MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Ears Earth Environment Monitoring of the Netherlands Offers Climate-based Crop Microinsurance System FESA Free to Microinsurance Retailers in Africa

Ears Earth Environment Monitoring Limited, a subsidiary of the Netherlands-based remote sensing company Ears Holding, is offering its Food Early Solutions for Africa (FESA) microinsurance system free of charge to microinsurance providers. The service is based on data collected by a series of meteorological satellites operated by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), an intergovernmental organization that tracks global climate patterns. Specifically, FESA uses relative evapotranspiration data, which Ears found to be significantly correlated with crop yields. In 2012, FESA was implemented via a dozen projects in Benin, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania in partnership with microinsurance providers including PlaNet Guarantee, a member of the France-based PlaNet Finance Group. Interested organizations may apply to participate by contacting Ears at +31 15 2562404 or info[at]ears.nl with the following information: statement of interest, crop type, planting window, length of growing season and coordinates of location for which the crop insurance is to be developed. Data on the scale of Ears’ operations are not available.

By Lena Phillips, Research Associate

About Ears Holding

Ears is a Netherlands-based remote sensing company. It carries out its projects through two subsidiaries, Ears Earth Environment Monitoring Limited and Ears Plant Photosynthesis Monitoring Limited. Ears Earth uses satellite technology to create climate-related monitoring systems, mainly in Europe and Africa. It uses this data to make forecasts on processes such as crop yields and rainfall run-off on a continent-wide scale. Ears Earth has developed a microinsurance system entitled FESA (Food Early Solutions for Africa) Microinsurance. Financial data for Ears is unavailable.

About PlaNet Finance

Founded in 1998 in Paris, France, PlaNet Finance Group is a nongovernmental organization (NGO) with the mission of alleviating poverty through microfinance development. PlaNet Finance is active in approximately 80 countries as of January 2012 and is comprised of seven nonprofit and for-profit units: PlaNet Finance, which provides technical and advisory services; Planet Rating, a microfinance rating agency; PlaNIS responsAbility SAS, which specializes in advisory services and structuring and managing microfinance funds; MicroCred, an investor in microfinance; PlaNet Guarantee, which specializes in microinsurance; FinanCites, a social venture capital company; and MicroWorld.org, an internet lending platform to support microentrepreneurs. As of January 2012, PlaNet Finance Group employed 1,300 staff in 35 countries; provided technical and advisory support to 100 microfinance institutions (MFIs) through PlaNet Finance; lent USD 360 million to MFIs in 29 countries through PlaNIS responsAbility SAS; reported 80,000 actively insured clients through PlaNet Guarantee; reported 122,000 active clients via MicroCred; and provided ratings for 650 MFIs in 82 countries via Planet Rating.

Sources and Additional Resources:

Information provided to MicroCapital by Ears Earth Environment Monitoring Limited.

Ears Holding, FESA Microinsurance, http://www.ears.nl/fesa.php?lang=en

MicroCapital.org Article, 12 March 2013: “MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Uganda’s Insurance Regulator, Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A), Access to Insurance Initiative (A2ii) Seek to Expand Access to Microinsurance, Perhaps Mobile Money,” https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-ugandas-insurance-regulator-making-finance-work-for-africa-mfw4a-access-to-insurance-initiative-a2ii-seek-to-expand-access-to-microinsurance-perhaps-mobile-money/

MicroCapital.org Article, 23 February 2013: “MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: ‘Microinsurance Product Development for Microinsurance Providers;’ by Michael J. McCord; published by Microfinance Centre, Microinsurance Centre, International Fund for Agricultural Development,” https://www.microcapital.org/microfinance-paper-wrap-up-microinsurance-product-development-for-microinsurance-providers-by-michael-j-mccord-published-by-microfinance-centre-microinsurance-centre-internatio/

MicroCapital.org Article, 19 February 2013: “MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microinsurance Network Expects Industry to Double Reaching 1b Customers by 2020,” https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-microinsurance-network-expects-industry-to-double-reaching-1b-customers-by-2020/

MicroCapital.org Article, 22 January 2013: “MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroEnsure to Tap data from Meteo Rwanda to Provide Weather Index Insurance for Farmers,” https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-microensure-to-tap-data-from-meteo-rwanda-to-provide-weather-index-insurance-for-farmers/

MicroCapital.org Article, 19 April 2011: “MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: PlaNet Guarantee, Global Index insurance Facility (GIIF) to Launch Index Insurance in West Africa,” https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-planet-guarantee-global-index-insurance-facility-giif-to-launch-index-insurance-platform-in-west-africa/

MicroCapital Universe Profile: Ears Holding, https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=EARS+Holding

MicroCapital Universe Profile: PlaNet Finance, https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=PlaNet+Finance

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