Adri Bakker (Netherlands Space Office) presented at the 2nd International Workshop: Creating Impact with Open Data in Agriculture and Nutrition in The Hague, 11 September 2015.

1. 1
How to create impact with open
data for Agriculture and Nutrition
Bridging the last mile
to smallholder farmers
(business) models for
innovative agriculture
advisory and financial
services
Adriaan Bakker

2. 2
About NSO
• Space agency of the Netherlands
government (established 2009)
• Reporting to:
1. Ministry of Economic Affairs
2. Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment
3. Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
4. Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research
(NWO)
• Task: to develop and implement
Netherlands Space programme
• Outcome: space applications for
science, economy and society

3. 3Netherlands Space Office
What will be the number of
earth observation satellites
in orbit in 2025?

4. 4Netherlands Space Office
A: <100
B: < 1,000
C: >1,000

5. 5Netherlands Space Office
C: >1,000

6. 6Netherlands Space Office
content:
1. introduction G4AW programme
2. trends in Earth Observation
2. services and principles
3. challenges and success
4. businessmodels
5. key factors for success

7. 7
Geodata for Agriculture and Water (G4AW) improves food
security in developing countries by using satellite data.
Netherlands Space Office (NSO) is executing this program,
commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

8. 8
G4AW partner countries
Angola
Bangladesh
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Ethiopia
Ghana
Indonesia
Kenya
Laos
Malawi
Mali
Mozambique
Myanmar
Niger
Rwanda
Senegal
South Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
partner countries in transition:
Colombia
South Africa
Vietnam

9. 9
Objectives
• Aim:
- Reach > 3 million food producers
- With relevant information, advices or (financial) products
based on satellite and other data
• Outcome:
- improved sustainable food production, more effective use
of inputs (water, nutrients), and economic development
(>10%)
- stimulating private investments
- leading to financially sustainable services

10. 10
Key elements
Budget 2 calls 39,5 mio
Subsidy (max.) 70% for 23 countries, 60% for 3 countries in transition
Grant between 0.5 – 5.0 mio €
Project User driven, partnership, business plan, information
service (satellite data are indispensable and are at the
start of the information chain)
Project duration 3 years (optional 1 yr extension)
Results Beneficial and timely agri, meteorological and /or
financial/insurance products
Website www.spaceoffice.nl/g4aw

11. 11
information needs
• Need for information on, e.g.:
- Land use (change)
- Agricultural farm management/yields
- Water availability & usage
- Climate change and behaviour
• Actual & historical data
- Consisistency over time & space
- (Long) time series

12. 12
Information chain – services
customers

13. 13
Stakeholders for information
1. governments
2. agri businesses / industery
3. civil society organisaties
4. farmers and citizens

14. 14
Value chain
from information to services;
adding value for a services

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trends in Earth Observation:
• Availability  many more satellites: e.g. EC Copernicus,
small satellite constellations
• Accessibility  ICT, the Cloud
• Adaptability  standards, adaptable usage (GIS/mobile)
• Affordability  free/low cost data, lower cost value adding
• Acceptability  fit-to-purpose, increased quality level

16. 16
Climate
Land
Monitoring
Atmosphere
Monitoring
Emergency
Management
Marine
Environment
Security
Each type of satellite: 2 in space, 1 spare on ground
2014
2015
2016
2017
2017

17. 17
Private sector initiatives (Just arrived /
coming soon)
PlanetLabs?BlackBridge/RapidEye
PlanetLabs-Doves
Cosmic-2
Google SkyBox
Satellogic-BugSat
BlackSky
GeoOptics-Cicero
Spire-Stratos
PlanetiQ
QB50
UrtheCast
MenaSat-GulfSAR
More?

18. 18
Sentinels
ESA
groundstation
ESA-site (Brussels)
NL users
KNMI Datacentre
Core
Ground Segment
Integrated
Ground Segment
Free data/Open data
Other free data sets from satellites
• Proba-V data
• 3rd party missions (ESA)
• Landsat-data
• Aqua, Terra, etc.

19. 19
4 different type of services
1. Farm management/Crop managment
2. Weather services
3. (Index) Crop insurances
4. Early warning (Floods and extensive droughts)

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Land cover maps
Soil maps
Index based
Micro insurance
Irrigation advice
Crop growth
monitoring
Advice, warnings
GPS, meteo
Yield forecasts
Land cover maps
Soil maps
www.eTransformAfrica.org
Potential uses

21. 2121
Index insurance service chain

22. 22
…..
NGO’s Networker
parties
Aggregators
(Agri)- industry
Food
industry
Inputs
industry
Insurance &
Finance
Telecom
/Satcom
Cooperatives
Agric .advisors &
Agri services
Government regulations/conditions Agri-Water-ITC & public services
Intermediary partiesProducing parties
Consumer&(Localmarkets)
Employment
agencies
Contractors
Inventory of Mechanisms and agri-chains
Smallholders
farming
Large scale
Contract farming
Government
Extension
services
Education &
information
Agri ICT (geo)
services
Institutes &
University
(R&D)
+ ao sectors
relevant
agencies

23. 23
4 principles for the G4AW projects
1. user demand driven
2. viable business model
3. solid partnership
4. information chain closed

24. 24
Principle 1; User demand driven
• Definition of user group
• Definition of other stakeholders
• Definition of user needs (user survey)
• Capacity building & training
• Cooperation with institutions connecting users
• Connecting local initiatives

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Principle 2; Business model
• Solid market analysis (users,
market volume, USP)
• Solid business strategy
• Appropriate choices in partnership
• Financially sustainable service
provision is required after project
(revenues may come from public
and private resources)

26. 26
Principle 3; Solid partnership
• Closing the information chain,
complementary, experience
• Partners bridging the last mile to
users of services
• Transparency in partnership
• Partnership agreement enclosed
with application, this is the basis
for project execution

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Principle 4; Information service
• Satellite data are at the start of the
information chain
• Based on proven technology and
services
• Transmission channel(s) reaching
users
• License-to-operate (legal, available
data)

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Challenges to overcome  G4AW
• Last mile: delivery to, communications with the user
• Usability: creating (direct) impact for user
• Information chain: from provider to user
• Organization: PPP, cultural, IPR
• Finance: investments
• Sustainability: businessmodel, LtO

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G4AW granted projects (14): success factors
• Market: Tackle a well-defined and specific problem
• Solution: Part of a portfolio of services, focus remains on a
core offer with added value for client
• License to operate: embedding in the local context
• Channel: They build on already existing delivery
mechanism(s)
• Maturity: a reproduction of an already (elsewhere)
validated service
• G4AW specific: Well-elaborated use of satellite information
& other data for food security

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Evaluating a business model

31. 31
G4AW 4 business models
1. Freemium model: free service provision
Other paying clients are financing operations
2. Loyalty model: free service provision
avoid switching clients to competitor
3. Inclusive model: paid service provision bundled into package,
e.g. insurance coupled to credit, advisory to input supplies
4. Service model: client is paying (sometimes subsidized)fee for service
provision
• Use of aggregators: telecom, bank, insurance, seed/nutrient supplier,
farmer cooperatives
• Embedding : extension officers, NGO’s, farmer cooperatives

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G4AW business models
Country Project Grantee Business Model Aggregator Embedding
BANGLADESH GEOBIS Lal Teer Seed Inclusive Seed, agents Seed, agents
BANGLADESH GEOPOTATO WUR Service unknown yet NGO
BANGLADESH IDSS ACI Inclusive Inputs, agents, Gov. inputs, Gov.
BURKINA FASO MODHEM SNV Service unknown yet Gov. & NGO
ETHIOPA CommonSense WUR Service
Cooperatices, Unions,
Bank, Insurance Gov.
ETHIOPA GIACIS ITC Inclusive
Bank, Insurance,
cooperatives & Gov. Gov.
INDONESIA G4INDO Alterra Service Insurance NGO
KENYA CROPMON SoilCares Service
Farmer cooperative;
trade association NGO
KENYA / TANZANIA GEODATICS ICS Inclusive NGO NGO
MAIL / UGANDA SumAfrica EARS Inclusive Farmer cooperative
Farmer
cooperative
MALI STAMP SNV Service Mobile NGO
SOUTH AFRICA R4A ARC Freemium unknown yet Gov. & NGO
UGANDA MUIIS CTA Freemium & Service
Farmer federation,
unions Agents
VIETNAM AGRI.ONE VinaNed Loyalty Nutrient, Mobile, Gov. Gov.

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Key factors
1. What are the information needs?
2. What are barriers for usage & implementation?
3. Role of government?
4. Role of private sector?
5. Role of international governmental organizations?

34. 34
2014-2018
G4AW stands for
• 14 projects implementing an array of services with
an open data policy approach
• gathering experiences on making business out of
data
• innovative concepts based on new technologies
• challenging (young) entrepreneurial farmer
G4AW a learning community
• need for knowledge sharing,
• a source for best practice

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Questions?
Thank you for
your attention
Website
http://g4aw.spaceoffice.nl/nl/
Contact
a.bakker@spaceoffice.nl
g4aw@spaceoffice.nl