CASA partners with AgDevCo to encourage agribusinesses to use agri-tech to access small-scale producers

AgDevCo’s upcoming online knowledge sharing event Navigating the agri-tech landscape will set out the case for agribusiness to invest in communication technologies to help them source produce from small-scale farmers. Central to this are devices, networking components, applications and systems that can disseminate information and knowledge amongst small-scale farmers and simplify payments and logistical issues. This is a passion shared by AgDevCo’s Smallholder Development Unit (SDU) and CASA.

Alvaro Valverde, CASA relationship manager, said :“The upcoming knowledge sharing event is a great opportunity to bring insights from two different elements of the CASA programme to a wider audience.  My presentation will be based on my 2020 report, Information and communication technologies: for improving investment readiness of small and medium agribusinesses. The event  will also be drawing on the work of the CASA Technical Assistance Facility.”

The second panellist is Nairobi-based agri-tech specialist Matt Capelli. He supports business transformation projects for the SDU and works as part of the delivery team for the CASA Technical Assistance Facility. Matt’s presentation will provide a few simple rules and proven strategies that sort out how to identify and implement technologies and when to do it.

Sandi Roberts, who heads up the SDU, explains why the knowledge sharing event is necessary: “With new technologies appearing every day, it is often difficult to ascertain which ones are right for your business. Businesses often go to implement these new tools, only to find that they cannot be sustained in the long-term, either because they are too expensive (especially in the absence of technical assistance or grant funding), or because they cannot be scaled in the way that businesses expect. Many agribusinesses find themselves asking, “why is this so hard?” – though the answer may not be as complex as we might at first expect.

Update: The event took place on Thursday 18 February 2021. Click here to listen to the webinar.