Updated Jun 09, 2020
Jonathan Faull
Send MessageAn estimated three billion people live in smallholder farmer households [FAO, 2015]. A majority live at subsistence levels, with most surviving on less than $1.25 per person per day. In the eight countries where PAD operates, roughly 200 million smallholder farmers and almost 1 billion total household members subsist on farms typically less than two hectares in size; most live below the poverty line.
PAD harnesses technology, data science and behavioral economics to provide targeted information to farmers in developing countries. By providing actionable information to the right people, in the right way and at the right time, PAD helps smallholder farmers improve productivity, increase profitability, and advance environmental sustainability. PAD is pioneering a new model for agricultural extension: delivering to farmers personalized agricultural advice through their mobile phones.
Funding Goal | 30,000,000 | |
Projected Cumulative Lives Impacted | 100,000,000 | |
New Implemented Countries | Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Colombia, Nigeria | |
Recruit | Recruiting for start-up Nigeria office | |
New Feature | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the physical limitations imposed by social distancing protocols, have severely limited and – in many instances – entirely halted traditional in-person extension services. Yet farmers remain hungry for information capable of empowering them to improve their incomes and sustain livelihoods. Precision Agriculture for Development’s digital services bypass the need for in-person information provision, offering a two-way, low cost and impactful service at scale that empowers farmers despite the impacts of the pandemic. A lack of systematic and reliable data on the evolving needs of smallholder communities acts as a significant constraint for policymakers in mounting an effective and targeted response to the crisis. To address this information deficit, and to inform ongoing program design and content development, PAD is conducting a multi-country phone survey to understand how the pandemic is affecting agricultural production, food security and behaviour. In addition, we will collect data from agro-dealers in a subset of countries to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on agricultural supply chains. Data and findings will be published on our website, contingent on obtaining the necessary approvals. Specific research focus areas include: Current conditions in agricultural markets and the extent of disruptions experienced by farmers and agro-dealers, including changes in market access, prices, and goods availability; Farmers’ food security and changes in food availability; The availability of information about coronavirus and related public health advice, as well as farmers’ responses to that information; and The impact of COVID-19 on in-person extension systems (in Pakistan only). Current Data Collection Activities: PAD is currently conducting survey operations in India (three sub-national states), Pakistan, and Kenya. We plan to conduct panel data collection in selected locations and anticipate that data collection activities will span the period April 2020 – October 2020, and that additional countries and/or sub-national entities will be added following the fulfillment of review procedures and the commitment of funding. Sampling targets: 1,000 farmers per week in India; 1,000 crop farmers, 100 dairy farmers and 500 agro-dealers in the first round of our survey in Kenya; and 300 Agriculture Officers (extension agents) and Field Assistants in Pakistan. We are currently in advanced talks to expand data collection activities in several countries in Asia and Africa. Please check our website and our social media handles for updates. |
PADs co-founders and board members are 2019 Nobel Laureate for Economic Sciences Michael Kremer (Harvard University), Shawn Cole (Harvard Business School), Daniel Björkegren (Brown University), Amrita Ahuja (Douglas B. Marshall, Jr. Family Foundation), and Heiner Baumann (PAD). PAD is led by Chief Executive Officer Owen Barder, who brings to the organization more than three decades of experience as a development practitioner, scholar and advocate.
EXECUTIVE TEAM INCLUDES WOMEN