People’s Champion finalist 2017: Wefarm

Start-up name: Wefarm
Founder: Kenny Ewan
Started in: 2015
Based in: London
Business description: Farmer-to-farmer information sharing network

Shortlisted category:

The Founders Pledge Social Impact Award

The Wefarm story:

Despite producing around 70% of all the world’s food, many of its 500 million small-scale farmers live in rural areas with no access to the internet and the vital information they need to prosper.

Recognising that a problem for them is a problem for all of us, two-time Startups 100-featured Wefarm founder Kenny Ewan set out to solve this information deficit by building a global farmer-to-farmer information sharing network. As part of his market research, Ewan spent seven years working with Peruvian farmers and observing the unique way they coped with challenges.

Using artificial intelligence, Wefarm is an SMS and online service that enables farmers to share and access essential information with other farmers around the world. Whether it’s how to battle a disease, increase yield or boost their income, such crucial information could keep many in business.

90% of these farmers DO have access to a mobile phone and user growth has been rapid, with 320,000 farmers now using Wefarm to share innovative ways to tackle the problems they all face without ever leaving their farms. The company says around 1,000 users are now signing up every day, meaning it’s on target to hit one million by mid-2018…

Major organisations have partnered with Wefarm including Unilever, Technoserve, Pret-a-Manger, Solidaridad and HEIFER. And with small-scale farmers spending more than $400bn a year on farm products and financial services, the company sees huge opportunities for revenue generation through this partner network.

Why Wefarm made our shortlist:

Wefarm is a truly inspiring organisation that’s helping a vital, but often taken for granted, global community find solutions to problems that will help all of us. With the world’s population set to hit nine billion in 2050 and climate change damaging arable land and putting pressure on the global food supply, this service will become ever-more vital.

Where to find out more about Wefarm:

Website: www.wefarm.org
Twitter: @we_farm