Over the past 6 months we have been releasing key partner-specific impact reports as part of our Agile Impact Series. We are proud to be able to release the Aggregate Impact Report looking at the second phase of impact partners. In the report, Busara provides data and analysis from 7 of our portfolio partners.

>> Download the Aggregate Impact Report of Phase II here << 

>> Read the Aggregate Impact Report of Phase I by 60 Decibels here <<

BACKGROUND

From 2020-2021, Busara worked with some of AgriFin’s key partners to conduct a series of impact assessments. This final aggregate impact report aims to unpack the impact of AgriFin’s support to a variety of partners that have been dedicated to offering various digital solutions for smallholder farmers to improve their livelihood. Seven partner organizations namely ACRE, eProd, Hello Tractor, SunCulture, aWhere, Ignitia AB and TruTrade Africa have been dedicated to offer various digital solutions for smallholder farmers to improve their livelihood: through facilitating mechanization and providing various value chain services; through providing relevant information; through providing insurance to build resilience.

The main research objectives were to understand, first, the farmers’ experience and perception of the products and services; second, the impacts of partners’ products and services on farmers’ farming practice, farming outcome, and resilience to shocks; and lastly the factors that drive adoption and usage. As AgriFin, we also aspired that this study would increase the use of operational data among partners to generate insights and identify strategies to generate long-term insights.  

    Snapshot from Aggregate Report on the Partners’ Involvement

    • Gender Inclusion: Increased women representation is seen in both agents and direct users or beneficiaries.
      • Outstanding in-person skills have allowed women agents to play an increasingly critical role in reaching out to potential users within the community and beyond to promote the value of digital or technology-based products. In some cases, the women agents have contributed to the major sales growth for some partners.
      • Largely urged by the motivation to gain economic independence, women farmers have demonstrated enthusiasm in adopting new ways of handling farming. Over the past few years, there has been a growing trend of women farmers onboarded and retained on the digital services extended out to them. 
      • Continuous effort to expose women to up-to-date information and technologies will help sustain the impact. 
    • Digital Transformation: Sufficient onboarding and user-centric design are keys to adoption and user retention 
      • Smallholder farmers have benefited enormously from technologies that have significantly reduced the time on manual farm work including land preparation and fetching water. 
      • The growing mobile penetration in SSA has enabled smallholder farmers to easily access or order such services via phone.
      • Digital farming has become more prevalent among smallholder farmers through various products and services provided by AFA’s partners. From planning and planting to selling products and risk mitigation, smallholder farmers have been embracing digital solutions throughout the entire farming cycle.
      • Sufficient onboarding has proved to be essential for encouraging adoption, especially when it involves in-person demonstration or contacts for further consultation (e.g. agents).
      • Products that speak to farmers’ most urgent needs and the simplicity of the interaction process are more likely to attract farmers. Some partners have therefore tailored product design to meet the needs of different farmer segments. 
    • Adoption of Technology for Improving Efficiency: Technology-based mechanization is increasingly used during the planting phase of the farming cycle
      • Smallholder farmers have benefited enormously from technologies that have significantly reduced the time on manual farm work including land preparation and fetching water. 
      • The growing mobile penetration in SSA has enabled smallholder farmers to easily access or order such services via phone.
    • Awareness of Risk Mitigation: There has been an increase in awareness of multiple mechanisms to cope with risks and external shocks 
      • Weather insurance has been adopted by more smallholder farmers as a way to mitigate potential losses. It becomes more preferable/attractive when bundled with loan products. 
      • Loans, including mobile loans, are widely adopted as a coping mechanism for emergencies, urgent farm needs and external shocks. Since harvest income and savings are the top reported sources for repayment, it is vital to sustain the virtuous circle of improving farm outcomes through the digital solutions provided for smallholder farmers. 
      • Faced with uncertainty or unpredictability, farmers have also adopted new habits of seeking information and advice from trustful sources via SMS. 
    • Financial Inclusion: Smallholder farmers have increasing access to loans and credit for purchasing farming related products
      • Access to loans (including mobile loans) has been made much easier for small farmers by various actors on the ground. 
      • Smallholder farmers who meet certain financial criteria further enjoy the benefit of using credit or (pay-as-you-go) payment schemes to invest on their farms by purchasing inputs or technology-based machines.

    Throughout the Agile Impact Series, the AgriFin team has been excited to learn and reflect on the impact of our current partner engagements. We look forward to forging more partnerships that continue to positively influence underserved smallholder farmers in the digital agriculture space.

    >> Download the Aggregate Impact Report of Phase II here << 

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