The digital agricultural sector is complex with numerous actors developing, implementing and utilizing a range of digital solutions and services. Examples of such solutions include the provision of market price information, weather and crop information and apps connecting farmers with buyers across the value chain. However, the sector is still fragmented with many initiatives across countries and limited strategic partnerships and investments, thus hampering the growth of the sector and limiting the benefits for farmers and local value chains. It is still difficult for stakeholders to discover what is going on, meet other parties and make effective investment and partnership matches. Also, insights into the trends and impacts across geographies are inadequate or non-existent, making it difficult for donors and investors to determine and evaluate their investment strategies. While they might be motivated to contribute to impactful digital solutions, adequate information is often lacking, leading to more sector fragmentation.
To overcome fragmentation an overview is required for all stakeholders to have the same information and be able to connect. Digital Agri Hub provides this overview through a curated repository of digital solutions in Low and Middle Income Countries. Digital Agri Hub serves as a digital networking platform where different stakeholders - for example digital solution providers, donors, investors, policy makers and incubators - can meet and where strategic matchmaking can take place. The Hub offers a knowledge base which unlocks an exhaustive overview of world-wide digital solutions in agriculture. It uses that information and sector knowledge to publish valuable insights on the evolution of digital agriculture. As such, it is a valuable source for donors, investors and other actors in the digitalisation ecosystem for agriculture. It helps them to get better insights in the current state of play of the sector and where to invest for impact. The platform also allows providers to showcase their digital solutions and helps start-ups to find interested partners and investors to support the upscaling of their innovations.
Small holder farmers need reliable digital solutions that stay available and provide more and better services. The Digital Agri Hub supports the development of these digital solutions by strengthening the partnerships around them, allowing the digital solutions to scale and become robust services. The network around the Digital Agri Hub has evolved into a stronger network for matchmaking, knowledge sharing and learning in the sector, thereby overcoming fragmentation and duplication. By maintaining a global knowledge base, the Digital Agri Hub will proactively identify market gaps requiring further investment and development between global actors. The Hub will specifically catalyse digitalisation that improves the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and supports more inclusive and climate resilient, digitally driven agriculture.
