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How Do We Define ‘Farmer’?: Why Outdated Perceptions are Complicating Data-Driven Agriculture
Who qualifies as a ‘farmer’? This sounds like a simple question for any agricultural intervention, but it is fraught with complexity. Sometimes farm owners live in the city, hiring caretakers to farm their land. Other times, women do most of the actual farming, but their husbands collect the income. Even the definition of ‘smallholder’ is often ambiguous. As efforts to digitize farming data gather momentum, Bobbi Gray at Grameen Foundation explores some ways to clarify this picture – and the challenges this will involve.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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Hello Tractor, Aeris to launch farm machinery rental services in India
According to Rishi Mohan Bhatnagar, President of Aeris India, the service is likely to be launched with 500 tractors in less than three months in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where fewer farmers can afford expensive machinery, unlike relatively prosperous and large farmers in states like Punjab and Haryana where ownership of farm equipment is high.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- South Asia
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These 3 social enterprises are championing sustainable agriculture in Southeast Asia
An increased focus on sustainability and social innovation is transforming the food and beverage industry in Southeast Asia.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Press release: Dutch FMO and Rabobank Foundation Finance Kenyan Start-Up Apollo Agriculture
Apollo Agriculture has received a USD 250,000 convertible grant from FMO’s MASSIF Fund, which aims to take early high-investment risks and act as a catalyst for the growth of the private financial sector and financial inclusion in developing countries. The Rabobank Foundation has provided the start-up with a USD 250,000 loan.
- Source
- Press release
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press release: Tulaa closes seed round of investment
Four out of five African families depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, but lack of access to quality inputs, affordable finance and reliable markets keep many of them trapped in a cycle of poverty. To solve these problems, Tulaa leverages mobile technology and artificial intelligence to enable farmers to purchase inputs on credit and to market their crops efficiently at harvest time.
- Source
- Press release
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Mali and International Fund for Agricultural Development ink deal to connect farmers to rural financing
By providing a range of financial products, including savings, credit and micro-insurance, the project will enable smallholder farmers to invest in the necessary infrastructure and equipment that will help them produce, store, process and better market their products.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press release: IFC invests $100 million in Mahindra Finance for loans to farmers
“Since its inception in 1991, Mahindra Finance has been working in the rural and semi-urban areas of India, catalyzing financial inclusion of the unbanked and under-served communities and also partnering with them in their difficult times. Our focus has been on enabling these customers with innovative financial solutions, tailor made to their evolving needs” said Ramesh Iyer, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, Mahindra Finance.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- South Asia
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Making Agritech Work for Smallholders: What Tech Companies Can Learn from Development Organizations
Agritech proponents argue that technology is the key to helping the world's 500 million smallholder farmers. Yet despite countless ‘ICT for development’ companies and projects, these solutions often fall short of their intended impacts. This raises an important question: Can the methodologies that have proven successful for many tech startups work for the complex, interrelated challenges faced by smallholders? Wouter Vink of GreenFingers argues that there's a better approach.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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