GCRF Small Holder engagement

Climate Edge is on a relentless mission to empower smallholder farmers to succeed by connecting them to the insights and services they need.

An initiative of Climate Edge

Overview of the project

We worked closely with Producers Direct, a UK based NGO, and a Kenyan Tea Cooperative helping support smallholder farmers to diversify their farm. This is crucial in building smallholder resilience to climate shocks.

Using our platform, Producers Direct created in person farmer field schools with a digital curriculum that massively increased farmer engagement. We broke up the training content into easy to follow steps that provided farmers with timely information on planting, harvesting and pest control. This ensured that the content taught during workshops was continually available to farmers exactly when they needed it.

Based on the initial success of the trial we are now scaling up this initiative.

Objective

To help smallholder farmers diversify their activities and build resilience to climate change.

Level of progress

Launching

Project timeline

September 2020 - present

Quantitative results

Using this approach, Producers Direct drove up the implementation of their diversification training from 10% to 30% of farmers

Qualitative results

Through the consuction of surveys we determined that two thrids of the farmers who took part on the training were able to implement new practices with a positive experience. The discussions with cooperatives indicated that continued engagement was an important component of building trust within the farmer networks.

Financing

GCRF funding (Innovate UK grant)

About the
organisation

Climate Edge

website
Paul Baranowski
paul@climate-edge.co.uk

Climate Edge is on a relentless mission to empower smallholder farmers to succeed by connecting them to the insights and services they need.
There is a rich ecosystem serving smallholder farmers – providing everything from fertiliser to farm management advice concerning climate adaptation. However connecting with smallholders is extremely difficult, expensive and inefficient. This issues leave many smallholders in an extremely vulnerable position, producing a fraction of their potential.

Our platform helps organisations engage with their smallholder farmers in an easy, timely and interactive manner. Closing this gap and supporting smallholder farmers to build profitable, productive and sustainable businesses.

Find them on
A project
in collaboration
  • Producers Direct

    NGO