The Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) has undertaken a significant project with the deployment of its integrated digital farmer services platform, e-Granary. This initiative, launched in partnership with AGRA’s Financial Inclusion for Smallholder Farmers in Africa (FISFAP) program, aims to transform agricultural services for smallholder farmers in Eastern Africa. This learning brief captures the key lessons learned from the project, providing valuable insights for practitioners, researchers, and funders involved in similar initiatives.
Key Lessons from e-Granary
1. Importance of Partner Selection
One key lesson highlighted in this paper is the critical importance of carefully selecting platform partners. For the successful rollout of similar or near-similar technology-driven service platforms for farmers, the interests of all participating partners must be well-aligned and clearly defined from the beginning.
2. Simplicity in Initial Models
Another fundamental lesson is that a simple integrated model at inception is essential. Overly complex initial designs can lead to operational challenges and hinder the platform’s effectiveness and adoption by farmers.
3. Accurate Data Collection
Collecting accurate data is often the biggest requirement and challenge in financial product design. Reliable data is crucial for developing financial products that effectively meet smallholder farmers’ needs.
4. Demonstrating Value to Farmers
Most importantly, farmers should see real value in the initiative right from inception. This is critical for driving active platform use and attracting the right commercial partners.
Conclusion
The experiences and insights from the e-Granary project are intended to inform and guide future digital rural initiatives. By sharing these lessons, EAFF hopes to stimulate new approaches to serving smallholder farmers and encourage further studies into the efficiencies and effectiveness of digital platform investments.
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