In Africa, the agriculture sector is essential to sustaining the livelihoods of people living in rural areas and providing them with income, but most smallholder farmers do not have access to new technologies. This slows their activities in the digital age where new technologies play key roles in the development of every economic sector.
Heifer International, an international non-governmental organization that fights poverty and hunger in the world, will collaborate with Mastercard to facilitate access to e-payment for farmers in Africa, Mastercard announced in a press release issued on Wednesday, January 25.
Under the partnership, Heifer International and Mastercard will connect millions of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa to Mastercard's Community Pass, a digital platform that will provide visibility to farmers and make it easier and faster for them to get paid for their products and create a digital presence.
“We remain committed to ensuring that smallholder farmers have the right resources and support required to thrive by leveraging innovation and key partnerships. We firmly believe that smallholder farmers play a foremost role in ensuring the continent’s agricultural food resilience and self-sufficiency," said Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President for Africa Programs, Heifer International.
Indeed, smallholder farmers play an important role in African economies. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), agriculture contributes about 30% of the continent's GDP. However, these farmers, mostly living in remote areas often not covered by internet services, cannot easily market their products and conduct digital business transactions.
The partnership between Heifer International and Mastercard aims to advance the digitization and financial inclusion of these farmers. Mastercard's Community Pass will address infrastructure challenges that arise when digitizing rural communities, such as unreliable connectivity, low smartphone ownership, and lack of consistent identification or accreditation.
Samira Njoya
