Smart farming: Youths develop tech solutions to address food security

“When almost everything shut down during the pandemic, one essential service that was key to all was food. My background is on tech but I realised there was an opportunity and people must eat no matter what happens,” he says.

Muindi started farming vegetables but finding a market was sometimes a challenge.

“I decided to bring my knowledge on tech into farming and solve some of the market problem I was experiencing. I thought of how I can use technology to get my products out from the farm to the market,” he said.

Another solution he wanted to solve was to guarantee consumers of the safety of the food they were buying. So he developed an online platform that would cater for both the farmer and consumer.

That is how Fresh Farm platform was started in 2020. The platform uses data to connect farmers directly to the customers.

“It provides market linkages where farmers are able to sell directly to the customers and, on the other hand, the customer has the assurance of traceability of the produce he or she is buying," he said. 

"The consumer can do this by scanning a QR code on the delivery bag and be able to identify the exact farm where the produce has been grown. We provide the in-between technology for the farmer and the customer.” 

The platform is socially commerce-driven where the customer can use their telegram, WhatsApp, or their web version to place an order. The order message comes to Fresh Farm and once they receive it, they communicate to the farmers within their database.

“We collect the produce from the farmers based on the orders we get. We use a motorbike rider to do the deliveries from the farm to the specific customers. Deliveries are done on Saturdays," Muindi says. 

He says he works with about 20 farmers in Athi River and Kitengela and most of their target market is low-income households.

“We make money by charging the farmers a small subscription of Sh1,000 and then we charge a five percent commission for every deliver we make."

Muindi was among a group of young techs who participated in a hackathon to pitch innovative ideas that seek to tackle food security challenges in Kenya.

The British High Commission, Nairobi, in collaboration with Wowzi Technologies, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and other partners, convened a hackathon event to address the critical challenges facing Kenya's food security.

The event brought together stakeholders from various sectors, including agriculture, technology and telecommunications, to find innovative solutions to the challenges affecting food security in Kenya.

The event's key themes were based on tackling poor productivity, post-harvest losses, market linkages and food shortage crisis preparation and response.

Caroline Wangeci, a statistician and strategic adviser to the KNBS, said the hackthon sought to have young people in the tech space come together and find solution to food security.

Some of the innovations are around food production, distribution of food, pricing and supporting small-scale farmers.

She said ideas that have commercial viability will be supported by further developing in order to help attract funding.

"This hackathon reminds us of what we already know. There are brilliant young Kenyan minds ready to use their skill set to solve the big problems we face," Wangeci said. 

"We should take every opportunity to tap into these minds and do all we can to provide them with what they need to succeed.”

Wowzi, an influencer marketing platform and a trailblazer in creating job opportunities within the gig economy, supported this event as part of its social impact commitment to promoting sustainable development in Kenya.

Wowzi co-founder and president Mike Otieno said technology and social media platforms can play a significant role in enhancing agriculture and food security.

He added that through this event, the plaform sought to leverage its expertise in influencer marketing, to amplify the hackathon's impact and ensure that innovative solutions are widely adopted.

"The hackathon generated actionable solutions that can be implemented in Kenya and other countries facing similar challenges. It was also an opportunity to showcase how technology, innovation and partnership can play a significant role in addressing food security challenges and promoting sustainable development,” Otieno said.

MCHE and Hack Elite emerged winners of the hackathon.

MCHE is a platform that provides step by step guidance to farmers from choosing the right crops based on geographical areas, to guiding them through planting, harvesting and selling. This includes information and option to buy input.

Hack Elite is a smart storage facility which seeks to reduce wastage and help feed starving people.

Second runner-up went to FarmNetapp which is a one-stop shop with information for the farmer, from preparing land to the farming process and harvesting. The app includes data such as weather, soil PH and good case farming practices of different crops.

 

(edited by Amol Awuor)