Impact

Reaching farmers at scale requires more than good ideas. It takes solutions that are easy to access, low-cost to deliver, and built to reflect real-world needs.

That’s why we design tools like FarmerChat to work for people with limited time, connectivity, and literacy. By investing in open-source, AI-powered platforms, we reduce the cost of delivering high-quality advice while improving its accuracy and relevance. We also engage directly with farmers, extension agents, researchers, and partners to continuously improve our tools based on feedback from the field.

Women comprise more than 60 percent of the farmers Digital Green helps to empower. So designing and providing tech tools with their inherent needs, challenges and skills in mind is paramount to our efforts. Research suggests that while many software and app developers intend to develop gender-neutral technology, inherent design flaws cause them to be more appropriate for or responsive to men or women. Such technologies can subsequently perpetuate gender norms and gaps.

Users of our apps and products not only believe them to be gender-neutral, but have used them to empower women. In India, for example, extension agents use our tools to feature women farmers as role models, promote practices reducing women's labor and demonstrate healthy intra-household decision-making. In Ethiopia, the agents have incorporated women’s empowerment content, such as shared responsibilities and increased decision-making power, into videos and chatbots.