Farmforce is tackling food’s first mile
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At a glance
- Data-based tools for stakeholders in the first-mile segment of farming
- Simplifies digital data collection and boosts productivity for smallholder farmers
- Supports ethical farming practices and sustainable sourcing and economic growth
Farmforce’s SaaS solutions provide organisations with the data they need to secure sustainable sourcing, improve farmers’ quality of life and protect the environment. “At Farmforce, food’s first mile is our passion,” says CEO Anne Jorun Aas. “We believe in building a better food supply where it starts, providing the confidence that comes from knowing the facts about your food sourcing operations in the first mile.”
CHALLENGE
There is growing awareness about how our food is produced. Consumers demand to know that what they eat is produced sustainably. But getting that certainty is difficult, especially when much of the produce and spices are produced by millions of smallholder farmers in emerging markets. These value chains are complex, with many farmers and middlemen, and often lack transparency.
BENEFITS
Building a better food supply
Farmforce offers customised digital solutions for MNCs, NGOs, cooperatives, farmers, local communities and consumers, including a farm network management tool, a solution for advanced traceability, a global management system and an enterprise-ready platform.
Farmforce’s solutions enable the various stakeholders to improve data collection and management, visibility, traceability and sustainability – ultimately yielding more vetted acres, more measurable impact on communities, more financial opportunities for farmers and more clarity for consumers.
In addition, Farmforce uses its expertise in first-mile data to help customers to tackle science-based sustainability and social challenges they face when developing regenerative agriculture plans with farmers across the globe.
MARKET POTENTIAL
Strong growth in food traceability
The global food traceability market was valued at USD 11.25 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 20.95 billion by 2026. Key factors driving market growth include rising consumer concern for food safety, high demand in emerging economies, stringent export regulations, and the increasing penetration of modern retail, such as supermarkets and hypermarkets.
Farmforce was started by the Syngenta Foundation in Kenya in 2012 to address the lack of transparency in food production. The ambition was to create a more efficient, fair and transparent relationship between the smallholder farmer and the buyer. In 2017, when realising that the solution could scale, it was decided that Farmforce needed a new “home”, and Farmforce was passed into Norwegian hands.
Farmforce now has nine years of experience and manages over 730 000 farmers in over 125 crop value chains in 15 languages on the platform. The company works closely with its customers to continually improve and innovate.
Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals
1. No povertyFarmforce’s digital platform links smallholders to the formal economy, helping to reduce poverty by allowing registered farmers to access value chains, productivity-enhancing inputs and rural financial services.
8. Decent work and economic growthFarmforce enables improved livelihoods and more stable income sources for smallholder farmers.
12. Responsible consumption and productionFarmforce enables data-driven decision making and promotes responsible agriculture production and consumption by tracking farmer activities, inputs, efficiency, quality and certification.
13. Climate actionFarmforce combats deforestation by providing GPS visibility to the individual field level, enabling organisations to avoid buying from deforested areas.
15. Life on landFarmforce promotes sustainable land use and ensures sourcing from sustainable farming areas.
Arnaud Dupuis
Marketing and Communication Manager
