Assane Gueye: Empowering African Farmers through Digital Solutions
Assane Gueye, a Senegalese entrepreneur, firmly believes that without access to digital information and tools, Africa will not be able to win the battle for food security. His agritech solutions aim to make farmers informed decision-makers, capable of planning, producing, and selling at the right price. African agriculture is making giant strides towards digitalization, and for Assane Gueye, this evolution is not just about connecting fields, but also about empowering farmers themselves.
The Importance of Data-Driven Decision Making
Assane Gueye's philosophy is that in the absence of accurate data and a clear understanding of markets, farmers remain in a state of insecurity, despite their crucial role in the food sector. During the GAICA 2025 event, he presented a range of digital tools designed for small and medium-sized farmers. At the heart of the mechanism is an "intelligent calculator" that allows farmers to simulate their season: choosing crops, volumes, costs, selling prices, and financing needs. "Thanks to this tool," he explains, "farmers can optimize their production and better respond to market needs." In other words, they can shift from a logic of subsistence to a strategy based on data-driven decision making.
A Comprehensive Platform for Farmers
The platform Assane Gueye is designing goes beyond simple planning. It offers the opportunity to obtain technical recommendations, market data, financial allies, and structured business perspectives. The goal is twofold: to ensure a more reliable income and reduce post-harvest losses by guiding production towards the right buyers at the right time.
Social and Environmental Impact
Assane Gueye emphasizes the social and environmental impact of this approach. Digital tools, by supporting farmers in optimizing their resources, land, and agricultural planning, promote more judicious management of water, fertilizers, and land. They also free up time and visibility for farmers to invest in training, diversification, or local transformation.
Scaling Up the Solution
To achieve large-scale implementation, Assane Gueye highlights three essential elements: financing, to deploy solutions beyond pilot projects; digital infrastructure, to connect rural areas; and training, to introduce farmers to these new instruments. He considers initiatives like Tunisia's Startup Act as a model to follow for structuring the African innovation ecosystem in the agricultural sector more effectively.
A Vision for the Future
Assane Gueye envisions an African farmer in 2050 who is connected, trained, and able to make decisions in real-time based on reliable data. A farmer who manages their resources like a business manager and actively participates in sustainable food sovereignty. For him, technology is not an end in itself, but a catalyst for dignity and pride in the African rural world.
