Using digital technology to serve female farmers in Peru
As the gatekeepers to family nutrition and the guardians of crop diversity, women play a defining yet underappreciated role in Peru’s food system. To solve this issue, Producers Direct, a global smallholder owned not-for profit organization is pioneering Farm Direct, an AgriTech solution serving female smallholders in Peru.
Chirinos is a district in the province of San Ignacio and is one of the most well-known areas for quality coffee in Peru. It is also the home district of Luz, a farmer who knows the importance of crop diversification, making her more resilient against the effects of climate change. The 37-year old mother of three boys grows banana, coffee, cabbage and tomatoes. Her farm is situated at an altitude of more than 1,500 meters above sea level, on the mountain ranges of the Peruvian Andes, a 1.5-hour drive from the nearest commercial city, Jaen.
"Diversifying your crops makes sense, because you can adjust your activities to different seasons. For example, during the summer, you can plant crops that are more resistant to the heat. Or you can gradually test which crop has a good yield, and which crops can withstand the heat and which crops can't."
Luz, farmer
Farm Direct – A digital marketplace for female farmers
As the gatekeepers to family nutrition and the guardians of crop diversity, women play a defining yet underappreciated role in Peru’s food system. To solve this issue, Producers Direct, a global smallholder owned not-for-profit organization is pioneering Farm Direct, an AgriTech solution serving female smallholders in Peru. This digital platform goes beyond offering a typical agricultural marketplace. It also offers a blend of in-person and digital services that deliver real-time climate and market data, personalized agronomic and financial advice to reduce risk and increase productivity, market access to strengthen incomes and reduce food loss, and financing to drive financial inclusion for smallholders, prioritizing women.
During the first 6-months of 2023, Producers Direct has increased incomes by 40% across Latin America for farmers selling surplus crops on Farm Direct.
“Our tool has been designed by farmers, for farmers. This is critical in an ecosystem where AgriTech tools must be trusted by smallholders for adoption and longer-term impact. Human-centered design and ongoing user testing have resulted in high adoption and retention rates on our digital platform Farm Direct.”
Claire Rhodes, CEO at Producers Direct
Facilitated by Youth Agents who lead local sales strategies by overseeing logistics and buyer linkages, Farm Direct enables farmers to aggregate their produce, access profitable markets and meet larger orders from diverse buyers within their local markets. Farm Direct replicates the benefits of a traditional cooperative, digitally.
Luz : “Here is how it works. Once I've harvested, I log into the app as a seller to list how many kilos of cabbage and tomatoes I have. I offer them through the app. Then the platform displays the product, and requests start coming in. This is when the Youth Agent gets involved. They do all the selling and delivering. It's very convenient. We harvest, put everything in bags, and they take them away. And then I get the money. That’s it.”
Leodán Sosa García has been a Youth Agent since May 2023. Growing coffee and avocados himself, he is well known within the farming community of the Chirinos district. According to Leodán, the digital platform not only eliminates time-consuming trips to markets, it also avoids exploitation by middlemen. Leodán: “What has been happening is that a supplier buys from a producer, and then it goes to another supplier and so on. It gets outsourced a lot. The Youth Agents go directly to the producer and take the produce directly to the store. We help them negotiate with the commercial buyer. By doing so, we are cutting expenses which are benefitting the producer economically.”
Besides providing a more efficient way for farmers to sell their products, Farm Direct captures detailed transaction data, including unit prices, farmer and buyer geolocations, and logistics details. Over time, this data provides valuable insights and trends to farmers, allowing them to access real-time market prices, identify the most profitable markets, and make informed decisions on where to invest.
Scaling in Peru
Bayer and Bayer Foundation have been supporting Producers Direct since 2022. Continued partnership will enable Producers Direct to scale to 10,000 Peruvian female farmers in 2025, which will allow Producers Direct to reach a break-even point, ensuring they have sufficient revenue to sustain field operations.
Claire: “Thanks to our partnership, we've been able to scale a pioneering digital platform that is transforming the lives of female smallholder farmers. By boosting incomes, strengthening climate resilience, and reducing food loss, we're creating ripple effects that will uplift entire communities. It isn’t just about technology, it is about giving female farmers the tools they need to thrive.”
