Facilitating the Adoption of Farmer Charlie's Technology by Smallholder Farmers in Emerging Countries

According to the World Bank, reproduced in an United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report of 2017, "Agriculture is the economic and social mainstay of some 500 million smallholder farmers, and in developing countries, the sector is the largest source of incomes, jobs and food security. Sustainable, inclusive growth in the agriculture and food sectors creates jobs -- on farms, in markets, cities, towns and villages, and throughout the farm-to-table food production and consumption chain."

Over the years, many studies have shown that information and new technologies are critical to improving farming practices, leading to increasing yield, reducing production waste, such as postharvest wastes, addressing climate change in an efficient manner.

At the same time, according to Weforum, 2018, women grow 70% of Africa's food. According to FAO, 2012, if women had "the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yield on their farms by 20-30 percent."

Farmer Charlie is an affordable connected platform created to foster agricultural activities of smallholder farmers, providing them with information and data on soil, local weather conditions, agribusiness opportunities, postharvest waste reduction, sustainability, climate change.

Our feasibility study aims to improve the adoption of new technologies in rural communities (a hard barrier to our innovation) and to consolidate collaboration with a network of partners or potential partners in a least developed country. It will also ensure the inclusive adoption of technology, addressing gender, level of education, age barriers.

Ivory Coast was considered the most suitable place to visit because of its opportunities. For instance, Ivory Coast could facilitate Farmer Charlie’s access to a wider market thanks to the country’s relationships with other West African countries through the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), which includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo, all sharing the same currency.

The analysis of the market in Ivory Coast helped to spot excellent opportunities for rough rice, rice seeds and rice cultivation assistance, since the Ivoirian government aims to be self-sufficient in rice production by 2030. The position of Ivory Coast as the best producer and exporter of cocoa in the world was also considered, as previous Farmer Charlie research on cocoa crops could be easily exploited, putting knowledge into practice should the need arise.

Ivory Coast also offered a varied agricultural and geographical benefits, as in the country there are large and medium plantations but also small farms, and Ivory Coast is a country of a fair size where commerce is reasonably accessible.

The feasibility study will be carried out through direct contacts with local communities, via a user-centered approach, and will test and gather feedback on new technologies, challenges and advantages linked to them. It is hoped that direct contact and knowledge and the opportunity to listen to the pains and gains of the farmers will be the foundations to establish trust and start fruitful collaborations and partnerships with the local communities.