The Haller Farmers App in Action: Stories from Kenya

We’re delighted to launch a refreshed version of our award-winning Haller Farmers App, now available to download on the App and Google Play Stores. We’d love your feedback on the updates, and any content you’d like to see added moving forward. 

This week we launched an updated version of the Haller Farmers App. 20 years on from the establishment of the Haller Foundation, the app responds to the rising demand for mobile solutions within the agricultural sector across the Sub-Saharan region. 

As part of the new app launch, we wanted to take some time to reflect with our team in Kenya on the impact of the app to date, and why continued innovation is so important. James Konde (Farmer Training and App Development), Michael Mjomba (Project Community Coordinator) and Husseina Murtaza (Librarian and Teacher) connect with the communities using the Haller Farmers App on a daily basis. They gave us their thoughts on why the app has been so successful, and why they’re excited about the updated version. 

One of the key themes across all of the team’s feedback was how the app has improved the delivery of community engagement work, a critical aspect of Haller’s operations. James explained how the app has enabled on-site farmer training, reducing the reliance on hard copy materials and facilitating learning directly in the community, where previously it would only have been possible at the demonstration plot.

In addition to helping improve the delivery of training, the app has helped to boost engagement with projects after training has been completed. Allowing communities to revisit techniques and refresh their knowledge, the app has “notably impacted community engagement and participation in sustainable farming practices”. 

The ultimate goal of these training sessions is to help smallholders improve their livelihoods and outcomes, while also serving to protect the ecosystems they rely on. “Since the app introduction, community families have improved their diet and health” as variety in food production has increased, reducing the reliance on a single crop, and improving biodiversity.

James referenced one success story in particular, Eunice Bule, who used the app techniques to improve agricultural outputs, enabling her to support her children through secondary school, build a permanent house for her family and install solar panels to provide a consistent supply of electricity. 

All of the information on the app can be accessed in English or Swahili, with audio content and imagery improving accessibility. The updated app is also available in French, thanks to our ongoing work with La Maison de L’Artemisia, reflecting the language’s importance across the continent. 

The app's full impact is realised through knowledge sharing back to the rest of the community. One of the key features of the newly refreshed app is its availability offline, which ensures that this knowledge sharing is not reliant on an internet connection. 

While at its core the app focuses on regenerative agriculture, Husseina emphasised the impact of the app beyond smallholder farming. The health section on the app has helped drive an “increased awareness of family planning methods among women in our community” and empowered smallholders to better understand and treat health conditions. The app also has an education section aimed at young people looking to better understand the importance of regenerative agriculture and the steps they can take to be more sustainable. 

4 years post-launch, the Haller Farmers app has been downloaded in over a hundred countries, and been utilised by thousands of smallholder farmers across the globe. The updated app promises to unlock further opportunities, capturing “what farmers and non-farmers can do in small areas to improve their livelihoods.” 
The app can be downloaded on the App and Google Play Stores.