Written by Ellie Turner and Danny DeBare.
In the 21st century, agriculture faces unique challenges, including a growing global population, climate change, and the urgent need to achieve net zero emissions. Digital technologies in agriculture will play a pivotal role in this transformation, reshaping the global food supply chain and bolstering food security. The surge in digital solutions for the agriculture sector is exciting, but these products aren’t yet reaching the scale needed to redefine the sector landscape, empowering all farmers with the necessary tools to build more sustainable food systems.
One leader in the space, GIZ (the German Agency for International Cooperation) plays a significant role in fostering these innovations through the Scaling digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) project. The program’s goal is to enhance the investment readiness of start-ups in Africa that are focused on developing innovative digital solutions in the Agtech, FoodTech and ClimateTech sectors, facilitating their access to investments and business partners. By building technological skills and facilitating growth partnerships, SAIS contributes to the digitalization of agriculture, advancing the development of key products and achieving tangible and positive impacts at the local level. At 60 Decibels, we collaborate with SAIS to understand and amplify the impact of these startups on the farmers they serve, focusing on enhancing resilience and productivity in the face of climate challenges.
MooMe, a Tunisian AgTech Startup, is transforming the Tunisian dairy market through advanced digital solutions. The MooMe application helps farmers track every aspect of their dairy farms, like animal reproduction, milk production, feed consumption and overall farm’s economics. By digitizing dairy farmers, MooMe improves access to and use of data throughout the value chain, improving advisory services, access to finance, and compliance risk management.
The results of a survey conducted by 60 Decibels in October 2023, involving 278 farmers using the MooMe app, highlight its positive impact. Over 25% of farmers report using the MooMe app at least once a day, and 74% of farmers say they’re applying ‘all’ or ‘most’ of the app’s alerts. As a result, 72% of farmers reported an increase in production, and 65% experienced a rise in earnings, attributed to enhanced sales volumes and reduced costs.
Beyond the usage of MooMe, 91% of the farmers indicated that this app had increased their comfort with using digital tools, signaling a major shift towards digital technology adoption in agricultural practices. As digital tools permeate the agricultural landscape, increased digital literacy may accelerate the adoption rates of other digital tools.
To help understand how their solution is affecting farmers’ vulnerability to climate shocks, MooMe incorporated the 60dB Climate Resilience Assessment into their project. The module captures nine indicators of farmers’ perceived and realized resilience, revealing promising outcomes. Nearly half of the farmers felt more prepared for unexpected weather events and more knowledgeable about adaptation strategies, aligning with MooMe’s role as an information tool. 55% of the farmers reported improved financial resilience, correlating with the increased earnings reported. Among the farmers who had experienced a shock in the past two years, 58% stated that MooMe had positively influenced their recovery. As climate change’s impacts become more wide-reaching, digital tools like MooMe will be key to giving farmers the most up to date, helpful information.
The role of digital solutions, like MooMe, in enhancing agricultural resilience is a testament to the power of effective digital solutions in the face of changing weather patterns. Initiatives like SAIS are crucial in supporting these innovations, ultimately contributing to the sustainable development of the agriculture sector in Africa and beyond.
For more information on the GIZ-SAIS project and its objectives, you can visit their official website or LinkedIn page. To learn more about MooMe and its offerings, please check out their website. For insights into measuring climate resilience, see here.
