We develop easy to use offline platforms that serve as a knowledge-transfer mechanism from experts (agronomists, meteorologists, input dealers, pathologists) to farmers. Through user behavior tracking and complementing this with expert insight, crop/market models and sensor information customized reports for agri-service providers and project teams are generated. These can be tailored for M&E, Certification and project decision making..
Experiences have shown that reduction of 30% in input use is possible if the right information is available throughout the growth cycle. Besides these direct cost savings which boost household incomes, farmers obtain higher yields where increases of up to 10% and higher are attainable.
A survey with 300 farmers using our App service showed that 78% of farmers have used a new practice, 68% of farmers has saved money and 88% of farmers has shared the app with others.
We involve users (farmers) throughout the design process so as to create a highly usable and accessible product for them. First, we aim to research the needs of farmers, what type of functions are needed, what information is critical at what time and context of use. We do this by interviewing farmers and stakeholders in the value chain. Then we make lean prototypes to test hypothesis and farmers opinions about critical aspects of the app. After this, a test version is created and used by a test group for one season before the final app is developed and distributed to more farmers. All of this is done in collaboration with local organisations. Techniques we use are; Focus group discussions, farming life cycle exercises, in-depth interviews, user centred design approach, ecosystem mapping.
We support organizations in costeffectively reaching thousands of small holder farmers with digital content, and advice. With our services farmers become part of the interventions to improve agriculture rather than being subject to it. Data is used to support trainings, implement certification programs or measure the effect of field interventions.
Currently in India, we have developed apps in local languages for coffee, potato and cotton cultivation with a combined +10.000 users. These apps are commissioned by international partners and executed by local organizations directly working with farmers on a regular basis. In Mozambique we monitor soil and weather variables using sensors and +400 farmers receive agronomic and market info via our SMS platform and in Tanzania we monitor sugarcane using remote sensing.
This video introduces our most recent project an app under development with the rain forest alliance supporting coffee farmers in Karnataka, India.