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DFS International

Food / Sustaianable Agriculture Initiatives

Our goal: make sure there is food on table for everyone in rural communities.

Agriculture is the main source of income for several hundred million people around the world who struggle with poverty and hunger, most of whom are connected to small-scale, or smallholder, farms—plots of land roughly the size of a soccer pitch. We invest in agriculture across  Africa and around the world because research shows that growth in the agricultural sector is the most effective way to reduce poverty and hunger.

Focused Activities

Enabling country systems

We support partners in the public and private sectors across several African countries that are committed to transforming smallholder agriculture into a sustainable, inclusive foundation of economic opportunity.
We look to governments to take the lead in developing strategies and priorities, and our investments seek to strengthen their capacity to implement their action plans. For example, we help them collect evidence to support agricultural programs and policies that have proven to be particularly effective for smallholder farmers in Africa and the other areas .

In the private sector, we partner with local small and medium-sized businesses to scale up innovative ways to serve the needs of smallholder farmers. We also collaborate with larger firms on new ways of incorporating smallholder farmers into their business models.

Enabling country systems

We support efforts in key areas of sub- Sahara in Africa to develop diversified farming and food systems that improve access to affordable, nutritious food and strengthen market opportunities for smallholder producers.

We are currently working in several areas to strengthen government capacity to implement agricultural development programs that serve the needs of smallholder producers. This includes helping government officials generate evidence to guide policy development, resource allocation, and strategies that expand market opportunities for smallholder producers.

Seed systems and varietal improvement

We support public-sector crop breeding programs in Africa and Asia, which have developed considerable insights into the needs and preferences of local farmers, processors, and consumers.

A key goal of our investments is to accelerate breeding work that can provide new crop varieties with traits that are aligned with local growing conditions and farmer and consumer preferences. Farmers in many countries can wait 20 to 30 years before a new variety becomes available. Ideally, that process should take five to 10 years—especially as farmers seek to adapt to the surge of challenges caused by climate change.

Soil Fertility & Fertilizer Systems

DFS International seeks to up-scale fertilizer use and integrated soil fertility management technologies.

We also invest in research for soil testing and mapping so as to create balanced fertilizers that respond to specific soil needs in particular agro-ecological zones. After this, suitable fertilizers will be recommended for those particular zones. During this exercise, attention will also be given to acidic soils where liming is recommended.

To improve the appropriate fertilizers uptake, DFS International will support the Governments in improving their subsidy programs by using the blended fertilizers, thus increasing the return on investments of smallholder farmers.

A Special attention will be given to women’s access to fertilizers to help reduce inequalities. To achieve this, and based on an assessment study, DFS International seeks to invest in the fertilizer systems, from production to farmers’ awareness creation.

Nutritious food systems

We support local and national efforts to develop food systems anchored by smallholder producers that can sustainably deliver safe, affordable, and nutritious food year-round to low-income people.

Building sustainable and resilient food systems that produce nutritious crops and livestock products requires a holistic approach that supports many different actors—including farmers, processors, traders, food companies, and retailers.

DFS International investments are helping farmers sustainably produce a broad range of nutritious crops as well as milk, eggs, and other livestock products that are rich in protein and essential micronutrients. Most individuals in low-income countries eat much less meat, milk, and eggs than consumers in wealthy countries. These nutrient-dense products can play a big role in achieving proper nutrition, especially among children.

We also support efforts to develop policies and practices that more efficiently connect farmers to markets, to ensure that consumers have consistent access to an assortment of healthy and affordable foods.

Smart Solar Irrigation System for Farmers

Smart irrigation systems are a combination of an advanced technology of sprinklers, connected photovoltaic power system with nozzles that improve coverage and irrigation controllers that are watering and water conservation systems that monitor moisture-related conditions on your property and automatically adjust watering to optimal levels. Surface or flood irrigation is the least efficient manner of irrigation. When a field is flooded, more water than is needed by the plant is applied to the field and water evaporates, seeps into the ground and percolates down to the groundwater, where it can be out of reach of the plant’s roots.

Livestock

Our livestock investments support smallholder livestock keepers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia in their efforts to sustainably raise healthy, productive animals.

For hundreds of millions of families across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, livestock are the most valuable household asset and an irreplaceable source of a nutritious diet, especially for children.

With regional demand for livestock products rapidly growing, access to better feed, breeds, and veterinary services will be critical to managing sustainable production on smallholder farms—as well as ensuring that smallholder livestock can increase household income, improve nutrition, and expand economic opportunities for women.

Our work in this area focuses on animal health, animal production, and animal systems. Our approach to livestock development seeks more effective engagement by global and regional technical entities, more progressive and effective national policies, and a more vibrant private sector that can reliably deliver affordable products and services to smallholder producers.

Digital farmers

We believe that digitally enabled platforms offer new options to help smallholder farmers leapfrog many of the barriers to sustainably raising productivity and increasing their incomes.

Digital services can provide new options in the public and private sectors and ensure that subsistence producers can more reliably transition to earning a stable income. Among other things, these services can provide farmers with detailed insights into local soil conditions and crop performance, expand access to financial services and market opportunities, and provide technical support for farm planning and field operations.

Digital farmer services can also be integrated into platforms that generate a steady stream of insights that allow public- and private-sector initiatives to greatly improve their efficacy and efficiency.

Our goal is to ensure that over the next 30  years, at least half of the smallholder famers in our focus geographies have access to and are benefiting from digitally enabled services. Our investments can play a role in advancing cost-effective business models and supporting national and state-level platforms that serve the interests of the public sector, private sector, and smallholder farming communities.

Input distribution

Advances in agricultural research have led to numerous improved technologies in plant and animal genetics, crop agronomy, disease and pest management practices, soil fertility enhancement inputs and water management practices that have transformed agriculture globally. We will also support input suppliers and distributors to design and implement effective farmer education campaigns; and lastly work with interested off-takers in the private sector to increase farmer awareness of quality requirements and input use.

Our Plan

We support inclusive agricultural development with four  main types of investments :

African Agricultural Drone Experience (AADE)

Drone technology has gotten most of the recognition in the industry because of its diversity and considered the future for the agrarian community. How can drones support African agriculture? Drones don’t merely enhance overall performance but also encourage farmers to solve other assorted barriers and receive plenty of benefits through precision agriculture. The purpose of adopting drone technology is to exclude any guesswork or ambiguity and instead focus on accurate and reliable information. External factors like weather, soil conditions, and temperature play a critical role in farming. Agriculture drone empowers the farmer to adapt to specific environments and make mindful choices accordingly. The gained data helps regulate crop health, crop treatment, crop scouting, irrigation, and carry out field soil analysis and crop damage assessments. The drone survey helps boost crop yields and minimize time and expenses.

Agriculture is the main source of income for several hundred million people around the world who struggle with poverty and hunger, most of whom are connected to small-scale, or smallholder, farms—plots of land roughly the size of a soccer pitch. We invest in agriculture across  Africa and around the world because research shows that growth in the agricultural  sector is the most effective way to reduce poverty and hunger.

Smallholder farmers in these regions, who collectively supply most of the population’s food, are incredibly resourceful in the face of challenges but need new options for sustainably producing and selling a wide array of crop and livestock products, especially as climate change rapidly intensifies the stresses they face.

By promoting sustainable agriculture, DFS International are supporting underserved countries to realize the global sustainable development goals of ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition.