Agriculture

Technology has the potential to address many of the world’s most pressing development challenges. But some of the biggest failures incorporating technology in development contexts result from solutions that don’t fit the target users’ needs and capabilities. In his first regular column on applying technology to solve development problems, Director of TechnoServe Labs Dave Hale discusses the first step for developing technology solutions: understanding the end user.

For over 50 years, TechnoServe has helped hardworking women and men in the developing world gain the skills, connections, and confidence to create self-sustaining businesses and build a path out of poverty. In 2020, we asked a few of these farmers and entrepreneurs to share how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their lives and how they are coping with its effects.

In San Martín, Peru, coca used to dominate the landscape. Now, through the Coffee Alliance for Excellence (CAFE) program, farmers in former coca-growing regions are learning how to improve their livelihoods through coffee.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant challenges for many farming households in Uganda. But coffee can economically sustain families in a difficult time – if farmers can receive the information they need. A TechnoServe program is working to deliver that information to 30,000 farmers in central and western Uganda.

In Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, agri-entrepreneurs like Helena and Amândio are seeking to lift themselves out of poverty by expanding their businesses. But even good market opportunities, like poultry production, can pose challenges when entrepreneurs lack the technical knowledge to run enterprises successfully. TechnoServe’s Catalisa program teaches small-scale poultry producers how to profitably produce chickens for the live market through hands-on training and one-on-one coaching, enabling them to expand their production and earn higher incomes.

From launching a new program to help small shops respond to COVID-19, to using remote sensing technology to map cashew production in Benin, here are some of the highlights of an eventful year. 

Because of pervasive inequalities, women are vulnerable to the lasting economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article highlights some of the ways we can strengthen the resilience of women farmers and entrepreneurs during the crisis and aid their post-pandemic recovery.

In a year filled with challenges, TechnoServe has remained committed to helping farmers and small businesses fight the impact of COVID-19. While some of our methods may have looked a bit different this year, our mission has remained the same. Our five most-read stories from 2020 illustrate just a few of the ways that TechnoServe has helped women and men in the developing world overcome obstacles to build brighter futures.

With the number of people facing life-threatening hunger in the world expected to double this year to 265 million, solutions addressing each link in the food system are essential. Drawing from TechnoServe's work across value chains with a range of public and private partners, we highlight the latest challenges, insights, and promising approaches in the current effort to prevent widespread food insecurity and build greater long-term resilience.

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting farmers, entrepreneurs, and workers across the globe, but its economic impact on women is particularly severe. How can the private sector, governments, and civil society ensure that women can continue to do business amid the pandemic?