smallholder farmers and loan portfolio monitoring and risk assessment for MFIs. End users will interact with the CommonS
CommonSense Geodata for Agriculture and Water (G4AW) improves food security in developing countries by using satellite data. Netherlands Space Office (NSO) is executing this programme, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The CommonSense project in Ethiopia targets smallholder farmers in four regions in the country, directly or through actors across their value chain including unions, cooperatives, and microfinance institutions (MFIs). By providing them with actionable information based on earth observations and geographic data, the project aims to strengthen these value chains and eventually improve their livelihoods and food security. CommonSense is developing a platform of specialized information services including a.o. dashboard and applications for crop monitoring, yield forecasting for smallholder farmers and loan portfolio monitoring and risk assessment for MFIs. End users will interact with the CommonSense platform through applications designed to meet their specific needs.
Key Users CommonSense targets smallholder farmers (sesame, sorghum). CommonSense will provide farmers information, such as weather forecasts, to help them make more informed decisions on farming activities. Other targeted users within the CommonSense business model include: unions and cooperatives, out-growers organisations, microfinance institutions, Ethiopian Government. The Ethiopian Government, in particular the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MoANR) is interested in data which can help making decisions for policy, planning, extension. CommonSense will support government by providing a broad view on the performance of its agricultural sector in the areas of interest. Business model The business model is based on a license model. Farmers unions and other users will pay annual fees to access the services.
The advisory and microfinance services will use a framework of information from satellites, weather forecasts, crop simulation models and agronomic expertise
Partnership The CommonSense partnership consists of the following partners that complement each other’s skills and interests:
Meteorology Agency, the Federal Cooperative Agency and other government organisations of Ethiopia. It is also cooperating with Agriterra (Netherlands).
• A lterra, Wageningen-UR, (Netherlands) project lead, agricultural monitoring and risk assessment. It also links with the WUR BENEFIT project in Ethiopia, which include the Sesame Business Network support programme and CASCAPE (best farming practices) • IT platform & business development: APPOSIT (Ethiopia) • User needs assessment, pilots and capacity building: Exotalent (Ethiopia) • Microfinance institutions: Busaa Gonofaa (Ethiopia), SFPI (Ethiopia), HARBU Microfinance Institution (Ethiopia) and ICCO/TerraFina (Netherlands) • Remote sensing services: Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands (Netherlands) • Weather information services: Weather Impact (Netherlands).
Contact Lead Organisation:
Tomaso Ceccarelli, tomaso.ceccarelli&wur.nl
NSO Project Advisor:
Mark Loos,
[email protected]
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The project has established a Memorandum of Understanding with the MoANR and is collaborating with the National
GEODATA FOR AGRICULTURE AND WATER This is a publication of Netherlands Space Office, in collaboration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs © Netherlands Space Office (August 2016) Disclaimer: No rights can be derived from the information provided in this notice. The policies and provisions laid down in the publication of the G4AW Facility in the Government Gazette are leading.
Harbu Microfinance Institution S.C
