Developing mAgriculture Systems: how does Text to Change do it?

This is a guest post written by Arjen Swank, from Text to Change.

The majority of the population in developing countries is dependent on agriculture to provide for their basic needs: food and capital. The OECD recognizes agriculture as one of the main drivers for poverty reduction, when the surplus of unused products can be used for trade on local or international markets. While recognizing the need for trade, the majority of the people working in agriculture don’t have access to up-to-date and reliable information to optimize their yield and trade profits. Mobile technology provides for an optimal, effective and cost-efficient way to provide the people most in need with vital information and the possibility to mutually communicate.

Text to Change (TTC) has set up a variety of mAgriculture projects in Africa and South-America where communities at grassroots level receive daily information and tips regarding agricultural practices, market prices and weather forecasts on their mobile phones. Although network coverage is sometimes challenging in rural areas throughout Africa, mobile coverage is expanding and mobile technology is rapidly gaining grounds. Already, mobile penetration in East and West African countries like Ghana, Uganda and Kenya reaches over 100%.

How does TTC work?

TTC makes use of simple, basic mobile technology to reach target audiences at grassroots level with information that is vital for optimal cultivation and trade. After creating awareness for a campaign through broadcasting on traditional mass media, as radio, television and posters, TTC focuses on narrowcasting by targeting individuals with tailor-made information through their mobile phones. People can opt-in and use the system through SMS text messaging, whereas illiterate audiences receive the required information in voice messages through an Interactive Voice Response platform (IVR). Using voice enhances accessibility and inclusiveness of the system. The information requirements differ as each party operates in various steps of the agricultural value chain. Setting up an mAgri system therefore requires careful planning and design, where it can take up to one year to align technical and content partners. The comprehensive design will ensure that all the needs of the various partners are accommodated for. Cost factors for each system are the payments for the provision of reliable data from the content providers and expenses for the technological and mobile infrastructure – the platform and the connections to the network operators. TTC supports organisations in each step of the design, implementation and evaluation phase.

Business Models

There is much debate about workable, sustainable, inclusive business models for mobile services throughout the developing world. The economic development sector, including mFishery and mAgriculture, provides perfect opportunities to implement paid services, where small payments are rewarded with valuable, reliable and up-to-date information. TTC sees an increase of interest from public and private, local African and international organisations to get involved in the development of mAgri information systems. Especially trader and commercial organisations recognize the added value of providing farmers with agronomic tips and tricks to increase their knowledge level, therewith ensuring a certain quality level of their produce. The increase in quality translates into bigger revenues and profits. Additionally, insurance companies also include information provision in their agronomical insurance packages. Their main driver being to prepare farmers for extreme weather and assist in cultivation, to decrease the loss of crops and assure crop returns.

Although today a barrier still exists for African organisations to enter trade on international markets, applying basic and simple mobile tools can close this gap rapidly. Successful mAgri projects are based on comprehensive program design, an alignment of public and private partners and implementation of intuitive, inclusive and sustainable business models, to allow African agricultural organisations onto the global marketplace.

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