non-profit to work with smallholder For Digital Green, data is key – the
the answer lies in innovating extension farmers. In 2011, the organisation started extension agents who screen the videos
services with ICTs. to work in Ethiopia with the Ministry of capture the number of viewers reached,

18 | SPORE 194
 RiceAdvice, a bilingual Android app, is providing extension agents and smallholder farmers in Mali,
Nigeria and Senegal with field-specific recommendations

their questions and interests, and the as well as mobile app-based training and suited to smallholder farmers, as infor
number who apply the featured practice. quality assurance for extension workers. mation is primarily broadcast to the
Analysis of this data and feedback inform “We now incorporate digital technologies masses and not necessarily in minor
the production and distribution of the next such as interactive voice response (IVR) ity languages. This is something the
set of videos in an iterative cycle that pro and SMS to deliver complementary or Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable
gressively addresses communities’ needs. reinforcing messages,” says Gandhi. Agriculture (SFSA) sought to change
Since 2009, Digital Green has facilitated through their innovative partnership
production of more than 6,000 localised with Kilimo Media International in
Over 6,000 videos in videos in 50 Ethiopian languages and Kenya.
multiple languages dialects, which have been screened by “Broadcasting in Swahili is not good
17,000 frontline workers to reach more enough,” explains Paul Castle, SFSA
than 2 million rural households. “We communications manager, “which is
screened to 2 million believe that, with recent developments why SFSA decided to broadcast Kenyan
rural Ethiopian in technology, it is possible to provide farm advice in vernacular languages like
more nuanced solutions to farmers if the Borana, Kimeru, Kikamba, Kimaasai and
potential of these technologies is used Kikuyu.” By working with vernacular
households since 2009 more effectively,” says Gandhi. radio stations, SFSA has found radio to be
an innovative and cost-effective medium
While video remains at the centre of Reaching out with radio for agricultural extension. “You don’t
Digital Green’s extension approach, the As a medium for agricultural exten- need to read and write, or have internet
company is now exploring mobile app sion, radio is easily accessible and connectivity or even a TV. Thanks to
based solutions to link farmers to markets affordable. However, it is not always mobile phones, radio has become a lot ›

SPORE 194 | 19
 ANALYSIS

Using an interactive approach integrating radio,

› more democratic. Listeners can send there are people listening in via the mobile phones and apps, Farm Radio
in messages using their phones and the internet in Uganda and even southern International is providing trusted information to
agricultural extension officers we work Ethiopia,” Castle explains. farmers to improve agricultural practices
with agree – it is a way for them to reach
a wider audience,” adds Castle. Going mobile Enter RiceAdvice, a bilingual Android
To allow farmers to ask further, While radio plays an important role app that gives NGOs, extension agents
contextually-relevant questions, SFSA in advancing agricultural extension in and smallholder farmers in Mali,
has also established listener groups who Africa, mobile is also key. Yet, according Nigeria and Senegal direct access
meet with an extension officer after to a 2018 study from the Pew Research to field-specific recommendations.
a radio broadcast. Planning meetings Centre, sub-Saharan Africa still has Providing essential information at the
are also held with extension officers, the lowest smartphone penetration start of each season, RiceAdvice also
and other agricultural experts. “This is compared to the rest of the world. For gives advice on key in-season practices
a new approach for these stations that companies using smartphone applica like fertiliser application and weeding.
were essentially previously only play tions to extend agricultural extension As many rice farmers may not own a
ing music,” says Castle. “These stations services, connectivity remains a barrier smartphone, agricultural extension
have essentially set up their own agri to entry. officers (also often farmers themselves)
cultural calendars but they also have to provide farmers with RiceAdvice rec
react flexibly if there is a sudden threat ommendations after entering detailed
(like drought). And, in this way, radio
Farmers using the information such as rice-growing
can be quite innovative and create real RiceAdvice app showed conditions, variety, typical practices,
impact.” expected sowing date, fertiliser availa-
The results speak for themselves – average yield gains of bility, market price, etc.
the amount of people calling in to radio “Filling in the data is fairly easy as
shows rose from 0.03% to 29% and 0.6 to 1.8 t/ha the questions are framed in such a
radio listenership rose from 59% to 96% way that they are easy to answer. Once
within 3 years. Interestingly, the num In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of this information is filled in, exten-
bers show that these small stations also households growing rice in irrigated and sion officers can help smallholder rice
reached a far larger catchment area than rain-fed lowland is estimated at around farmers to set yield targets based on
SFSA had originally planned: “Because 4.7 million. Yet rice productivity is low their available budget or desired/rec
they’re broadcasting in languages which due to sub-optimal crop management ommended production levels. Once
are spoken on both sides of the border, practices by smallholder farmers. farmers get used to smartphones and

20 | SPORE 194
can use RiceAdvice, they’ll have direct middle man by providing smallholder
access to field-specific recommen- farmers a market for their produce, Participatoryvideo for
dations,” says Dr Kazuki Saito, an as well as technologies and strategies extension
AfricaRice agronomist. to improve production. Farmers are
RiceAdvice is based on research divided into groups of 10-200 farmers Digital Greenis producing and
repackaged into a format that is both within a neighbourhood or community, sharing agricultural videos to
and assigned an Ojay Greene agrono- extend advisory services in
useful and accessible for farmers. Face-
Ethiopia
to-face interviews and post-harvest mist. Agronomists use a combination
surveys are then used to improve the of community-based meetings during
app. Rice farming guidelines are newly their visits as well as SMS to commu- The challenge:
generated each season in order to remain nicate with farmers about production,
as accurate as possible, so although the inputs, and disease control, among
app can be used offline, internet access other issues, throughout all stages of
is required to get the latest updates. the farming process as Ojay Greene
“Traditional blanket recommen- requires that the farmers remain in fre
dations for soil fertility management quent communication with them. “It’s
60,000 extension agents:
practices have been introduced to rice not just about enriching the commu
60 million farmers
farmers. However, these blanket rec nity, it’s about enriching a continent,
ommendations have not been updated changing the landscape of sub-Saharan
regularly, and are therefore quickly Africa and feeding the world,” ends
The solution:
outdated,” explains Saito. In a 2015- Ondachi. By 2020, Ojay Greene hopes
2017 trial conducted in Mali, Nigeria and to reach 20,000 farms across Kenya and
Senegal, farmers using the RiceAdvice is looking to expand into neighbouring
app showed average yield gains of 0.6 to countries.
1.8 t/ha. Videos shown to groups of
In fact, most farmers who used National level extension farmers using battery-operated,
RiceAdvice reported increased yields In Ghana, 59% of the country's work mobile projectors
and incomes, and reduced fertiliser use. force are involved in agriculture in some
“Studies by AfricaRice have shown that, way. Yet one of the biggest challenges
compared to farmer practices, adop that the country faces is educating its The impact:
tion of RiceAdvice recommendations smallholder farmers. To bridge the gap
can increase rice yield by about 20%, between agricultural extension agents
leading to an increase in profitability and farmers, Ghana implemented
of about US$200 [€180] per hectare a national e-agriculture system in
per season,” ends Saito. RiceAdvice is 2011 through its Ministry of Food and 6,000 localised
videos in 50 languages and
reaching around 10,000 farmers each Agriculture.
dialects
season. The platform enables farmers,
processors and other stakeholders
Capitalising on capacity to exchange opinions and resources
strengthening relating to agriculture. The platform
Enhancing digital and face-to-face includes three elements. The first is
More than 2 million rural
agricultural extension to farmers known as ‘e-Farm Information’, where
households reached
through training is something that fresh farmers can use the e-agriculture call
produce delivery service, Ojay Greene, centre facility – at no cost – to find
is working towards. Founded by Yvette out best farming practices in local lan-
Ondachi, a Kenyan scientist, her busi guages. There’s also an e-Learning and
ness is on a social mission to increase Resource Centre, which provides useful
the income of smallholder farmers. information for all actors in the agri Approach is 10x more
“Farmers work the hardest in this coun- cultural value chain. Finally, extension cost-eective than traditional
try. It’s so sad to work so hard and not officers are equipped with digital tools extension
get a return. Year in, year out, they’re to collect farm and farmer data through
doing the same thing… Ojay Greene is digital tools to help provide enhanced
about improving productivity but also advice to farmers.
bringing together and enriching com- In Côte d'Ivoire, with support from
munities,” emphasises Ondachi. the World Bank, the National Agency
Ojay Greene produces and sources for Support to Rural Development Adoption of better farm practices
fresh fruits and vegetables from small created an electronic agricultural increased 7-fold
holder farmers to sell to supermarkets, extension services system in 2018 to
restaurants and hotels in urban areas. reach as many farmers as possible, even
SOURCE: DIGITAL GREEN
The Kenyan company cuts out the those in remote areas, to improve farm ›

SPORE 194 | 21
 ANALYSIS

› productivity and access to markets. The and strategy,” states Pierre Laporte, “As the African population contin
e-extension platform serves as an IVR- World Bank’s country director for ues to expand at a rapid pace, digital
server and call centre through which Côte d’Ivoire. The 5-year initiative aims extension is key in ensuring that food
farmers can pose technical questions to reach 6.1 million smallholder farm security is met,” emphasises Mouton.
and seek advice on farming practices. ers. Like many African countries, the Through innovative extension services
“This project will ensure that farmers agriculture sector remains an impor- that improve production and increase
have timely information on key aspects tant driver of Côte d’Ivoire’s economy both productivity and yield, smallholder
of the agriculture value chain such as the accounting for 22% of GDP and more farmers in Africa are managing to, and
seed market and that public institutions than 74% of exports, with the majority will continue to, adopt smarter, more
can collect agricultural and rural sta- of smallholders operating on less than impactful and sustainable agricultural
tistics for more efficient sector polices 2 ha of land. practices going forward. ■

Digital integration for extension by radio

Farm Radio International (FRI) is changing the way radio is used by bridging the divide between broadcasters and listeners through
experiments that combine radio, mobile phones and the internet. The aim is to provide the most cost-effective and impactful digital
extension to farmers.
Uliza (‘ask’ in Swahili) is FRI’s innovative extension platform for audience engagement, monitoring and quality assurance that
integrates radio, mobile and IVR systems. The online platform allows partner radio stations to engage hundreds, even thousands,
of listeners who use their mobile phones before, during, and after farm radio programmes air. Listeners can vote, register for alerts,
request the delivery of specific, crop-related information and get their questions answered. The process is quick, easy, participatory
and – most importantly – free. Listeners also leave messages on Uliza, providing feedback on the programmes and how these can be
changed to suit their needs.
Content is delivered to listeners in their own language, eliminating literacy barriers. Broadcasters upload episodes each week
to Uliza, and then FRI staff and subject matter specialists involved in the project listen to the episode and provide feedback to the
station team so they can improve subsequent episodes. Broadcasters also access audience data in real-time using Uliza’s digital
dashboard. This information helps the broadcasters to better understand the farmers who call in – they can gather feedback, access
listener-generated content and provide information and services that help their listeners.
To date, more than 70 of FRI’s radio partners in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda
have used Uliza to interact with more than 210,000 individual listeners. Uliza makes farm radio better for broadcasters and better for
small-scale farmers. “That is why I am proud of Uliza,” says Kevin Perkins, FRI executive director. “Radio programmes invite listeners
to share their experiences or their opinions or ask their questions using Uliza. The resulting data goes right back to them – via the
radio programmes they listen to,” adds Perkins. “And they can be confident that the collective, anonymised feedback they offer really
is reaching decision-makers, because it is going out on the airwaves that everyone listens to – including the decision-makers.”

Uliza services
Using tech innovation to reach radio listeners

22 | SPORE 194
INTERVIEW
Nasir Yammama: A technological approach to
enhancing the impact of agricultural extension
Inioluwa Oluwagbemi

How do you see the challenge of providing What impact is your company, Verdant,
effective agricultural extension in Africa? having in providing information services to
Extension faces a great manpower and farmers in Nigeria?
technology deficit in Africa; the ratio in We have built a two-way communication
Nigeria is about one extension agent to system whereby we send out information to
about 2,000 farmers, which is outrageous. It farmers, but they can also request additional
is impossible to say we need to get more information at any time. So far, we have
extension agents because that alone would 8,000 active farmers and it is fascinating to
Nasir Yammama,
not solve the problem. The best approach is know what they ask for. A lot of farmers see founder and CEO
to leverage on available technologies and the promise in using agricultural data for of agri-tech value
new media to be able to deliver extension decision-making, and send requests chain company,
services – especially those that can provide regarding
best technology
machinery.weather– forecasts,
ranging from seedsand
finance, to the Verdant, in
information and training to farmers. Nigeria is
With the high proliferation of mobile providing mobile
solutions to
phones in Nigeria, it is important that this
enhance
technology is stepped up to cover as
How doas
meeting
well you
farmers’
men?
ensure
needs
thatand
yourhelping
services
women,
are agricultural
rudimentary extension services. For instance, extension
imagine a farmer who has invested in and messages to
applied agrochemicals and then it rains the One of our greatest values as a company farmers
next day washing them away. A text with the is that we try not to be too removed from
weather forecast would save this farmer the farmer. We constantly interact with
much money and effort. farmers and have established demonstration
Also, simple things like how to reduce farms where they live. Most farmers would
spacing between crops to enhance yields only adopt an approach, such as using some
can be communicated via phone calls, voice agro-chemical or improved seed, after
or SMS messages. So we need to combine seeing how it performed on another farm.
mobile technology and human presence to We are also in continuous contact with
work hand in hand to reach more farmers. research agencies which research and
Without extension, there is no way we can develop technologies, such as new seeds
produce the food that the world needs. and animal husbandry techniques. Our goal
is to popularise these new technologies to
Which innovations and approaches do you smallholders. So the most prominent and
feel are best placed to overcome this cost-effective discoveries, especially new
challenge? seed varieties, are indeed pushed to farmers
What is needed is to increase the use of through Verdant.
available technologies to not only capture We also endeavour to take note of what
information or data, but also to deliver it. In farmers want, especially in terms of culture
terms of capturing data, new technologies and social realities, and we try to provide the
such as drones and satellites should be used. services in a manner that can be useful to
The establishment of call centres is also them for decision-making and improved
effective in terms of information delivery productivity. We launched a special rice
and, although this comes with charges – as programme in Kano, having encountered a
voice, data and even SMS messages cost group of 12 women who grow over 35 ha of
money – there are ways to innovate around rice despite constraints like access to inputs,
this to bring costs down. We also need to markets and basic infrastructure. We’ve been
adapt the financial model so that farmers working with these women, using mobile
can afford extension; for example, adding the technologies to help them in their dealings,
cost of extension services to the inputs and telling their stories in order to attract
received. attention around their farming.

SPORE 194 | 23
FIELD REPORT

MALAWI

Accessing agricultural
extension by video
By embracing modern technology and engagingenthusiastic young people, the
work of an NGO in Malawi is extending the reach of agricultural extension across
the country.

Charles Mkoka

W ith the right policies, innovation and

investment, agriculture on the African
continent could be transformed into a
powerhouse, not only to feed the growing popula-
tion but to create decent employment for millions
of young people, states The Digitalisation of African
Agriculture Report by CTA and Dalberg Advisors.
As seen in other sectors, technology is critical to
affecting change and driving development and, in
agriculture, digitalisation could be a game changer
in boosting productivity, profitability and resil
ience to climate change.
In another recent report, Byte by Byte: Policy
Innovation for Transforming Africa’s Food System with
Digital Technologies, by the Malabo Montpellier
Panel, the authors state that digitalisation can
“improve the agricultural extension system by
providing services at the right time, attaining scale,
and facilitating adoption of new agronomic prac
tices, resulting in yield improvements and higher
income for farming households.”
In Malawi, to make the most of technical
advances to enhance extension approaches, inter
national NGO, Access Agriculture, is working with
budding youths as Deejays (DJs) in villages and
major trading centres. The DJs reach out to farmers
with extension messages shared through elec
tronic devices, such as mobile phones.

Developing agriculture with DVDs and mobile

phones
In 2015, Access Agriculture provided three
DVDs with a compilation of agricultural videos
to 95 DJs in the southern region of Malawi, with
advice on growing rice, fighting striga weed
and growing chilli. Apart from one video, all

24 | SPORE 194
 30 farmer-to-farmer training videos were made in
other parts of Africa and Asia and then translated
into local Malawian languages. “Access Agriculture
promotes the use of videos in local languages to
support extension advisory services. In the case
of Malawi, there are four languages in which
the videos are being shared, namely: Sena, Yao,
Chichewa and Tumbuka,” says Ronald Kondwani
Udedi, country focal person for Access Agriculture
in Malawi.
Jeffery Bentley, who has conducted research on
the distribution and impact of the videos, says that
the DJs copy the DVDs from Access Agriculture. They
then share the videos on memory cards, USB flash
drives or through mobile devices costing between After watching a video on chilli farming, smallholders are
Agricultural videos have €0.05 and €0.20 for each video. Virtually all of taking up production of the crop for the first time
been produced and the DJs distributed at least some of the DVDs and
distributed by Access were able to generate income from this activity. In Model farmers and advisors
Agriculture in southern addition, the videos have helped build community Phemia Mpombwe is a retired teacher and one of
Malawi respect for the young entrepreneurs. the successful women farmers who have benefit-
The DJs are not agricultural exten- ted from the extension videos obtained from one
sionists but have proved a viable of the DJs at Migowi Trading Centre in Phalombe
alternative for distributing farm district. “After watching the video shared by the DJ,
ing advice. Udedi adds that Access I acquired knowledge used in rice growing in my
Agriculture is now working in col area. This has resulted in me harvesting 140 bags
laboration with other organisations of rice weighing 62 kgs each,” she states excitedly.
such as Feed the Future’s strength “Despite failure of maize as a staple crop, rice will
ening agricultural and nutrition help me and my family. I will sell some of it and be
extension (SANE) initiative. “The able to buy necessities for the home and my chil-
SANE partnerships intend to include dren. I will use the money from rice sales to buy
DJs as part of the district agricultural additional chickens.”
extension services system, village Mpombwe adds that, as result of the bumper rice
agricultural committees, area stake harvest, she is now a role model farmer in the area
holder panels, district stakeholder attracting others to learn from her. Farmers are now
panels and district agricultural flocking to her field to tap her expertise on how she
extension coordinating committees. has had such success.
Stakeholders in agriculture are now Meanwhile, one of the DJs has won a smart pro
realising that DJs are playing a cru jector through the Access Agriculture’s 2019 Young
cial role in reaching out to farmers Entrepreneurs Challenge Fund competition. Osman
who are in hard-to-reach areas due Majid, based at Nathenje in Lilongwe, was distribut
to poor roads and difficult terrain,” ing videos about farmer’s rights to seed. The video,
Udedi explains. which was filmed in Rumphi district in the north
One of the DJs distributing the ern region, shows how farmers preserve indigenous
videos is Silaji Fanuel, who manages seed using traditional knowledge. “The projector
a mobile phone and digital acces will be used to show videos to famers and people of
sories shop based at Mangochi Turn Nathenje and other surrounding areas. We will be
Off Trading Centre in Balaka district. showing the videos to farmers, including the youth,
He told Spore magazine that he asks to advise them of the importance of agriculture,” he
his clients, mostly farmers, if they said after being announced as the winner.
have the capacity to watch the vid By July 2019, 6 years after being established, the
eos on their phones as he does not Access Agriculture video platform has attracted
have a DVD writer. “I have been 270,000 people (www.accessagriculture.org), mainly
doing this for the last 3 to 4 years,” from Africa and Asia, including from thousands of
states Fanuel. As a result of sharing development organisations and education institutes.
the videos, some farmers started According to a 2018 study titled Quality farmer training
growing chilli for the first time and videos to support South-South learning, in 54 countries,
others responded by controlling there are over 1,000 visitors to the site who appre
striga, which they had never been ciate the easy search function, and the quality and
able to do before. relevance of the videos. ■

SPORE 194 | 25
FIELD REPORT

CARIBBEAN

Acommunityapproach: digital
innovationsforextension
Following a training course in technology stewardship, actors in the Caribbean’s
agri-foodsector are implementing ICT approaches to provide agricultural
advice and support to their local communities.

Keron Bascombe

26 | SPORE 194
 T o better facilitate training and knowledge and little to no quality control was carried out (so
transfer among Caribbean agricultural the beans were substandard). The international
communities, 20 actors involved in the agri market consistently pays US$3-4/kg [€2.6-3.5] for
food value chain from Trinidad and Tobago – and dried beans of similarly high quality and quantity,”
now working across the region – took part in a explains Bharath.
2-day capacity-building workshop ‘Introducing Bharath admits that despite her demanded exper
Technology Stewardship for Agricultural tise, she is not a ‘tech savvy’ person, although she
Communities of Practice in the Caribbean’ in April recognises the power and advantages of ICT tools.
2019. The participants, who included farmer asso “For me, understanding [through the ICT training
ciation representatives, extension officers, as well course] how to use these tools in a more systematic
as agricultural consultants, were introduced to the way was very beneficial, especially given the lim
concepts of technology stewardship (see box). ited resource environment that is common in our
“Technology stewardship is not the same as ‘IT agri sector,” she says. Since the training, Bharath
support’,” says Gordon Gow, professor of commu has been using WhatsApp as a means of informa
nication at the University of Alberta and one of the tion dissemination and troubleshooting with the
Agricultural extension course facilitators. “Technology stewards need to teams she has trained throughout the region. The
workers in the Caribbean know how to engage their community members to most recent application has been to remotely mon
are adopting ICTs to identify opportunities and challenges; they need to itor the fermentation process of beans in St. Vincent
support innovative be able to acquire and configure appropriate digi while she is away conducting work in Trinidad.
agricultural practices in tal ICT platforms to support innovative practices; Her team is able to send over photos and spread
their local communities and they need to be able to evaluate and report the sheets in real time for her to review and send back
outcome of their efforts back to comments/decisions via voice
the community and to organi notes or calls.
“These digital tools
sational sponsors,” he explains Also making the most of
are used by our cocoa social media channels to train
Optimising cocoa production local cocoa farmers is Matthew
One course trainee, Sara producing families and Escalante, programme officer
Bharath, is an agronomist and for the Cocoa Development
cocoa expert with 22 years’ are picture-based which Company of Trinidad and
experience. In 2011, she began Tobago (CDCTT). “The course
volunteering with cocoa farm community members allowed me to understand
ers in Trinidad, where she which ICT is most applicable to
gained insight into what was respond to” the communities that CDCTT
missing in terms of exten- serves. We started implement
sion services. “Unfortunately, there was limited ing what was learned [in the course] in the small
hands-on training over a consistent and prolonged community of Lopinot using WhatsApp, Facebook
period, which is what many farmers need in order and Instagram,” he explains. “These digital tools
to build new and progressive habits and to make a are used by our cocoa producing families and are
difference with respect to quality and quantity,” she picture-based which community members respond
explains. to. We have sent videos on cocoa picking, harvest-
In 2016, Bharath started working with the Trinidad ing and handling. However, it has been a challenge
Micro Lot Project in Oregon in the USA, which getting feedback from the community; our work is
works with small Trinidadian farmers to improve in progress,” he adds.
skills in cocoa production. Emphasis was placed
on cocoa field management, timing and handling Alocal focus
of harvesting, as well as appropriate conditions for “The low budget approach to implementing
the fermentation process, which is required before technology use was the most valuable aspect of
cocoa can be processed into chocolate. Starting with the ICT training,” states Christopher Alexander,
40 farmers, the initiative aimed to increase quality quality assurance manager at the Farmers’
and, by doing so, get farmers a better than world Market and Quality Assurance Department of the
market price. The project purchases beans from the National Agricultural Marketing and Development
small producers and transports them to the USA to Corporation (NAMDECO) of Trinidad and Tobago.
be sold to craft chocolatiers. “Our field officers were able to form a WhatsApp
“Micro Lot producers are paid at least US$5/kg group to support the Moruga Farmers Cooperative
[€4.44] for dried beans. The local market was at producers of the Moruga Red (scorpion) pepper,”
the time [2016] paying nothing more than US$3/kg he continues. Through an on-the-ground out
[€2.66] and with zero traceability on the beans, let, Farmers’ Market provides quality assurance ›

SPORE 194 | 27
› services for small farmers and cooperatives, and individuals of Gateway app to modern technology
complementary agricultural sub-sectors, such as artisan and Jeet Ramjattan, a field officer with the Extension Training
cottage industries, and small-scale agri-processing. Information Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture in
“We have established key officers who manage planning, Trinidad and Tobago, has interacted with over 3,000 farmers
accounting and advisory services for cooperatives. Focus is during his career. “I saw the role of a steward as complimen
placed on communication with community leaders, shar tary to my ongoing engagement activities with farmers. As a
ing information, scheduling meetings and updating farmers. field officer, it is expected that I take the lead in determining the
Often, producers seek price information or logistics for our needs of farmers and be the intermediary as farmers use ICTs in
farmers’ market activities,” Alexander says. order to meet these needs. Agronomy, crop production, market
information, sources of credit, among other farm services, are
“Whilst some farmers are keen to all accessible through the use of ICTs,” Ramjattan says.
In the east of the country, Ramjattan provides services to
embrace new technologies...many farmers via the Orange grove WhatsApp group. The farmers
utilise the platform strictly for farming-related queries and
farmers own a smart device but are still solutions; for example, they often enquire about market prices
for the commodities they produce including baigan (eggplant),
unaware of how to use it” caraille, cucumbers and lemons. Using the WhatsApp channel,
Ramjattan has also been able to introduce the producers to
Responsible for monitoring the department’s farm certi NAMIS, and how to access price and volume data on a daily
fication programme, Alexander assigns field officers to small basis through the WhatsApp platform.
farmers within a particular area. The officers carry out farm “Another farmer out of the group needed information on [the
visits, during which they record produce information, such as specific variety, available amount and price for] squash pump
the date of crop planting, the expected date of harvest and har kin seeds, soI sat with him to teach him how to write an email to
vest volume, and details on the state of the field, i.e. pest and a foreign supplier requesting information on the seeds, and then
disease incidences. These data are recorded on the National following through at organised intervals to get an import license.
Agricultural Market Information System (NAMIS) database, This involved signing up with TTBiz Link, an online service for
which also contains market data from 2001 to the present day license and permit procurement,” Ramjattan explains.
for over 40 commodities regularly traded at farmers markets in However, whilst some farmers are keen to embrace new
the country. Producers subscribed to NAMIS access the data technologies to increase their access to information and
base via the website when they want to check local produce markets, Ramjattan admits, “Not everyone is there yet; many
prices, and buyers can also access the database when they are farmers still rely on face-to-face interactions. Many farmers
looking to purchase produce. own a smart device but are still unaware of how to use it.” ■

Participatory ICT extension

Since 2017, the University of Alberta, Canada, has been need – and then look at a way to introduce those tools through a
undertaking participatory action research to develop and test open platform, such as Facebook, WhatsApp or Google,” says Dr Gordon
education resources on technology stewardship. The research is Gow, a course leader from the University of Alberta. Participants
targeted towards agricultural practitioners and extension agents in were particularly eager to establish Facebook pages and WhatsApp
developing countries with limited resources, and intends to improve messenger groups for use in, for example, plant disease diagnostics.
knowledge transfer capabilities using methods of social learning. A final session involved participants creating individual action
In March 2018, a 2-day technology stewardship course was plans to outline an activity that they would conduct and complete
tested with 20 agricultural and fisheries extension officers from after completion of the course. This could include a community
across the Caribbean at the University of the West Indies in engagement activity to identify ICT opportunities, a rapid
Trinidad and Tobago. Participants were introduced to the concepts prototyping exercise of a selected ICT, or the design of a campaign
of stewardship and ‘community of practice’ (COP) – a group who to implement an ICT.
share a common concern/interest. The participants were guided “I know how to organise an initiative, set objectives, choose a
through a set of activities to explain how they would identify specific ICT tool, and create a campaign to test, more or less by
community needs, select appropriate ICTs to meet those needs, trial and error, if it’ll be effective with helping the farmers – or not,”
conduct pilot tests with their identified COP, and evaluate the says Michael Flowers, a course participant from the Department of
results. Agriculture in the Bahamas.
“We present a series of steps they can take to identify the needs
that a COP might have… and the ICT tools that might address that Sophie Reeve

28 | SPORE 194
 Agribusiness

MARKET AGRI-FOOD
OPPORTUNITIES SYSTEMS
Cotton transforms Mali’s Groundnut production boosts
handicrafts sector profits for Zambian farmers
Smallholders access the sweet Nigeria increases tomato paste
potato snack market production with good practices

30 32

INSURANCE
FINANCE
Making
insurance &
index-based
profitable toMARKETING
The TRADE
tap
potential for &
into Africa’s
women
free BUSINESS
LEADERS
“Quality is the key to
success!”
trade area

34 36 38
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

TEXTILE TRAINING

Cotton transforms Mali’s handicrafts

sector
Through local support projects and initiatives in Mali’s cotton value chain, craftspeople are
acquiring new equipment and skills to increase in-country textile processing.

Soumaïla Diarra

is West
n
nities for
opening up the cotton value chain
Africa,
small-scale One beneficiary of PAFICOT is Machallah Boutique, in 2017. “I can sell

I new market opportu

artisans. The
Support Project for the Cotton-Textile
57-year-old Aïssata Camara, who runs
a dyeing business with six other crafts
people. Under the project, she received
50,000 CFA francs (€90) of clothing
each day to customers from as far afield
as France, Senegal and, more recently,
Subsector (PAFICOT), which ran from entrepreneurship training and equip the United States,” he explains.
2008 to 2013 and was supported by the ment including gloves and protective According to the Ministry of
African Development Fund (ADF), aimed masks. As well as selling dyed fabric Agriculture’s figures, Mali produced
to diversify cotton distribution networks at 2,000 CFA francs (approx. €3) per 721 t of cotton in 2018, which is more
by providing craftspeople with spinning metre, Camara also makes items out of than any other African country. The
and weaving equipment (hand carders, local cotton. Her business brings in an sector accounts for close to 40% of
spinning wheels, distaffs, large looms of average monthly profit of 400,000 CFA rural incomes, and 22% of the country’s
different types), as well as with dyeing francs (€615). Overall, thanks to the export revenue. Despite this, around
tools (bowls, scales, protective equip PAFICOT project, the cotton processing 90% of cotton produced in West Africa
ment). Mali’s Ministry of Agriculture industry is on the rise. “I can make a good is still exported raw to Asia. Only 2% of
estimates that 2,000 craftspeople living now from selling cotton-based the cotton grown in Mali is processed
(including 1,413 women) benefited from fabrics,” she explains. “There’s been a domestically and local markets are
the project’s capacity-building activities, boom in cotton processing over the past swamped with cheap imports.
which included business creation and 8 years or so. Professionals working in
management training. the sector have joined forces to create
the Malian Network for Organic Cotton 721 t
Aïssata Camara is one of 2,000 Malian artisans Processing.” of cotton produced by Mali
who has received equipment and training for her The network has its own store in the
in 2018
cotton textile business capital, Bamako, where it sells organic
cotton products to
craftspeople through
out the value chain, 2,000
such as natural dyes,
thread and other vital artisans have benefited from
capacity building
supplies. “We’re also
working with organic
cotton farmers,” “No country in the subregion processes
adds Camara, as “the more than 5% of domestically grown
network gives them cotton,” explains Abdel Ramane Sy, pres-
an outlet for their ident of the Youth Association for Cotton
produce.” Development in Mali. For that reason,
Having also received when PAFICOT came to an end, Mali
training and equip adopted the West African Economic and
ment, 30-year-old Monetary Union’s Cotton-Textile Agenda
Assan Gopé seized the – funded partly by ADF – which aims
opportunity to set up to have 25% of cotton processed locally
an online store sell between 2011 and 2020. Currently, Mali
ing textile products, processes only 5% of its production. ■

30 | SPORE 194
POTATO PROCESSING

Smallholders access the sweet potato

snackmarket
An agri-processing company in Tanzania producing nutritional, sweet potato-based
foods is providing a ready market for local women and young farmers.

James Karuga

n Tengeru in northern Tanzania,

I 12 farmer groups are working with

a local sweet potato processing
company to enhance their incomes and
increase the availability of nutritional
products for children and adults. Better
Markets for Crops Products Limited
(BMC) supplies the farmers with up to
120,000 orange-fleshed sweet potato
(OFSP) vines and, once the roots have
matured, the company buys them back
from the farmers at between TSh 200-
300 per kg (€0.07-0.12). The roots are
then processed by BMC into a variety
of goods, including flour, puree bites
(OFSP-based noodles or pasta), spice
dubbed ‘mchuzi mix’, and OFSP crisps.
BMC works mostly with farmer groups
made up of women and youths. The
company was founded in August 2016 by Through her company, Better Markets for Crops
Zena Mshana, who carried out her own the company with between 100 and Products Limited, Zena Mshana is providing
research into OFSP processing prior to 700 kg of roots per month depending healthy snacks to the local population and
establishing the business. “I was moti on her production levels. According to income opportunities for women and youths
vated to improve nutrition by promoting Lukumai, having a ready market for
consumption of bio-fortified products OFSP roots has increased her income and 20% to hospitals. The company cur
in Tanzania where there are many cases by 50%. “They also trained me on how rently employs 14 full-time women and
of stunted growth in the population, to tend the growing vines on the farm youth staff members who are involved
due to vitamin A deficiency,” says the and increase my growing capacity,” she in the processing, packaging and dis-
entrepreneur, who received training on says. tribution of the products, and 5-10 part
food safety and quality in small-scale In 2016, BMC bought 20 t of OFSP time staff who are involved in marketing
processing from the International Potato tubers from their farmer network, the goods.
Center in 2017. which increased to 70 t in 2018. In Mshana aims to expand the reach of
As well as increasing their incomes, 2019, they bought 45 t from January to BMC’s OFSP products to five new regions
the farmers working with BMC have April, and each month are processing in Tanzania and to supply 100 schools
learnt about best post-harvest handling on average, 8-10 t of OFSP roots into and 10 hospitals in 2021. The com
techniques – such as storing the OFSP products. Sales of these products gener pany also hopes to expand into Kenya,
roots in wooden boxes to prevent spoil- ates monthly revenues of between TSh Rwanda and Uganda by 2025. “We get
ing for up to 3 months – and various 10-17 million (€3,830-6,525) for BMC, encouraged to continue our work when
home recipes for OFSP-based adult and with the flour and crisp products most we see people’s health improving by
baby foods. Irene Robert Lukumai is popular among customers. Around 50% consuming our OFSP products,” says
among the farmers working with BMC of BMC’s products are sold to supermar Mshana. “The patience and hard work
and, since 2018, has been supplying kets, 30% through school campaigns has been worthwhile.” ■

SPORE 194 | 31
AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS

IMPROVED SEED

Groundnut production boosts profits for

Zambian farmers
Greater access to improved groundnut seed in Zambia and training in crop management is
increasing smallholder productivity and market access in the face of diminishing cotton
prices.

Doreen Chilumbu

S and Petauke
Chipata,
mall-scale
Katete,
farmers
districts
Minda,ofin the
Nyimba

Zambia
are moving away from cotton produc
tion, and its dwindling harvest prices,
to cultivate new and improved ground
nut seed varieties. The drought-tolerant
and high-yielding groundnut seeds are
helping to increase food and nutrition
security in the country, as well as the
yields and livelihoods of smallholder
farmers. The improved seeds are the
result of a research and development Zambian smallholders are cultivating improved groundnut seed varieties and using conservation
project, Strengthening Food Legume agriculture techniques to improve their productivity and incomes
Seed Delivery Systems in Malawi,
Mozambique and Zambia, which from Felesiano village in Petauke. Daka
has been funded by the Agricultural asserts that before the programme was 68 ha
Productivity Programme for Southern introduced, most farmers were strug
Africa (APPSA). Efforts of the project, gling to meet their needs as their cotton of basic groundnut seed planted in
introduced in 2014, have so far reached harvests could not be sold for lucrative Zambia
over 1.4 million direct beneficiaries prices at the market. “Other farmers in
across the three countries. my group are now able to provide food
Through the initiative, farmers are for their families and school materials 40
also being linked up with private seed for their children,” he continues.
seed varieties have been developed
companies to secure guaranteed mar Emelia Chikubabe from Kumanzi
and released
kets for their production. In the Petauke village, also in Petauke, says that after
district of Zambia, for example, farmers receiving training in entrepreneurship
have been partnered with the Unit Seed skills, crop management and conserva- Through collaborative research efforts
Company since 2014, and the project tion agriculture under the project, she is in the three APPSA implementing coun
provided smallholders with enough a more knowledgeable farmer. “I used tries, over 40 seed varieties have been
basic groundnut seed to plant 68 ha. to plant the same crop year after year, developed and released for other crops,
Before the cropping season was over in rather than rotating my crops or plant including for legumes, maize, rice and
2015, the seed was already secured at a ing a range of crops together to grow sorghum. “Some of the improved crop
purchase price of ZMW 6.47 (€0.45) per more, maintain soil health and diver- varieties have been developed with a
kg by the company. sify my family’s diet,” she says. “I have focus on high yield and quality, early
“I have found seed production of cer- learned that while indigenous seeds are maturity, adaptation for abiotic and
tified groundnut seed to be beneficial important to protect genetic diversity, biotic stresses, as well as tolerance to
in terms of income generation, which improved seeds help farmers to adapt to major diseases and pests of the specific
has enabled me to buy cattle, a plough, changing climate conditions, fight crop crop,” says Monica Murata, APPSA pro
build a house, and purchase 22 bags of diseases and produce higher yields,” she gramme coordinator. ■
fertiliser,” says Lenard Daka, lead farmer adds.

32 | SPORE 194
REDUCING WASTE

Nigeria increases tomato paste

production with good practices
Nigerian tomato farmers are overcoming production challenges to increase the quality and
quantity of their yields, and access a ready market for their produce.

Oluyinka Alawode and Sophie Reeve

hanks to agricultural advice, such as low-quality tomato produc five times more than they could achieve

T access to high-quality seeds

and fertiliser, along with train-
ing in good agricultural practices,
tion. And, with most producers unable
to identify a consistent bulk buyer, up
to 1.35 million tof fresh tomatoes are
at local markets, even when prices crash
during the peak season.
Initially set-up in Panda, Nasarawa
Nigerian tomato farmers are increas- wasted each year. State, the company has since moved to
ing their yields and cutting down their To address these problems, Tomato a 500 ha farm in Kaduna, north-east
post-harvest losses. During the harvest Jos, which was set up in 2014 by Mira Nigeria. By overcoming challenges on
season, tomatoes flooding onto the mar Metha and her partner, Shane Kiernan, its own farm, such as virus outbreaks,
ket causes a glut, and farmers experience is buying tomatoes for processing at harsh weather conditions and water
significant losses with most of their yield harvest time. The company has so far shortages, Tomato Jos is able to identify
going unsold and left to rot. However, worked with around 100 farmers in with issues experienced by local farmers
Tomato Jos, a for-profit social enterprise Nigeria’s Middle Belt to teach best agri and offer practical solutions. And, as a
and agricultural production company, cultural practices, such as preparing the result of adapting production to mitigate
is training smallholder farmers in best soil prior to seeding and installing drip these challenges, the company is able
practices to produce quality tomatoes to irrigation. By selling to Tomato Jos, the to produce 40-50 t per ha of tomatoes;
use in their tomato paste. trained farmers consistently earn around 10 times the national average. “Maybe
Despite producing 65% of tomatoes they’re [the farmers] making 7 t per
grown in West Africa, Nigeria remains hectare now; we think they can get to
the largest global importer of tomato Training in good agricultural practices is helping 30 t per ha if they follow our system,”
paste. Few tomato paste factories exist Nigerian tomato farmers increase their yields says Metha.
in the country due to various challenges, and reduce their post-harvest losses Tomato Jos has over 20 full-time
employees who are enthusiastic about its
model of making farming productive for
smallholders in Nigeria. Youths from the
communities are also employed to work
in the tomato fields helping to apply
water and fertiliser. In April 2019, Metha
announced that tomato paste production
had begun and official operation of the
brand will start in 2020. For now, they
are selling the paste at the local market
in 25 kg buckets and 250 kg drums, with
the buckets selling for ₦ 7,500 (€18.50).
“Drums will be sold to institutional
buyers while buckets are for smaller
consumers,” Metha explains.
The company plans to expand its
farmer network in order to supply 10%
of Nigeria’s demand for tomato paste,
which is estimated at 200,000 t annu
ally, according to the Federal Ministry of
Agricultural and Rural Development. ■

SPORE 194 | 33
FINANCE & INSURANCE

CUTTING COSTS AND BUILDING SCALE

Making index
based insurance
profitable
Tech firms, brokers and insurers are working to make index-based
insurance profitable and sustainable without subsidies, by cutting
costs, sharing data and improving efficiency.

Helen Castell

ndex-based or ‘parametric’ insur scale to reduce per-client costs, the for around 0.5-2 ha of land – via mobile

I ance is increasingly viewed as the

most cost-effective way of protecting
smallholder farmers’ livelihoods against
expense of expanding into new regions
or markets often cancels this out, notes
Rahab Kariuki, chief innovation officer
money, they are covered.
Schwall says the crop insurance prod-
uct – which is not subsidised – has the
weather and climate risk. Advances in at ACRE Africa. potential to dramatically reduce client
technology mean weather data is more Tech firms, brokers and insurers are acquisition costs and should become
detailed and reliable. And because farmer trying to solve this by boosting effi profitable when it scales up to 30,000-
pay-outs are triggered by easily measur ciency, stripping out distribution and 50,000 insured farmers, at which point,
able events – for example if rainfall in a other costs, and sharing data and exper renewal costs could be as low as €1-1.50
certain region and timeframe exceeds or tise. In Mali, Tel Aviv-based start-up per farmer.
falls short of a contracted amount – the OKO is working to cut costs by distribut-
cost of sending field officers to calculate ing index-based crop insurance directly Automation targets costs
and verify losses is removed. to farmers via mobile phones through a London-based Skyline Partners is also
But, while initiatives like the World partnership with French telecom giant relying on automation and cost reduc
Bank’s Global Index Insurance Facility Orange and insurer Allianz/Sunu. OKO tion to develop index-based agricultural
(GIIF), which facilitates access to finance founder Simon Schwall says sending insurance products that it aims to be fully
for smallholder farmers and micro out field agents to markets to explain commercial and self-sustaining without
entrepreneurs, are expanding steadily the product remains an unavoidable subsidies. Skyline’s model is to partner
– to date, GIIF’s regional partners have expense for now. However, the rest of the with agricultural service providers, such
covered over 23 million beneficiaries with process can be completed remotely and as suppliers of agri-tech, data or equip
over €670 million in insurance – making has potential for additional automation. ment, to develop insurance products to
the product profitable without subsidies Under OKO’s current beta launch, sell through their existing distribution net
remains a challenge. Bangladesh-based which uses satellite weather data to works with small and mid-sized farmers,
insurer Green Delta, for example, stated in offer maize farmers protection against according to co-founder Gethin Jones.
early 2019 that, while it continues to roll out deficient rainfall, farmers who have an Skyline undertakes all risk modelling
its crop insurance product under GIIF, it is Orange SIM card simply dial a code into on insurers’ behalf, taking responsibility
not yet profitable and still relies heavily on a basic mobile phone. They then receive for ensuring that products comply with
a government subsidy. a free call-back from OKO to provide a regulations, are affordable for farm
quote based on their crop type, field size ers and have a distribution route, adds
Scalingup without increasing costs and location, and finalise their regis- co-founder, Laurent Sabatié. By taking
Index-based insurance faces a chicken tration. Once farmers pay the premium this on, insurers’ operational and cus-
-and-egg challenge. While it relies on – typically 3-6% of the insured value tomer acquisition costs can be reduced,

34 | SPORE 194
 OKO insurance is distributing index-based crop
insurance directly to farmers via mobile phones
Targeting women for faster scale-up
while also allowing agri-tech partners to
increase their range of services and com- While moving away from subsidisation remains a long-term aim for the agri
petitiveness for farmers, Sabatié explains. insurance market, government investment is still required to raise awareness about the
At the time of speaking, Skyline said product. And, with women consistently accounting for more than 60% of ACRE Africa’s
it was on the brink of signing up distrib customers, identifying women’s groups to receive education might yield the best
utor and insurer partners for a pilot for results in terms of insurance up-take, argues Kariuki. While on a small scale, ACRE’s
pomegranate farmers in Maharashtra, experience suggests that women may be more open than men to experimentation
India as well as pilots for mixed crops with new products. Their relatively high participation in savings groups also makes
in Madhya Pradesh and tea in Assam, all them more likely to have money available for insurance premiums.
insuring against adverse precipitation ACRE is, however, currently studying the possibility that agricultural insurance may
and temperature. Skyline is also in talks be negatively impacting household nutrition. When insurance helps a farm thrive,
with a potential distribution partner some male smallholders may be encouraged to expand their business, by taking
for a similar pilot in Côte d’Ivoire and over the small plot typically cultivated by women as a kitchen gardens, to use for
ultimately plans to roll out the service commercial farming, she says.
globally, says Jones.

Scaleisthe pathto profitability earthquakes, which it introduced in El ACRE would like to help share its
Reaching scale is critical to making Salvador in July 2018. It currently has technical skills, especially related to
index-based insurance commercially more than 15,000 clients in these two pricing, with more start-ups and even
sustainable for private-sector provid countries. Over the next 3 years, MICRO farmer aggregators, Kariuki says. One
ers, according to Carlos Boelsterli, CEO will expand into Colombia and two more option is to develop an IT platform or
of Microinsurance Catastrophic Risk countries that are yet to be confirmed. enterprise resource planning software
Organisation (MICRO), an established which insurance distribution specialists
designer and implementer of climate Collaborationiskey like OKO – which is already in talks with
risk-related insurance solutions. “For Data sharing and collaboration could ACRE – could use to source real-time
MICRO, the magic number is just above prove one way of achieving scale, reduc price quotations for offering insurance in
300,000 clients,” he says. ing costs and therefore achieving low- or specific locations. This would help ACRE
In the last few years, MICRO has no-subsidy profit more quickly, states expand, including beyond its current
been expanding into Central America, Kariuki at ACRE Africa. While ACRE focus of Eastern Africa, while helping
launching a pilot in Guatemala in has invested in buying its own weather the whole industry scale up. “If we’re the
early 2017 to offer index-based insur stations and ground station, this is not only ones who can do this, the market is
ance against drought, excess rain and affordable for most start-ups, she notes. not going to grow,” says Kariuki. ■

SPORE 194 | 35
TRADE & MARKETING

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

The potential for womento tap into

Africa’s free trade area
New initiatives are emerging to empower women traders and entrepreneurs to take
advantage of the increased border trade and reduced tariffs as a result of the
operationalised Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Bob Koigi

D espite accounting for two-thirds

of the agricultural workforce and
studies indicating that women represent
up to 70% of informal traders across
consumer base of more than 1.2 billion
people.
growing 70% of all food produced sub-Saharan Africa. This, despite the
on the continent, most African women tough informal environment occasioned Training intrade
are stuck at the primary stages of pro by stringent border processes, includ The declaration by member states to
duction and carry out just 10% of basic ing high clearance fees for goods, long the trade agreement, to reduce tariffs
food processing. This cuts them off from procedures of obtaining documents, on 90% of goods traded on the conti
the benefits of value addition, including and gender-based harassment and cor nent, is set to herald increased markets
increased markets and incomes. ruption. However, AfCFTA provides a for women traders as demand for raw
The women who do manage to venture chance for women to move into formal products intensifies. Yet, even with the
into trade do so informally, even as they markets for high value crops, opening numerous new opportunities presented
cross beyond their country borders, with the doors to a combined and diversified by the implementation of the world’s
largest single market, women entre
preneurs continue to face capacity and
market access challenges, including a
lack of finances to grow their businesses,
and training to make the most of these
markets. These gaps hinder women from
fully reaping the benefits of AfCFTA.
However, initiatives are underway to
assist women-led businesses in access-
ing the new trade regime.
VALUE4HER, launched in July 2018,
is one such initiative. Funded by CTA
and implemented by the African
Women Agribusiness Network Afrika
(AWAN-Afrika) and the Africa Women
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum,
VALUE4HER has been training women
traders on four areas of scaling-up their
businesses. These include financial
inclusion, market access, quality control
and agri-tech. The trainings take the for
mat of seminars, business-to-business
fairs, masterclasses and matchmaking
sessions. Specific subjects cover brand-
ing and product packaging for various
markets, methods to facilitate tracea
bility of produce to meet export market
VALUE4HER trainee, Beatrice Nkatha, received training in business management to develop her agrovet requirements, and the institutions to
store where she stocks pesticide products approach to access business finance.

36 | SPORE 194
 Nkatha has expanded her business to become one of the largest sorghum suppliers in Kenya

“The level of graduation from pri- the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. management and market access, she
mary production, to running market-led To satisfy growing demand, she has also has expanded her outgrower network to
agriculture businesses among African started building her own boats, which 14,000 farmers who now earn €0.30/kg.
women is still very slow. The idea of saves her the cost of hiring fishing boats Through this expansion, Nkatha is help
the project is therefore to create a net and increases her fish stock. ing to reduce poverty in her area and
work of African women entrepreneurs has seen her business become one of
in agriculture who are able to galvanise the largest suppliers to East African
Studies indicate that up
their supply chains and pull together Breweries Limited, Kenya’s largest
their resources, their agricultural expe brewery company.
riences and expertise in order to move to 70% of informal traders
agricultural products and reach markets Digitising the network
efficiently and cheaply,” says Sabdiyo
in sub-Saharan Africa are To leverage the impacts of the project
Dido, senior technical advisor on value and open up women’s businesses to
chains and agribusiness at CTA.
women more markets, a digital platform known
as ‘Value4Her Connect’ was officially
Aboost for women-led businesses From selling 0.5 t of fish per week unveiled by the initiative in June 2019.
Amina Farah is the founder of before the project at €4/kg, she now The online marketplace allows women
Khayraad Development Association in sells up to 5 t of fish each week with 1 kg traders to create their business pro
Somaliland and is a beneficiary of the fetching €10. “I also don’t have to worry files, showcase what they sell, and
VALUE4HER project. Farah, who has about the shelf life because the [dried] learn from their peers. It has already
run a fish business since 2004, received fish can go for months while maintain attracted more than 400 members.
training from AWAN-Afrika on the ben ing the same quality,” she says. Notable components of the platform
efits of adding value and expanding to Beatrice Nkatha, another VALUE4HER include a Women2Women forum that
neighbouring markets when she joined trainee, has been running a sorghum provides an avenue for women to con-
the organisation in 2008. As a result, she farm in eastern Kenya for 10 years. She nect, trade and exchange information,
ventured into the fish drying business started with 40 out-growers who were and an information section that high
in 2010 and now exports dried sardines earning €0.15/kg. Since joining AWAN lights market entry requirements for
and yellow fin tuna to Ethiopia, Rwanda, Afrika and being trained on business produce. ■

SPORE 194 | 37
BUSINESS LEADERS

MAÏMOUNA SIDIBE COULIBALY

“Quality is the key

to success!”
Maïmouna Sidibe Coulibaly explains how her company Faso Kaba, which
means ‘corn country’ in Bambara, Mali, became one of the leading suppliers
of improved seeds adapted to the Sahelian climate.

Soumaïla Diarra

hilst living in the US in the

W 1980s with her husband who

was working as an agronomist,
Maïmouna Sidibe Couliby discovered
improved seeds and returned to her home
country of Mali with the conviction that
there was a market for these varieties.
In a region where farmers traditionally
recycle their own seeds, it took her nearly
20 years to get the funding she needed to
launch her business. Today, Faso Kaba is
tackling low adoption of improved seed,
and works with international research
organisations, such as the International
Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
(CIMMYT), to test new varieties.

In 2017, together with Professor Ruth

Oniang’o, you won the Africa Food Prize. Maïmouna Sidibe Coulibaly’s company Faso Kaba sells seeds of groundnut, maize, rice and sorghum
What is different about your seed company that are adapted to the Sahelian climate
that made it stand out to the jury?
When I was in the US, I noticed that My company works with small packages What drove you to start your business and
the farming plots and crop fields all of 1 and 5 kg, soldaccording to each region. how did you overcome the challenges that
looked as if someone had pruned them. I For example, for a farmer in Banamba (a you faced?
wondered why our fields in Mali were so town in the north-west of the country), My mother was a farmer; I worked
irregular, with plants of different sizes in we have recommended varieties for this in her field, and I could see that her
the same field, and why our yields were area. For a farmer from Sikasso (in the yields were low. In the US, I saw maize
lower. I asked the question and was told south of the country), we have varieties fields that were so totally different to my
that American farmers use improved adapted to the local levels of rainfall. We mother’s fields and those of other farm
seeds. So, I started inquiring about sell what is appropriate for the production ers in Mali. When I came back, I couldn’t
seeds, and I got interested in the work. area. If you want to plant maize, we can get funding because nobody knew about
I even worked at a seed company there. suggest varieties that are adapted to the the seeds I was selling. I went around all
I decided that when I returned I would changing climate, including low rainfall. the banks, and they’d say, “Who’s going
sell improved seed varieties to help our We also have adapted varieties of ground to buy cereal seeds? People are used to
farmers enhance their yields. nuts, maize, rice and sorghum. keeping part of the harvest and sowing

38 | SPORE 194
 Faso Kaba seeds are sold in small packets to make them more affordable for farmers

it the following year.” I would tell them

this is a lucrative business in America.
As you have explained, you had trouble
convincing investors and banks to help fi
“If you sell high
Fields are cultivated specifically to pro nance the launch of your business. What quality seeds,
duce cleaned, certified and packaged advice would you give young entrepreneurs
seeds for sale. But the banks wouldn’t who face the same problem? they come back,
believe me. Until the day I came across You need a minimum amount of
AGRA (the Alliance for Green Revolution funds to get started, because investors they tell their
in Africa), which already worked in this don’t give anything to start-ups – they
area in Eastern and Southern Africa. give money to improve or expand a neighbours, and
I met representatives of AGRA, who business, but not to start it. You need
believed in my company, my ambition, to do all you can to start off with your other clients come
my vision. They gave me a grant spread own funds or look for credit from sup
out over 30 months, and that’s what pliers. And then you have to believe in turn”
started me off. This was in 2007. in yourself, to love what you’re doing.
It’s perseverance and courage that can Do you think that the evolution of digital
“It’s perseverance convince a donor to invest. tools and their place in agriculture concerns
a seed company like yours?
and courage that can You started off selling selected seeds from Definitely, especially in marketing.
your home. Now your business has grown If we can put our products online,
convince a donor to considerably. On what did you build your people can see them, even if they live
success? far from Mali. And if everything is
invest” Quality is the key to success! If you well detailed and available, they can
don’t have quality, the client won’t buy online. Today, we sell via mobile
A year earlier, Sassakawa Global, a come back. If you sell high-quality money transfer services. People call,
Japanese NGO, had guaranteed my first seeds, they come back, they tell their we agree on the quantity, price, we
loan for 5 million CFA francs (€7,600). neighbours, and other clients come in give our account number or the phone
I needed to set up at least 50 rural turn. So your focus has to be on qual number registered with Orange Money
seed sellers at village level, produce ity, on meeting your commitments, and the customer pays. We send them
and sell 180 t of seeds, have a working being available, explaining things the package and they pick it up at their
office, staff, and be registered with the properly to customers. We also sell local village shop. This morning, I sold
tax authorities. I exceeded all of these 1 kg and 5 kg packets to be affordable 250,000 CFA francs (€380) worth of
objectives. to everyone. seeds this way. ■

SPORE 194 | 39
PUBLICATIONS

PAUL WINTERS

"Youth should be part of

the conversation about
rural development"
Assistant vice-president of the strategy and knowledge
department of the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), Paul Winters, highlights the factors that
need to be in place for rural youth to prosper.

Yanne Boloh

IFAD's 2019 Rural Development Re

port focuses on creating opportunities for ru
ral youth. What are the key factors required?
There are three factors that are fun
damental to the development of rural
youth: productivity, connectivity and
agency, which is a sense of empower
ment. Regarding productivity, hopefully
they will have had a certain amount of
education, but that tends to focus on
cognitive skills. Young people tend to
have less experience with non-cognitive
skills like leadership, teamwork, and
working well with others, and this mat
ters a lot for productivity.
Being connected is also criti
cal, whether through traditional
infrastructure, like roads, or via digital
technologies such as mobile phones. It's Paul Winters speaks on the importance of
all about accessing markets and infor in agriculture in such a way that it is investing in agriculture to create employment
mation. The evidence also shows that sustainable and allows small-scale pro opportunities for youths in rural areas
you need a sense of empowerment to ducers to participate. So, the decisions
take advantage of the productive skills that countries make now can determine
and the connectivity you have. whether their young people will be able Young people can be very good agri
to participate in the transformation of cultural entrepreneurs. They are tech
Some countries are more advanced in their economies – or not. savvy, and they know how to sell things.
transforming their economies. How can oth- The majority of young people in Instead of farming themselves, they will
ers join them? sub-Saharan Africa will end up in agri buy products from farmers in their com-
There needs to be investment and part culture. The question is whether they are munities, process them and sell them
of that needs to be in rural areas. Many going to be involved in back breaking, on the market, providing income gen-
countries only invest in urban areas, staple crop production, or whether there eration for themselves and other young
but this just leads to migration. In rural will be a much more dynamic environ people.
areas, you need to create opportunities, ment to allow agriculture to become a We need to look at the opportunities
and there is a lot of potential for agri driver of change in rural areas, and cre in the entire food systems and not just in
culture to be inclusive. You can invest ate opportunities on and off farms. agriculture.

40 | SPORE 194
 Innovation
Rural youth
Empowering youth
Analysing the key factors of success
Youth Revolution describes how
Of the 1.2 billion young people aged 15-24 in the world, Kiara Nirghin, a 16-year-old high
almost 1 billion live in developing countries, and half of school student from Johannesburg,
these in rural areas. IFAD recognises the vast potential of overcame severe health issues to win
this population, whose energy and dynamism are needed first prize at the 2016 Google Science
to transform rural areas, but also food systems. There are, Fair for her innovative solution to
however, many obstacles: young people are twice as likely drought using orange peel waste as
as older people to be unemployed, not to mention the high a cheap, super-absorbent material
level of working poverty among the youth. to help soil retain water. The book
IFAD’s 2019 Rural Development Report uses concrete includes input from leading women in
evidence to identify who rural young people are, where education and science and examines
exactly they live, and the constraints they face on their the issues surrounding stagnant youth
path to economic self-sufficiency. The authors explore this subject through different innovation, the dangers of lacking
perspectives, including the position of countries on a scale of rural transformation and diversity in science, technology,
the economy as a whole. They highlight several risks, because creating opportunities engineering and maths, and
does not mean that young people, especially young women, are able to seize them. documents her path to international
Investing in young people is undoubtedly a key factor for success in sub-Saharan recognition.
Africa’s development. However, the investment needs to be seen differently, given
the unprecedented pace and nature of current demographic, technological and Youth Revolution: #BeTheChange
climate changes. IFAD insists that it is impossible to develop rural youth policies By KNirghin
without a broad integration of rural development. Indeed, when economic and social Zebra Press, 2019; 232 pp.
opportunities are limited, targeted support for young people in rural areas is ineffective. ISBN: 978-17-7609-356-4
€12
2019 Rural Development Report: Creating Opportunities for Rural Youth www.zebraprepress.co.uk
By IFAD
IFAD, 2019; 294 pp.
Downloadable as a PDF file from: https://tinyurl.com/y5jvezoa
Youth
unemployment
Digital technology is one of the keys to we need to show young people that the
transforming economies. Are infrastructure market is there and they can access it Job opportunities
and investments to support technologies through technology.
keeping up? Engaging Africa’s rural youth in
Things are moving in the right direc How can young people have more of a agri-business is a method for tackling
tion. There is a lot of opportunity, for say in the opportunities that could be made unemployment, but there is a lack
example, through the digital revolution, available to them? of evidence over the effectiveness
but to take advantage of these opportu Young people are excluded from a of government interventions for
nities requires investment, and we need lot of the policymaking and decisions improved policymaking in the area.
to figure out how to make those invest- that affect their lives. It’s rare even for This report looks at the achievements
ments advantageous for young people. ministers of youth to be young, and com- and limitations of three interventions
There is a lot of talk about digital mar mittees that work with governments on introduced by governments and
kets instead of physical markets, which behalf of youth only sometimes include development partners across Africa:
involve a digital platform where buyers young people. And so, in political pro inspiring youth to engage in agriculture,
and sellers can interact. But this won’t cesses, young people tend not to be as facilitating access to resources and
happen automatically – you have to have involved as they should be. participating in collective action.
someone to set that up. You have to make IFAD’s 2019 Rural Development Report
sure that the buyers, like supermarkets mentions the need to actively engage African Rural Youth Engagement in
and restaurants, are there on that dig young people in policymaking. That Agribusiness: Achievements, Limitations
ital platform, then you need to make does not mean having a separate youth and Lessons
sure that the seller – either farmers or council, but that youth should be part By MYamiet al.
farmers organisations – are also on this of the overall conversations about rural Sustainability, 2019,11,185; 15 pp.
platform. It’s a great example of how to development, and investment, so that Downloadable as a PDF file from:
take advantage of the digital revolution, they are part of the decision-making https://tinyurl.com/yxma4y9b
but it requires some action. In particular, process. ■

SPORE 194 | 41
PUBLICATIONS

BUILDING BETTER FOOD SYSTEMS

New approaches for the

future
Three new reports focus on food systems and
production in Africa to achieve food security and
end malnutrition and poverty. Digital technologies, Agriculture in Africa 2019
By the Oxford Business Group & The OCP
better policies and new farming approaches are all
Group
highlighted as means to achieve these aims. OBG & OCP, 2019; 28 pp.
Downloadable as a PDF file from:
https://tinyurl.com/y6cutjfa
James Thorp

by the
still
orldwide, too UN
face latest
hunger as highlighted
many report
people towards ending extreme poverty, elim

W
food security and nutrition (https://
on
inating hunger and malnutrition,
making Africa a net exporter of agri
cultural commodities, and moving
tinyurl.com/y4jgjobs) – the total num Africa to the top of key agricultural
ber of people suffering has increased value chains. As part of AfDB’s ‘High 5’
to 830 million. Whilst most of these focus areas for Africa – to light up and
are undernourished, which is particu power, feed, integrate, industrialise, and
larly severe in Africa, three quarters of improve people’s quality of life – this
obese children worldwide also live in report demonstrates how the Bank is
Africa and Asia. According to three new seeking to help convert African agri
reports, food and agricultural systems culture into a ‘business-oriented sector’
must urgently address these issues. that is globally competitive. The report Feed Africa
Agriculture in Africa presents insight predicts that transforming commodity By the African Development Bank Group
into the state of agriculture on the chains and agro-ecological zones will AfDB, 2019; 22 pp.
continent, as well as giving recommen open up markets worth €76 billion per Downloadable as a PDF file from:
dations for positive change. The first year by 2025. https://tinyurl.com/yyqnsufu
part of the report provides an overview Digital technologies also present
of the sector, as well as key facts and fig- an opportunity to transform Africa’s
ures – for example, only 6% of African agricultural sector. Future of Food rec
arable land is irrigated, compared to ognises that such technologies are
14 and 37% in Latin America and Asia, already improving the information and
respectively. The latter half addresses engagement levels that consumers and
the different topics introduced in the producers seek, as well as delivering
overview, whilst also including short ‘smarter’ public services and farms.
interviews (e.g. with Nigeria’s Minister However, the authors acknowledge that
for Agriculture and Rural Development) adoption levels vary greatly and remind
and 2-page analysis articles. Areas us that digital technologies have inher
identified for possible improvement ent risks, including service providers
include: increased fertiliser usage, accumulating too much market power.
improved irrigation to mitigate cli- But, the positive potential certainly out
mate effects, precision agriculture, and weigh the risks. In particular, the report Future of Food: Harnessing Digital
greenfield investment. states that digital technologies have a Technologies to Improve Food System
Also outlining their strategy for the significant ability to improve the effi Outcomes
transformation of African agriculture is ciency, equity and sustainability of food By the World Bank Group
the African Development Bank (AfDB) systems through the collection, storage, WBG, 2019; 44 pp.
in their report, Feed Africa. The report analysis and sharing of information Downloadable as a PDF file from:
outlines how the Bank is working digitally. ■ https://tinyurl.com/y647qqf5

42 | SPORE 194
Climate kaleidoscope

Clarifying the scale of the crisis

The title of David Wallace-Wells’ The less grain to feed them, with the tropics already inhospitable to ef
Uninhabitable Earth is succinct, deadly, and ficient crop production. This chapter also highlights the staggering
the contents of this book do not pull any levels of arable soil erosion – estimated at 75 billion ta year – and
punches. Never has there been a more highly nutrient loss in plants.
publicised book to underscore the serious The author covers the 2018 water-shortage in Cape Town, revealing
ness of global warming and the impacts that that, rather than being an issue of excessive individual consumption
are already evident. as highlighted by the media – it is an ever-present systemic issue.
The book is split into four readable Agriculture and industry account for 70-80 and 10-20% of global
parts: an introduction on how severe and freshwater use, respectively. Furthermore, 4 billion people already
complex climate breakdown is; an over face water shortages for 1 month of the year and 500 million all year
view of 12 aspects of climate change, from round; and the situation will only get worse. The book also highlights
‘climate conflict’ to ‘unbreathable air’; analyses of how we got into the dramatic fact that “reefs support as much as a quarter of all ma
our present climate trajectory and what we might be able to do rine life and supply food and income for half a billion people”, yet, due
about climate breakdown; and finally, a philosophical take on hu to ocean warming and acidification, 90% of all reefs will be threat
mankind’s arrogant self-centredness that has led to this climate ened with extinction by 2030.
situation. Reading any part of the book makes it clear that we really have
For most readers, including policymakers interested in learning run out of time, prevaricating is no longer an indulgence, and radical
about climate change, the first two sections are the most important, solutions are now a necessary comprehension. ■
but do not make for comfortable reading. For ACP agricultural de
velopment policymakers and practitioners, the book is an essential
read. Wallace-Wells references the World Bank estimate that by The Uninhabitable Earth: A Story of the Future
2100, the coolest months in tropical Africa and the Pacific will be By D Wallace-Wells
hotter than the warmest months of the 20th century. The book also Penguin, 2019; 336 pp.
highlights the estimate that under (the not unrealistic) 5°C of warm ISBN: 978-01-4198-887-0
ing by 2100, the world will have 50% more people to feed, with 50% www.penguin.co.uk

A fresh approach
Caribbean agriculture revisited
There has not been a substantive agribusiness as one way to spur growth, as well as increasing compe
analysis of the state of agriculture in the tition within the agri-food value chain.
Caribbean since 1981, an oversight that the A more attractive setting for investors will increase agricultural de
Study on the State of Agriculture in the velopment, which in turn will help to reduce poverty, the report states.
Caribbean sought to address. The com The authors also emphasise the need for development within the
prehensive report covers 19 countries and aquaculture and fisheries sectors of the Caribbean Sea, where over
focuses on the region’s low returns in agri fishing and natural resource degradation has led to a catch decline of
culture, unpredictable climate, high imports 25% since the 1990s, despite fishing efforts having “almost doubled”
and declining exports. These uncertainties since then.
have also dissuaded the youth from work In summary, Caribbean agriculture needs to be more inclusive, sus
ing in the sector, resulting in stagnation and tainable and competitive; this report offers the recommendations to
an absence of innovative ideas on how the industry should move make such a vision obtainable. ■
forward.
The lack of competitiveness and productivity in the region is high
lighted by the report and there is a strong emphasis on the need Study on the State of Agriculture in the Caribbean
for agriculture to diversify and embrace new solutions in order to By FAO and the Caribbean Development Bank
reflect the changing economic and social environment. The report FAO and CDB, 2019; 212pp.
also underlines that there is very much an opportunity for growth in ISBN 978-92-5131-488-3
the Caribbean agriculture sector, suggesting improved regulation in Downloadable as a PDF from: https://tinyurl.com/yxd4vspk

SPORE 194 | 43
OPINION

Willagriculture's digitalisation
bridge orwidenthegendergap?
SABDIYO DIDO BASHUNA

Digitalisation: atool for gender equality

Sabdiyo Dido Bashuna, understanding of gendered needs of 26% are less likely to use mobile inter
the agricultural workforce, neither by a net than men. By default, the significant
Senior Technical
Advisor, CTA desire to bridge the current gender gaps. number of rural women will miss out
Digital solutions aimed at increasing on the digital dividends in agriculture.
access to agronomic advice, inputs, and It is therefore essential that other deliv
Digital technologies are set to rev credit address proximity challenges. This ery systems, such as rural radio and
olutionise Africa’s agriculture and is a crucial first step, but fails to influ women’s peer networks, are used as
value chains. From tools for predictive ence the gender barriers that underlie complementary approaches to reaching
weather analysis and advisory services, effective use of services. women farmers and entrepreneurs.
to market linkages, financial access The design of digital solutions needs
and macro agricultural intelligence, the to be underpinned by an understand 3) Ease of use of digital technologies
sector is abuzz with ground-breaking ing of socio-economic and cultural Digital technologies are generally
digital innovations that are chang influences on digital technology use; intimidating for users of low literacy
ing how agricultural information is decision structures that determine farm levels. Two thirds of the world’s illiter-
shared, services accessed and produce resources allocation; women-learning ate are rural women, and digital literacy
marketed. Through digitally-enabled pathways and the agency to act based amongst women is far lower than for
agriculture, smallholder famers have on means and preference-based sup men. When designing digital solutions
digital identities that include farm data port. These important prerequisites for agriculture, simplicity and ease of
and ecological information, which ena have posed key failures for agri-tech use is key in attracting women farmers
bles them to access tailored agronomic, transfer in the past, such as lack of and entrepreneurs. Designing and deliv
market and credit services. According gender disaggregated data on needs, ering services through local languages
to CTA and Dalberg Advisors’ 2019 means and preferences. To address can also facilitate access for more female
Digitalisation of African Agriculture Report, this, digital technology providers could, users. Additionally, going beyond SMS
up to 390 digital solutions are opera- among other measures, partner with to IVR (Interactive Voice Response) to
tional, serving different segments of socio-purpose organisations to reflect simplify content cultivates interest from
agricultural value chains. gender and other human elements female users. Using peer networks, like
Of the agricultural workforce in when designing solutions. facilitating young digital entrepreneurs
sub-Saharan Africa, 40-50% are women, to not only market the solutions but also
whose productivity, according to FAO 2)Working within women's time show scope for usability among women
and World Bank studies, is 20-30% less and space could offer promise for faster recruit
than men. This gap is attributed to gen- Most digital solutions in agriculture ment of women users.
der differentials in access to productive have delivery systems that are phone
resources and services. Digital solutions based and rely on availability of a 4)Cost of digital services
have enormous potential to bridge this mobile network. Access to agricultural Experiences from our current pro
gender gap, yet according to the CTA/ resources and services through mobile jects show that a high percentage of
Dalberg study, women only constitute phones means that rural women have women adopt digital services when
25% of 33 million smallholder users. the convenience to access informa- they are subsidised, reinforcing the
There are four imperatives to ensure tion and learning resources in their belief that women are more receptive to
digitalisation bridges the gender gaps in own time, and within their own innovations, but, as the grants end and
agriculture: space. However, according to the GSM services become more commercial, the
Association, which represents the percentage of women users drops. This
1) Reflecting gendered needs world’s mobile industry, women in low is a clear indicator that cost becomes a
Design of digital solutions in agricul income countries are 10% less likely to barrier to the continued use of digital
ture is not necessarily driven by sound own a mobile phone and, on average, services. ■

44 | SPORE 194
SWETHA TOTAPALLY

D4Agandgender: bridging the gap

focuses on two related explanations: experts, competing interests can stifle
Swetha Totapally, I) women don’t have sufficient access cooperation. Without donor focus
Associate Partner, to digital devices and tools; and, II) they and prioritisation, we are unlikely to
Dalberg Advisors face greater digital and general literacy see commercial enterprises make the
challenges than men, making it difficult shift themselves.
The need to bridge the gender gap in for them to take advantage of the solu Overcoming the intent gap is a
agriculture is clear. Despite making up tions. While both of those points are precursor to helping women use dig
at least 40-50% of the farmer popula- true and important, I think our sector is italisation to support their activities
tion in sub-Saharan Africa, women face overlooking an equally important chal- in agriculture. Donors have a key role
disadvantages in accessing enablers that lenge: explicit intent to serve women. in leading the way. They can also help
help facilitate equitable participation The reality is that the D4Ag worlds and reduce the cost of doing business for
and value capture in agricultural mar gender worlds don’t have sufficient enterprises by increasing the time
kets. These include access to inputs and overlap: needed for investments in organisations
assets; drivers of strong market linkages • D4Ag enterprises are focused on that prioritise women; developing gen-
such as market intelligence; mobility building business models that work, der disaggregated data; funding studies
and buyer connections; access to basic and these enterprises feel that on how women would want to use
infrastructure, and a supportive enabling focusing on women (who, as stated digital solutions, supporting the use of
environment. Women in agriculture are earlier, face more challenges than extension agents; and helping connect
under-represented in skilled jobs, and men) would make their work much D4Ag enterprises with local partners
female-headed households experience harder. In the course of our research of focused on gender. We have a significant
lower productivity and lower income nearly 400 enterprises, we struggled opportunity to change course before the
than male-headed households. to find organisations that specifically divide becomes even larger, and harder
By offering better information and focused on reaching women. Until to alter.
skills to women, connecting them with commercial enterprises actually Bridging the divide means that
buyers, and informing and supporting choose to serve women and see them donors will need to work differently
the enforcement of policy, digitalisation as important long-term customers, internally (e.g. pairing gender experts
for agriculture (D4Ag) solutions could meaningful change in terms of access with or even embedding them within
make a meaningful impact in access to is unlikely. agriculture teams giving grants), and
these drivers and outcomes for female • Some donors have made main even prioritise different metrics and
farmers. Yet, as highlighted in the opin streaming gender into digital criteria for success. Working differently
ion piece by CTA’s Sabdiyo Dido, we solutions for agriculture a priority. is a matter of will, choice and human
are a long way away from realising that In most cases however, donors still relationships. Sometimes, that can be
potential. separate agriculture portfolios from harder than finding the next trendy
Only 25% of users of D4Ag solutions gender portfolios and even when company to back, but don’t we owe it to
are women and the discourse mostly gender experts work with agricultural our women farmers to do so? ■

Poll
Other debates
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SPORE 194 | 45
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