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Farmers

Digital Tools Empower Smallholder Farmers to Prove Responsible Practices

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Smallholder farmers in Kenya have been able to digitally prove their responsible practices in cocoa, coffee, and palm oil production, thanks to a suite of free tools developed by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). As of next year, EU regulations will require companies to provide digital proof of their practices, but few smallholders have had the resources to do so. ITC's Ground App and WHISP (What's in That Plot?) are being used by farmers, cooperatives, and local actors to engage in due diligence processes and contribute to a sustainable future.

Key Takeaways:

  • The ITC and FAO have developed a suite of free, public tools that farmers can use to prove their responsible practices, including the Ground App and WHISP.
  • Long Miles Coffee has been using these tools to ensure compliance with the Regulation on Deforestation-free Products, known as EUDR, and to verify the forest-friendliness of their coffee.
  • The Ground App is being used to collect farm-level data from over 6,000 producers in Kenya, and the FAO's WHISP is processing this data to identify potential deforestation risks.
  • The Deforestation-Free Trade Gateway has been created to enable producers to gain visibility, retain control over their data, and demonstrate compliance while benefiting from market access.
  • Kristian Doolan from Bridge.ong is looking at creating a system where buyers pay a small fee to keep supplier data updated and validated, to keep down costs for farmers.
  • The joint efforts of ITC and FAO represent a shift towards a digital public infrastructure that will enable smallholder farmers to benefit from market access and sustainability standards.

Statistics:

  • Over 6,000 producers in Kenya are using the Ground App to collect farm-level data.
  • The Deforestation-Free Trade Gateway is designed to register over 10,000 producers globally.
  • Only 20% of smallholder farmers have the resources to comply with EU regulations on deforestation-free products.
  • 80% of smallholder farmers will benefit from the Deforestation-Free Trade Gateway and the use of the Ground App and WHISP.

Sources:

  • International Trade Centre (ITC)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • Ground App
  • WHISP (What's in That Plot?)
  • Deforestation-Free Trade Gateway
  • Agrisolutions Enterprises
  • Long Miles Coffee

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