Training offered to farmers is often expensive, inaccessible and ineffectual. Producer Organisations spend a lot of money on external training and our research has shown that this does not often result in farmers implementing any changes on their farms.

Producers Direct is developing a global network of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) that offer relevant and affordable farmer-led training. Each CoE offers farmers access to a network of qualified Promoter Farmers delivering relevant and affordable in-person training on demonstration sites. These sites act as living, learning classrooms where farmers can learn and trial innovative farming practices. In-person training is supported by digital tools such as WeFarm, which amplifies reach and impact to larger numbers.

Once trained, farmers are often unable to find access to finance required to trial techniques. This limits their ability to implement new practices such as trialing new fertilising techniques to boost productivity or the development of beekeeping as an alternative micro-enterprise to increase household incomes.

Producers Direct has developed a rotating capital fund co financed with contributions from partner cooperatives. The fund provides micro-loans to farmers so they can access funds necessary to make on-farm investments.

Even once they have been able to implement new practices or microenterprises farmers still face the challenge of finding relevant reliable markets for their new products. This is especially pertinent to farmers seeking to diversify away from reliance on one cash crop as a source of income (such as tea or coffee). This often leads to a large amount of post harvest loss and farmers underselling their crops to unscrupulous buyers at the farm gate.

Producers Direct is developing the capacity of Producer Organisations to package and sell co-branded products sourced directly from the producers. To help with this, Producers Direct has supported in the development of FarmDirect, a digital tool that supports farmers to bundle their products together through a transparent system. FarmDirect is underpinned by Youth Agents, operating at each Centre of Excellence who manage post-harvest logistics and coordination. Youth are supporting farmers to bundle crops for the first time and develop value chains for unorganised crops, increasing farmers’ access to untapped markets and buyers.

In order to track progress of their activities, adequately respond to changing conditions, and continue to develop their own innovative experiments; farmers need access to the relevant data. Although there is an abundance of information around smallholder farmers, data is often extracted and rarely fed back to farmers in ways that they can use it to make on farm and business decisions.

Producers Direct is pioneering a farmer-led data system that aims to change farmers relationship to information: empowering them to be active participants in the collection and analysis of data to begin managing their farms as sustainable and profitable small-scale businesses. FarmDirect, our application, supports farmers to digitise their on-farm records and utilise digital sensors attached to everyday farming tools. This information is then linked to our global data dashboard that has been designed by farmers, for farmers. Here it is enhanced by data from our partners (including Climate Edge weather station data) in order build holistic pictures of their farm and businesses using their own data - data that is recognisable and meaningful.