myAgro
Model & Strategy
myAgro believes that it is incredibly important that poor people have a way to protect and save their wealth in order to move out of poverty. Small-scale farmers, who make up the majority of the world’s poor, are also the most likely to lack access to a savings account.
myAgro enables farmers in West Africa to save for fertilizer, seed and training packages on layaway through a mobile-based platform and a network of vendor partners. By training farmers on labor-saving techniques, myAgro makes it possible for farmers to plant more land, with increasing productivity. Using this system, farmers increase their yields 50-100% and use the increased harvest to connect to markets, or feed their families year-round.
Over time, myAgro’s impact goal is to help farmers more than double their farm income to exceed $1,000 annually.
Anushka has worked in rural Africa since mid-2008, helping to increase market access for small-scale farmers. From her on-the-ground experience working with farmers, she learned about the lack of savings options for small-scale farmers and set out to create a model that would reach remote and hard-to-serve farmers.
Anushka previously created and led Kiva’s Fellows Program in 2007. She joined One Acre Fund in 2008 in Bungoma, Kenya and created many of the operations and back office structures to scale the program 50x in three years. Anushka is a 2011 Rainer Arnhold Fellow, 2012 Echoing Green Fellow and 2014 Pop!Tech Fellow.
IMPACT
Farmers increase yields 50-100% and net farming income $150-$300 per year.
The number of beneficiaries grew from 240 farmers reached in 2012 to 120,000 farmers reached in 2020 (estimate).
In just 7 years, myAgro has grown its budget by more than 44x and beneficiaries from 240 to 120,000, while cutting the donor subsidy required to lift each farmer out of poverty by more than 67%, from $320 to an estimated $103 in 2020.
myAgro was a recipient of a 2018 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.
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Flooding, drought & rising temps have made agriculture a struggle for many. Fanta, a myAgro farmer, is 1 of the est… https://t.co/Ut13CdG7Wf
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Today we're at the Digital Fair in Mali, an event bringing together #agtech changemakers. Our team has been introdu… https://t.co/LL4SPCzDTa
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Climate-smart packages are vital to our farmers. The right fertilizer, treated seeds, and training can be the diffe… https://t.co/AUv74oyVBB
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West Africa's food insecurity is at its worst in 10 years & myAgro needs your support to meet this moment in a big… https://t.co/68qjQidxXD
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Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday2022! How will you be participating in the global movement to reimagine a world built upo… https://t.co/scnRjmgrPP
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In the latest @ucsc magazine, our founder & CEO, Anushka Ratnayake, discusses her journey to creating myAgro & the… https://t.co/gHoIF9VFgE
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RT @innocentfdn: In tough times, it's great to see how myAgro is adapting their offer to help smallholder farmers end up better off.
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With #cop27 coming to a close it's more important than ever to see inclusive commitments through. We believe that a… https://t.co/zHd2lp0C7w
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myAgro not only provides farmers with an easy way to save for seeds & fertilizer but also with additional income-ge… https://t.co/sJFnVFE8tk
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Life can be unpredictable for rural farmers —a major shock could mean losing income & food. Sokhna, a mother of 7,… https://t.co/4D5vL4toHg
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The Sahel region, where we work, has been identified by the @IPCC_CH as a climate hot spot; temps are rising 1.5x f… https://t.co/BXekmNc356
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It takes a dedicated network of Village Entrepreneurs to connect with farmers. Read VE Lamine's story to see how he… https://t.co/dviZY7aiyY
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RT @DRKFoundation: Exciting to see two DRK entrepreneurs included in @EmCollective's newest cohort of Dial Fellows. Congrats to Marie Zemle…
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Thank you, @SkollFoundation, for supporting our work! https://t.co/1z8dElshTJ
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Despite an unprecedented time for organizations and smallholder farmers across the globe, we've been able to delive… https://t.co/ofs3Xgrt5o
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myAgro founder & CEO, Anushka Ratnayake, has been named an @EmCollective Dial Fellow. This fellowship will equip so… https://t.co/VuKezwWRpj
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It's harvest time at myAgro which means more food, funds, and opportunities for farmers like Khady and Ami. "Befo… https://t.co/IXpg93iX1E
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Testing & trials are an integral part of the #myAgro process which is why our recent partnership with the Institut… https://t.co/kitONtyUaQ