APRIL 2020 FORBES AFRICA | 73FORBES AFRICA
AGRITECHO
FTEN REFERRED
to as the food
basket of the
world, the African
farming landscape is evolving.
For many smaller farmers,
it is about upscaling their
businesses, often with the help
of government, development
agencies and technology
investors. But one fact remains
the same: without access to
digitalization and data insights,
smallscale farmers will be left
behind.
“For smaller farmers, there
is a dire need for technology
services. Without these
services, farmers will not be
able to produce more food
to feed the future,” explains
Alloysius Attah, Farmerline’s
CEO. Farmerline is a Ghanaian
agritech company that uses
voice technology to help cocoa
farmers grow their business.
“We’ve found that just giving
information to farmers doesn’t
translate into change. What
we do at Farmerline is send
information to farmers on their
mobile phones in their native
languages using audio. Farmers
who cannot read or write can
still access this information –
field training, workshops...” he
adds.
Through audio, Farmerline
teaches farmers modern
practices to help them
manufacture and sell quality
produce. It is not necessarily
about expansion, but rather
building efficiencies into what
they’re already working with.
While far from a new
means of technology, radio in
Africa remains one of the most
efficient ways to reach these
kind of farmers – it’s a low-DATA
WILL
FEED
THE
FUTURE
IN A REMOTE, FARAWAY CORNER OF
THE CONTINENT, AN UNDOCUMENTED
FARMER TOILS UNDER THE HARSH
AFRICAN SUN. COLLECTING KEY DATA
ON WHERE HE COMES FROM AND
WHERE HE IS IN THE FOOD SUPPLY
CHAIN COULD HELP AGRICULTURE
FLOURISH IN AFRICA.BY TIANA CLINE