Unlocking the Power of Digital Farmer Services: A Deep Dive into the 'Meaningful Use' Framework

On November 7, 2024, the World Bank’s Data-Driven Digital Agriculture and Innovation Team hosted a webinar titled “Unlocking the Power of Digital Farmer Services: Exploring the 'Meaningful Use' Framework.” This event, part of the "What’s Cooking Digital Agriculture Learning Series," brought together industry leaders, innovators, and experts to explore how digital solutions can create real, tangible benefits for smallholder farmers. The session featured key insights from industry leaders, including Ellie Turner ( 60 Decibels ) , Phyian Karinge ( agriBORA ), Sheena Raikundalia ( Kuza ), Rajesh Ranjan ( Krishify ), and senior experts from The World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Parmesh Shah , Global Lead for Data and Digital Agriculture at The World Bank, opened the discussion by emphasizing the need to move beyond simple metrics like registration rates and explore the value digital services bring to farmers' lives. Shah highlighted how data-driven insights could pave the way for a more impactful, scalable, and sustainable digital agriculture ecosystem. By measuring consistent and meaningful use, digital solutions can transform from mere tools to integral components of farmers' livelihoods.

The Motivation Behind 'Meaningful Use'

The discussion kicked off with an introduction to 60 Decibels’ “Meaningful Use” framework. Unlike traditional measures that focus solely on registration or usage rates, this approach emphasizes understanding the actual value that farmers derive from digital services. The motivation was clear: to bridge the gap between service provision and meaningful farmer impact by measuring consistent use, satisfaction, and value creation.

Data-Driven Insights: Benchmarking Impact Performance

Using data from nearly 5,000 digital farmer services (DFS) users across 18 companies, the framework benchmarked social performance, offering insights into what farmers find valuable and impactful. The methodology involved direct conversations with farmers through standardized 15-minute surveys conducted by trained research assistants. This approach enabled nuanced, scalable impact measurement.

Highlights from Innovator Spotlights: Krishify, AgriBORA, and Kuza

1. Krishify: Krishify’s platform provides advisory services that significantly impact farm productivity. With a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 72%, it demonstrates high user satisfaction. A user shared how Krishify’s advice saved a cumin crop from disease, resulting in a successful harvest. Such testimonials underscore the platform’s practical, life-changing benefits.
2. AgriBORA: Addressing key challenges like access to financing, market linkages, and climate risks, AgriBORA uses a B2B2C model to empower grassroots agri-businesses. By creating digital transaction histories, it helps farmers build digital footprints, facilitating access to financial services and market aggregation. AgriBORA’s user base reported substantial improvements in resilience to climate shocks and better market access, with 64% of users noting a significant improvement in their farming seasons.
3. Kuza: Kuza combines technology with human touch, using a people-to-platform approach to empower rural youth as “agripreneurs.” Its digital toolkit for extension and digital marketplace solutions help farmers access timely advisory services and market linkages. By delivering content through self-powered, portable digital kits, Kuza ensures even remote farmers can access critical information without the need for internet connectivity. Notably, 61% of users reported improved resilience to climate shocks due to Kuza’s support.

Key Takeaways from the Panel Discussion

The panel discussion, featuring leaders from the highlighted agtechs and experts from 60 Decibels, delved deeper into how digital solutions can generate meaningful, lasting impacts. Key insights included:

1. Value-Driven Adoption: Measuring value is crucial for understanding whether a digital solution truly benefits farmers. Solutions that deliver tangible improvements in productivity, resilience, and market access have a greater chance of driving ongoing, user-driven adoption.
2. Integrating Technology and Human Touch: Successful digital farmer services often combine technological innovations with on-the-ground human support. AgriBORA and Kuza exemplify this approach by leveraging local agribusinesses and rural youth to bridge gaps in technology adoption.
3. Feedback Loops for Continuous Improvement: Regular, structured feedback from users allows digital service providers to fine-tune their offerings. AgriBORA, for instance, used feedback from 60 Decibels’ study to retain a service that was undervalued internally but deeply appreciated by farmers.
4. Gender Inclusion and Climate Resilience: Addressing the unique needs of women farmers and improving climate resilience are critical for driving systemic change. Kuza’s efforts in these areas, with 64% of its users being women, demonstrate the power of targeted, inclusive interventions.
5. Challenges and the Path Forward: The discussion acknowledged challenges in scaling digital solutions, such as reaching farmers without phones and ensuring meaningful engagement across diverse contexts. However, the potential to create scalable, impact-driven ecosystems remains strong.

Measuring Impact: The 'Meaningful Use' Metrics

60 Decibels’ framework emphasizes three core metrics to assess meaningful use:

• Extent of Needs Met: Did the DFS meet none, some, most, or all of the farmer’s needs?
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): How likely is the farmer to recommend the service?
• Impact on Farming Season: Did the DFS improve the farmer’s overall experience during the most recent farming season?

By focusing on these metrics, providers can gain insights into user satisfaction, perceived value, and potential areas for improvement.

Creating Lasting Change Through Collaboration

The session concluded with a call for greater collaboration among digital service providers, policymakers, and researchers. The challenges facing smallholder farmers are too complex for any one organization to solve alone. By working together and leveraging shared insights, the sector can drive more meaningful, sustainable change.

Conclusion

The webinar on “Unlocking the Power of Digital Farmer Services” highlighted the critical importance of measuring and delivering meaningful value to smallholder farmers. Through innovative solutions, targeted interventions, and robust impact measurement, digital platforms have the potential to transform lives and build resilient, thriving agricultural communities.