Read about out-of-the-box thinking by agri-companies, development cooperations and tech startups in Agriterra's magazine 'Beyond the Blockchain'
In the third edition of the Mauritshuis conventions, Agriterra brought together companies concerned with farmers’ organisations and cooperatives. Our goal was to show the business opportunities that family farmers in developing countries have to offer. Across Asia, Africa and Latin America, many small-scale farmers are facing a reduced volume of production. Building strong chains with cooperatives, like we did with seed and sourcing companies, can help us solve this problem.
Technological developments like blockchains are increasingly helpful to involve small-scale farmers. However, scaling up the many available, successfully piloted solutions, for phytosanitary assistance or digital payments for example, is hindered by the costs. Not to mention access to (phone) connectivity and digital literacy skills. ‘We think the answer lies in involving the whole value chain in a common production plan and bundling their solutions, as well as involving the farmers themselves.’ We need to earn the farmers’ trust, to show them there are financial opportunities for them. And we need ambitious cooperatives to lead the way.
Our magazine Beyond the Blockchain offers concrete examples where Agriterra can add value: from involving farmers in the development of new internet applications, train and advise farmers on subjects such as connectivity, digital literacy skills, privacy and data ownership. We also explore how farmers can be involved in the development of applications for the Internet of Things – an opportunity for farmers to start a movement to put farmers’ interests first. Through out-of-thebox thinking by agri-companies, development cooperations and tech startups, Agriterra is setting the stage for a new phase in our ‘Small farmers, big deal’ campaign.
