Yielder

Yielder is a digital extension, communication and training platform helping farmers across East Africa improve yields, curb food shortages and enhance food security.

Farmers in East Africa experience challenges in accessing valuable information necessary to improve their farming experience. However, this information is already available with the research centers, NGOs, Universities and other scientific-knowledge generating organizations. 

We focus on using mobile technology to solve the this challenge. The scale of the problem is significant, with millions of farmers in the region being affected. Factors contributing to the problem include a lack of infrastructure, limited access to technology, and a lack of information dissemination.

As a result, farmers often rely on outdated or unreliable information, leading to low crop yields and reduced income. In addition, the farmers are unable to access market prices for their crops, leading to them being exploited by middlemen. This results in a vicious cycle of poverty and food insecurity.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest poverty rate among regions, where 80% of the population living in rural areas are smallholder farmers. And with the current population growth, the food production must increase by 60% by 2050 to meet the increasing demand.

Yielder aims to address this problem by providing farmers with access to relevant and reliable information from credible sources, including best practices for farming, market prices for crops, and training on new technologies and techniques. By doing so, we aim to help farmers increase their yields and improve their overall income, breaking the cycle of poverty and food insecurity in the region.

Yielder app bridges access to information between those who have the knowledge and those who need the knowledge through a mobile app and a network of lead farmers who act as team leaders and trainers in their communities.

We aggregate learning resources from different research institutions and make them accessible in a single database for users to search and read them. We also conduct digital trainings and use blended learning to conduct trainings for farming communities in partnership with partners.

The training are conducted by the Lead Farmers (Referred to as Yielder Ambassadors) within their communities enabling us cross the digital literacy gap where some farmers do not have the knowledge to use the digital tools.

We have trained farmers on several topics including: financial literacy, organic farming techniques and how to grow grass crops for cash.

We serve smallholder farmers in East Africa. These farmers are often located in remote and rural areas, and they face a number of challenges in their daily lives, including limited access to information, lack of infrastructure, and limited access to technology. As a result, they often rely on outdated or unreliable information, leading to low crop yields and reduced income. The farmers are unable to access market prices for their crops, leading to them being exploited by middlemen. This results in a vicious cycle of poverty and food insecurity.

Yielder impacts their lives by providing them with access to relevant and reliable information from credible sources, including best practices for farming, market prices for crops, and training on new technologies or techniques. By providing this information, farmers will be able to make better-informed decisions about their farming practices, which will ultimately result in higher crop yields and increased income.

The platform is easy to use and accessible through mobile devices, which help farmers to access the information they need, regardless of their location. Additionally, the platform uses third-party APIs to allow farmers access digital services from other partners. We also leverage partnerships with local organizations and experts, who provide accurate and up-to-date information to farmer through the app notification features.

In summary, Yielder serves smallholder farmers in East Africa who are currently underserved by providing them with access to relevant, reliable, and timely information from credible sources. This help them to make better-informed decisions about their farming practices, resulting in higher crop yields and increased income, breaking the cycle of poverty and food insecurity in the region.

Our team is well-positioned to deliver Yielder because we have a unique combination of skills and backgrounds that are well-suited to the task at hand. Our team includes a civil/structural engineer, telecommunications engineer, and computer and agricultural specialist. This combination of skills allows us to approach the problem from multiple angles, and ensures that we have the necessary expertise to design and implement an effective solution.

The fact that we are all members of the target population, smallholder farmers in East Africa, gives us a deep understanding of the challenges facing this population. We understand the problems that farmers face on a daily basis, and we have first-hand experience with the lack of access to relevant and reliable information that is often a major barrier to improving their livelihoods.

Our team members have also actively participated in working with farmers and rural communities, as well as volunteering experiences, which has helped us to understand the challenges they face and the information they need to improve their livelihoods. This has given us a unique perspective on the problem, and has allowed us to design a solution that is specifically tailored to the needs of the farmers in our community.

In summary, our team is well-positioned to deliver Yielder because of our unique combination of skills, which include expertise in civil/structural engineering, telecommunications engineering, and computer and agricultural specialist. Our team is representative of the target population and have a deep understanding of the challenges they face and the information they need to improve their livelihoods. Our life, volunteer, and work experiences have helped us understand the experiences of those we serve, and have allowed us to design a solution that is specifically tailored to their needs.

Yes, we have taken several steps to understand the needs of the population we want to serve.

First, we have done research with potential users. We have conducted surveys and interviews with farmers in the region to gather information on their current challenges and the information they need to improve their livelihoods. We also collected data on the current state of the agricultural sector in the region, including crop yields, market prices, and access to technology and information.

Second, we have volunteered or worked with existing organizations working on this problem. We have formed partnerships with local organizations and experts, who are working to improve the livelihoods of farmers in the region. We have also collaborated with other organizations working in the agricultural sector, to gain a better understanding of the current challenges and opportunities in the region.

Finally, we have engaged potential users in the design and development of our solution. We have worked closely with farmers to understand their needs and preferences, and have incorporated their feedback into the design of the platform. We have also held focus groups with farmers to test and iterate on the solution, and we plan to continue this engagement throughout the development process.

In summary, to understand the needs of the population we want to serve, we have done research with potential users by conducting surveys and interviews, volunteered or worked with existing organizations working on this problem and formed partnerships with local organizations and experts. Also, we have engaged potential users in the design and development of our solution by working closely with farmers to understand their needs and preferences, and incorporating their feedback into the design of the platform and testing it through focus groups.

Our solution is innovative because it combines several key elements that make it unique and effective. First, it uses a combination of different technologies and processes to gather and disseminate information to farmers, including data from satellite imagery, machine learning, and partnerships with local organizations and experts. This approach allows us to provide farmers with accurate, up-to-date, and relevant information that is tailored to their specific needs.

Second, our solution is designed to be easy to use and accessible through mobile devices, which makes it easy for farmers to access the information they need, regardless of their location. This is particularly important in remote and rural areas where internet connectivity is often limited.

Third, our solution is designed to be sustainable, with a focus on building long-term partnerships with local organizations and experts. This approach allows us to ensure the continued availability of accurate and relevant information for farmers, even after our involvement with the project has ended.

Finally, Our team being part of the target population, we have a deep understanding of the challenges facing farmers in the region, and we are committed to working closely with them to understand their needs and preferences, and to tailor our solution to their specific needs. This ensures that our solution is designed to be relevant, effective, and impactful.

In summary, our solution is innovative because it uses a combination of different technologies and processes to gather and disseminate information to farmers, it's designed to be easy to use and accessible through mobile devices and it is designed to be sustainable. Additionally, our team being part of the target population, we have a deep understanding of the challenges facing farmers in the region, and we are committed to working closely with them to understand their needs and preferences.

Our impact goal for the next year is to improve the livelihoods of at least 10,000 smallholder farmers in East Africa by providing them with access to relevant and reliable information from credible sources. We aim to achieve this goal through the following steps:

1. We will continue to gather and analyze data on the current state of the agricultural sector in the region, including crop yields, market prices, and access to technology and information. This will help us to identify the specific challenges and opportunities facing farmers in the region, and to tailor our solution to their specific needs.

2. We will continue to engage with farmers in the region to understand their needs and preferences, and to incorporate their feedback into the design of the platform.

3. We will work to build partnerships with local organizations and experts, which will help us to ensure that the information we provide is accurate and relevant.

4. We will continue to test and iterate on the platform, using feedback from farmers to ensure that it is user-friendly and effective.

5. We will work to promote the platform to farmers in the region, in order to ensure that as many farmers as possible have access to the information they need to improve their livelihoods.

6. We will measure and evaluate our progress through regular monitoring, using key performance indicators such as the number of farmers using the platform, the number of farmers who have seen an increase in crop yields and income, and the number of farmers who have accessed relevant and reliable information.

In summary, our impact goal for the next year is to improve the livelihoods of at least 10,000 smallholder farmers in East Africa by providing them with access to relevant and reliable information from credible sources. We will achieve this goal by continuing to gather and analyze data, engaging with farmers, building partnerships, testing and iterating the platform, promoting the platform and measuring and evaluating our progress.

The core technology that powers our solution is a combination of different technologies and processes. These include:

Satellite imagery: We use satellite imagery to gather data on crop health and yield potential, as well as information on weather patterns, soil conditions, and other factors that affect crop growth.

1. Machine learning: We use machine learning algorithms to analyze data from satellite imagery and other sources, to provide farmers with information on crop health, yield potential, and weather patterns, which help them to make better-informed decisions about their farming practices.

2. Mobile technology: Our platform is designed to be easy to use and accessible through mobile devices, which allows farmers to access the information they need, regardless of their location.

3. Partnerships with local organizations and experts: We rely on partnerships with local organizations and experts to provide accurate and up-to-date information to farmers. We work with these partners to ensure that the information we provide is relevant and reliable.

In summary, the core technology that powers our solution is a combination of satellite imagery, machine learning, mobile technology, and partnerships with local organizations and experts. These technologies and processes allow us to provide farmers with accurate, up-to-date, and relevant information that is tailored to their specific needs, which ultimately helps them to improve their livelihoods.

Our solution launched in 2018. We are currently serving approximately 5,000 farmers. We plan to serve 10,000 smallholder farmers in East Africa in the next year. Our solution will directly and meaningfully affect the lives of these farmers by providing them with access to relevant and reliable information from credible sources. This will help them to make better-informed decisions about their farming practices, resulting in higher crop yields and increased income, breaking the cycle of poverty and food insecurity in the region.

There are several barriers that currently exist that may limit our impact in the next year. Some of these include:

1. Financial constraints: Developing and implementing our solution requires significant financial resources, and securing funding is a major challenge.

2. Technical barriers: Our solution relies on advanced technology, including satellite imagery and machine learning, which requires a high level of technical expertise to implement and maintain.

3. Limited Internet connectivity and mobile coverage: In some areas where we plan to serve, internet connectivity and mobile coverage are limited, which can make it difficult for farmers to access the information they need.

4. Lack of awareness: Many farmers in the region are not aware of the benefits of using digital platforms to access information, which can make it difficult to promote our solution to them.

5. Limited access to electricity: Many farmers in rural areas do not have access to electricity, which can make it difficult for them to use mobile devices to access our platform.

6. Political instability or social unrest: Political instability or social unrest in the region can make it difficult to implement our solution, as it can lead to insecurity and disruptions in the agricultural sector.

In summary, there are several barriers that currently exist that may limit our impact in the next year, including financial constraints, technical barriers, limited internet connectivity and mobile coverage, lack of awareness, limited access to electricity, and political instability or social unrest.

We currently partner with several organizations to deliver our solution. These include:

1. Local agricultural organizations: We work with local agricultural organizations to gather data on the current state of the agricultural sector in the region, as well as to promote our solution to farmers in the region. Example of such as Farm Africa, SENDACOW

2. Local experts: We partner with local experts such as agronomists and meteorologists to ensure that the information we provide is accurate and relevant. E.g; Agrico, CROPNUTS

3. Research institutions: We collaborate with research institutions to access information and technology that can help us to improve our solution. Eg, CGIAR, ILRI

4. Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) working on rural development and agricultural projects in the region: We partner with NGOs working on rural development and agricultural projects in the region to ensure that our solution aligns with other ongoing initiatives and to gather information on the local context. Eg, FarmLink, KALRO

5. Mobile network operators: We work with mobile network operators to ensure that our platform can be accessed by farmers, even in remote areas where internet connectivity is limited.

Our business model is based on providing value to smallholder farmers in East Africa through the provision of relevant and reliable information from credible sources. We will provide this information through a mobile application that farmers can access on their mobile devices.

Farmers will be able to access information on crop health, yield potential, and weather patterns, which will help them to make better-informed decisions about their farming practices. They will also be able to access market prices and information on how to access financing and other resources.

We plan to generate revenue through the sale of data and insights to agribusinesses and other organizations working in the agricultural sector. We will also generate revenue through partnerships with mobile network operators and other organizations that will help us to promote our solution to farmers.

In summary, our business model is based on providing smallholder farmers in East Africa with relevant and reliable information from credible sources through a mobile application, generating revenue through the sale of data and insights to agribusinesses and other organizations working in the agricultural sector and partnerships with mobile network operators and other organizations that will help us to promote our solution to farmers. The farmers will benefit from the information provided, which will help them make better-informed decisions about their farming practices, which ultimately helps them to improve their livelihoods.

Our path to financial sustainability is through a combination of different revenue streams. These include:

1. Data and insights sales: We plan to generate revenue by selling data and insights to agribusinesses and other organizations working in the agricultural sector. This information will be gathered through satellite imagery and machine learning algorithms, and will provide valuable insights into crop health, yield potential, and weather patterns.

2. Partnerships: We plan to generate revenue through partnerships with mobile network operators and other organizations that will help us to promote our solution to farmers. These partnerships will involve revenue sharing agreements, where a percentage of the revenue generated by the platform is shared with our partners.

3. Grants and donations: We plan to seek out grants and donations from foundations, philanthropic organizations, and government agencies to support our work and help us to scale up our solution.

4. Investment capital: We may also consider raising investment capital from venture capitalists, impact investors, and other sources to support our growth and scaling.