Disruptive Technologies to improve lending for Agriculture in East Africa

Small-scale agriculture significantly contributes to the livelihoods of people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Smallholder farmers tend to have little or no access to formal credit due to the following factors: lack of trust in financial institutions, the prevalence of asymmetric information in the market, and the relatively high costs and risks incurred by financial organization of extending loans or credit. The Capstone team developed an interlinked stakeholder framework to propose solutions that leverage disruptive technologies, including Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain. Nine different cases studies were assessed in terms of their approaches and methodologies in employing digital and financial technology solutions to address the diverse set of challenges faced by smallholder farmers in developing countries. A set of recommendations has been developed by extracting key characteristics and benchmarking cases that fit in the region, namely with regards to (1) partnerships, (2) distribution channels, (3) viable business model, and (4) training.