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AGRIinsight platform will reduce cost and risk of investing in Africa’s agriculture sector
AGRIinsight will start work later this month in Tanzania. The assignment focuses on the support of an agribusiness investment agency based in Dar es Salaam. AGRIinsight will provide an online “client space” where relevant information is organized, deposited in various forms and imagery, to which access is facilitated to advance the agency’s objectives. AGRIinsight will give users tools to map locations of agri-businesses and infrastructure, aggregate relevant information and enable targeted information sharing within different value chains, projects or investments. AGRIinsight will also be providing training to agency staff to map a wide range of organisations involved in agriculture in specific high productive regions of the country. Ultimately, the work will enhance and crowd in investment into the region and thereby help develop a vibrant and profitable farming and agribusiness sector.
In March, in collaboration with its Ethiopian partner, Geospatial Analytical Services (GeoSAS), AGRIinsight will also deploy the online platform within organisations who have a pressing need to better understand and use the natural resource base and evolving commercial landscape of Ethiopia. The initial work will focus on identifying the range and types of data that are publically available. The aim will be to use the platform to determine the most effective ways of managing, packaging and presenting the data in a way that enables organisations to make better, more informed and commercially sound decisions.
AGRIinsight has secured co-funding for this work from the UK’s Innovation Agency, Innovate UK.
“We are very excited to be working with our colleagues in Tanzania,” says Patrick Guyver, CEO of AGRIinsight. “It’s a challenging but ultimately very important assignment. The aim is to visualise the agricultural landscape of an area the size of Belgium. But once completed it will have overcome one of the key challenges by bringing together relevant and reliable data onto one platform.”
“The Ethiopian work will open upa wide range of market opportunities in the country and beyond,” Patrick continues, “It has become increasingly clear that access to information is the major gap in the market, and the main obstacle to a better functioning sector capable of attracting greater investment. By providing clear, relevant, and usable data that can be tailored to each organisation’s individual needs, the AGRIinsight platform will plug the information gap and reduce the cost and risk of investing in agriculture, helping the agriculture sector deliver on its potential.”
The platform gives users the ability to search for agribusinesses using spatial or non-spatial search tools as well as allowing users to define information to be stored against each agribusiness profile and control how this information is shared amongst other users. The mapping tools will also allow organisations involved in the sector to target their support and resources to maximise impact, improving logistical and operational efficiency and boost growth. Improved visibility and consolidation of reliable information will raise awareness of unexploited opportunities in the sector, driving investment by reducing both cost and risk.
Africa’s agriculture sector presents vast opportunities for socioeconomic development. With a world population increasing by a further 2 billion by 2050, global food production must double. However, investment in sub-Saharan Africa remains a fraction of what is needed. Agriculture and agribusiness together are projected to be a USD 1 trillion industry with urban food markets set to increase fourfold to exceed USD 400 billion by 2030. This will require major agribusiness investments in production, processing, logistics, market infrastructure, and retail network.
One of the main obstacles has been the lack of reliable information available on agriculture in the region. Information, when it is available, is often in different formats embedded in word or pdf documents, excel spreadsheets or databases. AGRIinsight overcomes these challenges by bringing together relevant and reliable data onto one platform. The visual representation of the data in context of other information is incredibly useful and valuable to businesses of all types and sizes. AGRIinsight provides users of the platform with the ability to translate, visualise, and share – making relevant information easily understandable. This generates real insights – AGRIinsights.
AGRIinsight Ltd, are alumni of Allia Future Business Centre in Cambridge and are now part of a growing group of impact ventures supported by Serious Impact, also based out of Allia’s Future Business Centre. Serious Impact provides a range of free programmes to support and energise entrepreneurs to develop and grow ventures that make a positive impact on people, planet or place. AgriInsight were also provided with business support under Cambridge Social Ventures.
About AGRIinsight
AGRIinsight is a UK-based company developing innovative technologies to be used in emerging markets. AGRIinsight has developed an online platform that has a powerful geo-visualisation interface, relevant map overlays and search and communication tools that enables users to store, visualise and analyse private and public data in context, create new insights, connect and collaborate with agribusinesses including smallholder farmers to create sustainable and profitable supply chains. Visit www.agriinsight.com to learn more about AGRIinsight and register your interest in the online platform.
About Allia
Allia is a Cambridge based UK charity that started in 1999. It supports people and organisations to create a positive impact through enterprise. Allia does this in three ways: through social finance, through social innovation and through workspace with enterprise support. Allia has Future Business Centres in Cambridge and Peterborough. They are a home for enterprises who want to create an impact for people or the planet and provide start-ups and growing enterprises with high quality affordable workspace, expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to help build a successful business, co-locating with like-minded organisations.
For more information see www.seriousimpact.co.uk, www.allia.org.uk and www.futurebusinesscentre.co.uk
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