FACET

Supported by USAID’s Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies (FACET) project under the FIELD-Support LWA, this profile features Nutrient Manager for Rice (NMR). NMR is a decision support tool that includes both web-based and mobile applications providing personalized fertilizer guidelines for small-scale rice farmers or extension workers. This profile outlines how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact.

The FACET project aims to help USAID missions and their implementing partners in sub-Saharan Africa use information and communications technology in sustainable and scalable approaches to improve the impact of their agriculture related development projects.

Supported by USAID’s Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies (FACET) project under the FIELD-Support LWA, this profile features Mace Foods' use of M-Pesa in Kenya to reduce costs and fraud. M-Pesa allows customers to deposit and withdraw money, transfer money to other users and non-users, pay bills, and purchase airtime, all through a network of agents that includes airtime resellers and retail outlets acting as banking agents. Mace Foods is now able to transfer money directly to farmers and employees and pay bills right from their office computer. This profile outlines how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact.

The FACET project aims to help USAID missions and their implementing partners in sub-Saharan Africa use information and communications technology in sustainable and scalable approaches to improve the impact of their agriculture related development projects.

To increase agricultural productivity, farmers and agricultural workers have many needs—information about and access to financial services; knowledge on best farming methods and techniques; and information on potential selling opportunities, agricultural inputs (e.g., seeds and fertilizer), weather, transport, storage options, and more. Information and communications technologies (ICT) offer a valuable delivery channel through which farmers can receive such information and knowledge. Provided by USAID’s Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies (FACET) project under the FIELD-Support LWA, this brief compares ICT-enabled devices. The focus of analysis is on devices that are the most applicable, affordable, usable, and understandable to the greatest number of end-users—especially poor smallholder farmers. Given how quickly device options and prices change, this paper can only give a snapshot in time of current devices, but it also offers insights regarding how to analyze new devices as they become available.

The FACET project aims to help USAID missions and their implementing partners in sub-Saharan Africa use information and communications technology in sustainable and scalable approaches to improve the impact of their agriculture related development projects.

Supported by USAID’s Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies (FACET) project under the FIELD-Support LWA, this profile feautures Kilimo Salama, an indexed micro-insurance service for smallholder farmers using mobile phones in Kenya. The service is unique in that farmers purchase insurance against either drought or excessive rain through local agro-dealers who then pass on the registration information. Farmers receive confirmation and weather information via SMS. This profile outlines how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact.

The FACET project aims to help USAID missions and their implementing partners in sub-Saharan Africa use information and communications technology in sustainable and scalable approaches to improve the impact of their agriculture related development projects.

Supported by USAID’s Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies (FACET) project under the FIELD-Support LWA, this profile feautures SlimTrader's MoBiashara platform. This platform enables farmers in Nigeria to purchase inputs directly via their phones. The profile outlines how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact.

The FACET project aims to help USAID missions and their implementing partners in sub-Saharan Africa use information and communications technology in sustainable and scalable approaches to improve the impact of their agriculture related development projects.

Supported by USAID’s Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies (FACET) project under the FIELD-Support LWA, this profile feautures MarketMaker, a web-based interactive agriculture database and mapping platform. Created in 2004 by the University of Illinois Extension, it has developed into a national partnership between land grant institutions and U.S. state and federal Departments of Agriculture. The profile includes how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact.

The FACET project aims to help USAID missions and their implementing partners in sub-Saharan Africa use information and communications technology in sustainable and scalable approaches to improve the impact of their agriculture related development projects.

Supported by USAID’s Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies (FACET) project under the FIELD-Support LWA, this profile feautures Awaaz.De. Awaaz.De is a participatory, voice-based, and open-source platform that functions as a voice message board and information service that is currently being used in India for a number of agricultural purposes, including tracking harvest yields, answering topical questions, pushing agricultural and market price information, and connecting buyers to farmers via a voice classifieds service. This profile outlines how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact.

The FACET project aims to help USAID missions and their implementing partners in sub-Saharan Africa use information and communications technology in sustainable and scalable approaches to improve the impact of their agriculture related development projects.

This paper, supported by USAID’s Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information Communication Technologies (FACET) project under the FIELD-Support LWA, describes the variety of mobile software application platforms that have come onto the market to address different issues in the agricultural value chain. It provides an overview of information that will help distinguish between the options and enable decision-makers to make a more informed choice. It is intended for those without ICT technical skills although it may be a helpful tool for these readers to use as they discuss options with ICT professionals. Knowing which platforms are already available may prevent developing software from scratch thereby reducing the costs of ICT interventions and risks associated with their development.

The FACET project aims to help USAID missions and their implementing partners in sub-Saharan Africa use information and communications technology in sustainable and scalable approaches to improve the impact of their agriculture related development projects.