Agriculture is one of the key GDP drivers in ASEAN, and smallholder farmers contribute to a large proportion of the agricultural activity and production in the region.
However, smallholder farmers are often poorly integrated into value chains and lack access to formal goods and services, such as financial services.
To improve their livelihoods and integrate them into the formal economy, it is critical for these smallholders to better utilise finite land and achieve greater economic productivity.
Digital technologies hold the key to smallholder productivity and can provide them with the right tools to lift themselves out of poverty. With digital tools, farmers can increase their agricultural output and – together with other actors in the value chain – can become financially included and soon prosper as middle-income families.
Through the Digital ASEAN Program, we’re looking for innovative startups with ground-breaking solutions that can help smallholders across the region do just that! If you’ve got a solution that can help unlock new economic opportunities for them, we want to help you do it! The Program will feature a host of learning and mentoring opportunities, as well as access to farmer cohorts to run trials of your solution!
Challenges
Smallholders tend to operate in the informal financial sector. How could digital tools help integrate smallholder farmers into the formal financial sector, for example, through the provision of credit, insurance, or better Know Your Customer (KYC) processes?
Smallholders are not producing enough to improve their livelihoods. How can smallholders improve their agriculture productivity using digital solutions delivered via mobile?
Technology can unlock opportunities. How could leveraging data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) create and multiply value for smallholders?
We’re looking to make this a worthwhile experience for each participating startup.
Through the Digital ASEAN Program, you can gain value of up to USD70,000!
