Smallholder farmers who produce much of the world's food are often the poorest and most malnourished among us. We're working to change that.
When farmers have the tools they need to connect with one another, they’re far more likely to apply what they’ve learned on their farms and in their households – improving their own livelihoods and those of others in their community, in a manner that’s nutrition-sensitive, climate-resilient, and inclusive.Since day one, our deeply committed, curious and collaborative team has been challenged and inspired. We’ve tried and failed and tried again, and have ultimately become leaders in using technology for global development.
Our Approach
In every community, we begin with assessment and diagnosis.
We understand that there are both informal and formal networks already in place — and that the people and organizations working in that community are best positioned to understand what will and won’t work. So we listen to those people and assess those systems to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement, using technology as an entry point to transform systems from the inside out.
We don’t create new systems in parallel with existing ones.
Why reinvent the wheel? We add technology, where appropriate, to amplify the effectiveness of existing systems. Leveraging what we learned through assessment and diagnosis, we innovate and integrate solutions to drive greater farmer-level impact by testing and iterating until we have something that works for the community. And then? We test some more.
We listen closely to the data we collect.
Data analysis and evaluation is an integral part of our process; we share the quantitative and qualitative data gathered with all stakeholders, creating a community of collaborators that improves systems on an ongoing basis. We use evidence from the grassroots-level to inform and galvanize everyone involved to advance agricultural development globally.
Solutions
Together with our grassroots partners, we create digital solutions for rural communities around the world. How do we know what’s appropriate? Simple. We listen closely – to people, and to data. Then we build technology that’s of the community and for the community.
Community Videos
We’ve facilitated the production and dissemination of more than 6,000 locally relevant videos, in 50 languages, screened offline in communities that have limited electricity and Internet connectivity. The videos are also available online – ensuring the wisdom captured is accessible globally.
CoCo
Data collection and analysis is critical to what we do – and CoCo is our data workhorse. Short for Connect Online Connect Offline, CoCo and our analytics dashboards allow users to collect and visualize crucial insights anytime, anywhere, on any device – regardless of network connectivity.
Training Courseware
We build the capacity of frontline workers so they can build the capacity of others in their community – which means training is integral to our approach. With online and offline components, our training curriculum combines instructional videos and a mobile app to assess and spot improvement areas.
Loop
What good is increased yield if farmers aren’t able to make money from it? That’s why we invented Loop, an app that facilitates farmers’ efforts to sell their produce as quickly as possible, for the best possible price, without having to take time away from farming or their families.
Innovation
It’s in our nature to ask questions – especially ‘What if?’ and ‘Why not?’. Our Innovation Lab is where we experiment and explore, trying out new tools and novel approaches to solving intractable problems. Many are non-starters, and we’re fine with that.
- Africa | East
- Africa | Middle
- Africa | West
- Asia | Central
- Asia | South
India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania