Kenyan-based social enterprise company One Acre Fund has launched the Tupande app, a mobile application that helps smallholder farmers order and access high-quality seeds and fertilisers.

The app was first introduced in April 2022, and today, with the help of a Cisco grant, the developers are targeting a potential 100,000 Kenyan farmers.

According to the developers, as the global population increases - it is expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050 - and issues of poverty and food security become more prevalent, tech-based initiatives such as this will be crucial in combatting critical global challenges.

Claire McGuinness, Strategy and Partnerships Senior Analyst at One Acre Fund, says, “The introduction of the Tupande app wouldn’t have been possible without support from the Cisco Global Impact Cash Grant Program. We’re seeing first-hand the impact that technology and digital transformation can have on critical sectors such as agriculture. There are 50 million smallholder farming families in Africa and, while Tupande is only available in Kenya for now, we’re dedicated to scaling the project and bringing this technology to more farmers of the future.”

Supporting self-sufficiency

One Acre Fund cites statistics from Our World in Data, which claims that more than 84% of agricultural producers are smallholder farmers, with farms smaller than two hectares.

“These farmers produce one-third of the world’s food, but often don’t have enough food to feed their families,” the company adds.

The Tupande app is designed to help digitise farmers’ procurement processes and make supplies more accessible.

One Acre Fund adds, “The app enables farmers to browse One Acre Fund’s product catalogue, compare prices, view item photos and descriptions, determine what’s in stock at their local duka (Swahili for shop), and order – all from their mobile phones. Due to the app’s efficiency, farmers have more time to manage crops and carry out demanding daily activities.”

Shain Rahim, Country Leader at Cisco Kenya, says, “Cisco is proud to support organisations like One Acre Fund that use technology to help reduce poverty, increase food security, and build thriving, resilient communities. This is exactly the kind of initiative our Global Impact Cash Grant Program was designed to assist. By enabling smallholder farmers, we’re helping to power an inclusive future for all, which is Cisco’s ultimate goal.”

In 2022, Cisco aided various community-based projects and helped to facilitate equitable access to the knowledge, skills, opportunities, and resources people need to support themselves and their families.

Findings from the 2022 Cisco Purpose Report affirm the company’s commitment to positively impact one billion people through social impact grants and signature programs.