Manobi: African Innovation for Smallholder Farming

Since 2002, Manobi a company based in Senegal, brings farmers services to fill their market linkage gaps:

• In Niayes, a farmer checks market prices in real time on his/her mobile phone to negotiate with the wholesaler and obtain the best prices.
• In Tambacounda, Senegal, groups of Sterculia gum growers use their mobile phone to inform their contract buyers about their inventory.
• In Sikasso, Mali, mango growers record information on every step of the process to trace their products for export markets in compliance with Global Gap requirements.

These examples show how Manobi uses mobile phone technology to help small scale farmers play a more active role in the product value chain. An innovative business model developed by Manobi supports the delivery of the services while creating a sustainable ecosystem for the farmers and all the value chain operators.

This model is going to be extended in West and Central Africa in partnership with international organisations and private foundations which have joined Manobi aiming to reach 650 000 farmers by 2011. Mobile operators and suppliers also support the project which makes rural communities much more attractive by transforming the mobile phone into a business tool.

Source: Daniel Annerose, CEO, Manobi.