Revolutionizing Agriculture with Ag-tech

The latest trends and disruptions affecting the agricultural supply chains, like changes in nutrition preferences towards higher value, perishable agricultural and livestock products, and increasing urbanization, have led to the emergence of innovative micro and small ag-techs proposing new business models. These start-ups can take the form of small shops distributing inputs, to new businesses across the logistics, farm mechanization, processing and distribution spectrum. Like any other small enterprise operating in the agriculture sector, these new start-ups struggle to access the financial and operational support they need to meet their growth ambitions. This webinar will explore which innovations these ag-tech can draw on within these same areas of support.

The first area of focus will be on ag-tech solutions are a beacon of innovation that promises to rejuvenate agriculture. New technologies, including digital technologies, have become a key factor to increase productivity and drive sustainability in agricultural supply chains from farm to fork. Simultaneously, the advent of digital technologies, services and tools heralds a new era for innovative ‘agripreneurs’ that capitalize on new technologies to deliver higher value processing.

However, the journey does not end with the provision of tools and technologies. The true measure of success lies in nurturing agribusiness start-ups, the sprouting seeds of the industry, through a spectrum of services, from tailored financing to non-financial support, addressing key challenges, and learning from the experiences of those who have walked the path before.

This event delves into the innovative world of ag-tech solutions targeting commercial agricultural enterprises in the micro and small segments. Two broad categories of providers will be explored:

• Business to Consumer (B2C) models through which ag-techs create an ecosystem of services for farmers and agribusinesses through comprehensive platforms. Services and products range from input distribution and finance, agronomic advisory, mechanization services, and sales to off-takers.
• Business to Business (B2B) models in which ag-techs offer services to financial institutions (banks and micro-finance institutions) and agribusiness firms to collect and process data and information that can improve credit facilitation and supply chain management.

During this session, speakers will explore how these models directly or indirectly facilitate finance for micro and small agribusinesses through their platforms. They will also consider how these solutions use on-the-ground expertise to ensure their success and deliver value to all stakeholders in agricultural value chains.