Technology is the bridge that connects smallholder farmers to opportunity
See how Digital Green and Cisco are helping farmers lift themselves out of poverty through the collective power of technology and grassroots-level partnerships.
Digital solutions of and for the community
Smallholder farmers produce more than 80% of the world’s food, but also make up 80% of the world’s poorest people. We believe that when we join forces and put technology in the hands of those in rural communities, they can lift themselves out of poverty.
• Supporting smallholder agriculture means increasing food production, strengthening local economies, alleviating poverty, and decreasing global hunger
• According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), investment in agriculture is 5x more effective in reducing poverty and hunger than investment in any other sector
• Since its launch in 2008, Digital Green has reached more than 1.8 million farming households across three continents
“We will continue to work together to live up to our founding promise of empowering farmers to lift themselves out of poverty.”
Rikin Gandhi, Co-founder & Executive Director, Digital Green
Connecting farmers to markets
Increasing food production is only the first step in escaping the cycle of poverty. Selling their produce as quickly as possible, for the best possible price, is key to creating a better life for farmers and their families.
In 2016, Cisco first started supporting Loop, Digital Green’s shared transport-to-market service for farmers. As a pilot launched in Bihar, India, it empowered farmers to request crop pickups, have them delivered to markets, and receive same-day mobile payments.
The time and cost savings from Loop allow farmers to spend more time in their fields and less time chasing payments. Loop has expanded beyond India to Bangladesh and Ethiopia, reaching more than 26,000 farmers and accounting for US$14 million in sales.
13% greater income
Through Loop, farmer incomes increased by 13% due to more efficient transportation and better access to markets.