Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
In the past, small farmers in the region would often be forced to blindly accept the price offered by a buyer. They would also make transportation decisions without any knowledge of opportunities to share these expenses with neighboring farmers.
With this communication system, a farmer planning to sell corn would send a text message to our database. The data base would respond with the pricing information. The farmer could then negotiate with the buyer as an informed participant in the transaction. The farmer would later supply pricing information to the system.
Likewise, they would be able to coordinate transportation by querying the system for information on any trucks that can be shared.
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Many other organizations in the region have the same problem. Farmer unions and associations, which serve a very small area, attempt to communicate with their members. However, they have very limited access to data.
At least one NGO has introduced a communication system to share market data. However, this system is based on e-mail. Very few if any small farmers have access to e-mail. Many do have access to a cell phone. By focusing on the technolgy available, our system would serve small farmers.
There would likely be opportunities in the future to collaborate with NGOs and farmer unions/associations in the expansion of our system.
Founding Story
During meetings, ALIMI's farmer members frequently express frustration over their lack of access to market data. Without this information, they're not able to negotiate fair prices. This idea came about as a way to better serve our members and help them build their business. With the growth of cell phones and the expansion of network coverage in our area, we realized that we had the opportunity to use this technology to serve our members and meet this need.
Organization:
ALIMI Cooperativa, RL
First Name
Joao
Last Name
Chalenga
Twitter URL
Facebook URL
Organization Name
ALIMI Cooperativa, RL
Organization Country
, NI, Cuamba
Country where this project is creating social impact
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How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to technology, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
It has not yet been implemented.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Following implementation, farmers would be able to negotiate for fair prices.
As they become more comfortable with the system, they would be able to reduce transportation expenses through resource sharing.
Ultimately, they would be able to grow their businesses and increase household income.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The cell network in the area is not 100% reliable. This means that the farmers would have times when they are not able to access data on their cell phones. To overcome this challenge, we would use the most wide-spread and reliable cell phone network available. Additionally, we would encourage farmers to seek market information with enough lead time to get the information even if there is a temporary network outage.
The cost of sending a text message to get market information could also be a serious obstacle. The farmers we serve are very poor. To overcome this obstacle, we would automatically send information daily to the farmers during key growing/selling periods.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Have fully operational system that is used in one district
Task 1
Establish data feed with international market data
Task 2
Establish data base with local market data
Task 3
Have farmers sign up for service at ALIMI's member meetings and local union/association meetings
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Expand the service to all seven districts that ALIMI serves
Task 1
Establish system to provide pricing information by district
Task 2
Establish system for coordinating transportation data/availability
Task 3
Have farmers sign up for service at ALIMI's member meetings and local union/association meetings in all seven districts
Tell us about your partnerships
We work closely with farmer unions/associati.ons. We have worked with international NGOs, and we would be able to seek support from these NGOs for this project
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list