GODAN: New app to promote sustainable agricultural growth

Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) and The Haller Foundation joined forces in 2016 when the UK based charity released version one of the Haller Farmers App.

Established in 2014, the Haller Farmers web app currently provides 30,000 individuals with affordable and environmentally friendly farming techniques. GODAN created a short documentary, Open Fields, focusing on smallholder farmer Eunice who was able to improve her livelihood and lift her family out of poverty by using the information provided on the app. This short film, created as a part of GODAN’s open data Web documentary series, helped create awareness about the Haller Foundation and their new technological innovation, and was valuable in showcasing Haller’s work and encouraging new donors.

The Haller Foundation, founded in 2004, strives to unleash the potential of local economies by promoting a model for development that is both sustainable and environmentally sound. They work with smallholder farmers living in the rural areas surrounding the Mombasa coastline, empowering them through sustainable agriculture and transforming both their land and communities.

Smallholder farmers across rural Africa often have insufficient access to the knowledge, skills, infrastructure and tools they need in order to thrive. In line with the ongoing cross-continent technological revolution, Haller has collaborated creatively with the award-winning app development agency Red C, and long-term design partner Pearlfisher, to launch version 2 of the Haller Farmers app. Haller are aiming, with the help of GODAN, to leverage the increase of mobile technology in Africa to make this new app even more accessible to the millions of Eastern African smallholder farmers, and promote sustainable
growth.

The innovative new application, which will be available to download free from the Google Play Store from 12 June, 2020, remains lightweight while fully accessible offline. In addition to Haller’s pioneering farming techniques, new agricultural content has been introduced to make the Haller Farmers App more appealing and diverse. This includes; Youth Farming, Square Plot, Human and Animal Conflict Management, and Conservation.

The app is available in both English and Swahili languages and is supported by Swahili audio to help overcome both illiteracy challenges and language barriers. Haller Farmers has been developed with the needs of farmers in mind and the prototype has been extensively tested by smallholders and students across Kenya with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Haller is hoping, with the help of GODAN, to reach millions of smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa, helping them to become self-sufficient and to lift themselves out of poverty.