Wikifarmer to open new offices in Spain; an amazing first for the start-up and agri-food ecosystem.
Wikifarmer is a Greek start-up company that serves as an online platform offering free agriculturalknowledge to farmers and a B2B marketplace connecting suppliers with buyers of agrifood products worldwide. By democratising agricultural commerce and educating farmers on modern farming techniques, Wikifarmer aims to empower farmers and drive innovation in the agricultural industry.
2 June 2024, in Athens, Greece - Wikifarmer announced the opening of new offices in Sevilla and Valencia, with a dedicated Spanish team led by the experienced Commercial Director Miguel Colmenero, “The objective is to create a Mediterranean 'business to business' B2B Hub, uniting local producers with businesses worldwide.”
To date, Wikifarmer has helped more than 22 million farmers in over 195 countries find the information they need and sell to 7,000 'B2B' clients. Through direct sales and by introducing farmers to modern techniques, Wikifarmer has already significantly impacted the agricultural landscape.
Wikifarmer's expansion into Spain represents a significant milestone for the startup company: “The country's vibrant agri-tech start-up scene and its strong agricultural tradition make it the perfect environment for us to expand our operations.” said Co-Founder and CEO Ilias Sousis. “We are excited to collaborate with local farmers, businesses, and stakeholders to drive positive change in the agricultural industry.” Petros Sagos, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer, concludes: “Spain presents immense opportunities for scaling in food-tech start-ups, and the country's growing talent pool perfectly aligns with our innovative vision.”
Global gross production output in the agriculture market is projected to reach US$3.90 trillion in 2024, with an annual growth rate of about 5.66% (CAGR 2024-2028). By 2028, global gross production is expected to reach US$4.86 trillion, highlighting agriculture as an industry of utmost importance for the economy and social welfare. In Spain, the gross production value of the agriculture market is expected to reach US$55.79 billion in 2024[8] and US$60.77 billion by 2029, anticipating an annual growth rate of 1.72% (CAGR 2024-2029).
It is important to address that a significant number of farmers in the current climate do not have access to many modern agricultural practices, and this sector remains one of the least digitised. Recent years have shown an increased demand for food security and sustainable solutions in agri-food supply chains. This demand has been directly reflected in Wikifarmer's continuous growth, as it responds to the constant need for new technologies and ideas that have the potential to reshape our agriculture.
Wikifarmer is an ecosystem of invaluable content and agricultural products that promotes a fairer, more transparent and more sustainable value chain within the food industry, whilst providing educational resources for sustainable farming techniques. To date over 3 million words have been translated into 17 languages and prepared by university professionals, research centres, and agricultural engineers. Thanks to Wikifarmer, farmers can now sell their output to multiple buyers, achieve better prices, monitor market movements, and access international markets.
According to Miguel Colmenero, "The agri-food supply chain still has too many middlemen. Our calculations show that producers only receive an average of 20% of the value chain, despite producing the most essential part of it". Purchasing remains a complex and challenging process due to the perpetual risk of fraud and lack of trust. "It is expensive, slow, and unproductive to negotiate with several suppliers for different products," Miguel adds. "We provide a series of tools and a control panel for producers to easily market their products. We also give them promotional opportunities for their target market, and together, these can improve profits by as much as 300%.” By offering guarantees, credit & financing options, and negotiation tools for better margins, Wikifarmer also allows aggregating orders from different producers in a single shipment for further cost savings.
In conclusion, Miguel says, "Buyers can purchase products in a safe, transparent, and efficient way."