RAN | ResilientAfrica Network

Resilience Innovation Challenge 4 Adverse Climate Effects (RIC4ACE)

Projects selected for RIC Round 1 (RIC4ACE) support under EARILAB

Following the final judging session, 7 promising ideas with the highest potential for social impact if scaled, sound technical plausibility and innovativeness were selected as follows:

Project 1: KUNGULA! Thresh It
Intervention Pathway 1: ZUKUSA! Disrupt Agricultural Practices and Markets for Resilience
Track 1: Scaling Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Team leader:

Team Members:

1. Eng. Stephen Ssekanyo (Team Leader)
2. Mr. Elly Baala
3. Mr. Samalie Nakaggwe

Organisation: Private individuals working as a team; however, they are in the process of registering a company by the names ‘Earthly Energy Limited’

Brief Description

A low cost technology for mechanized threshing of maize. The technology will improve post-harvest handling of produce in rural low income settings through substantial increase in output efficiency and substantial reduction in losses, contamination and excessive physical exertion that rural farmers (mostly women) experience with manual threshing and winnowing.

Project 2: RAPID (Rapid Agricultural Produce Indirect Dryer)
Intervention Pathway 1: ZUKUSA! Disrupt Agricultural Practices and Markets for Resilience
Track 1: Scaling Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Team leader: :

Team Members:

1. Dr. Robinah Kulabako (Team Leader)
2. Dr. Philip Nyenje
3. Mr. Swaib Semiyaga
4. Mr. Mohammed Ssemwanga

Organisation: A team of university faculty from Makerere University

Brief Description

An improved solar drying technology that will change current farmer reliance on direct sun-light for drying of produce in rural low income settings. The technology will make agricultural produce drying more efficient for different types of produce, reducing losses, aflatoxin contamination and drag.

Project 3: Mushrooming Livelihoods
Intervention Pathway 1: ZUKUSA! Disrupt Agricultural Practices and Markets for Resilience
Track 1: Scaling Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Team leader: :

Team Members:

1. Mr. Gerald Kyeyune Muwanga (Team Leader)
2. Dr. John James Okiror
3. Mr. Katende Stephen Sserunjogi
4. Mr. Muhereza Begumya David
2. Dr. Mivule Danson
3. Mr. Kigonya Allan
4. Mr. Mbowa Lutimba

Organisation: University based team from Makerere University

Brief Description

Developing alternatives to the existing media for cultivation of mushrooms, making mushroom cultivation widely accessible. Easy access to mushroom growing will expand the potential for diversification to this high value crop among organic farmers in rural Africa. It will also provide a platform for changing practices regarding farming on small holdings.

Project 4: B2K! Back to traditional starch
Intervention Pathway 1: ZUKUSA! Disrupt Agricultural Practices and Markets for Resilience
Track 2: Agricultural markets 2.0

Team leader: :

Team Members:

1. Dr. Julius Gatune (Team Leader)
2. Dr Deborah Cohen
3 Ms Patience Kikoni
4. George Wanjohi

Organisation: African centre for economic transformation

Brief Description

This project uses novel recipes and aesthetics to rebrand millet and other waning traditional starches like sorgum, sweet potatoes, cassava and yams as attractive, tasty, healthier and more resilient alternatives to maize and rice which are swallowing up the consumption space for carbohydrate across the region and the world over. The key to unlocking the potential of these alternative starches is in finding the optimum taste and mixtures that will spur urban and peri-urban households to bring them back to their diner table as staple foods.

Project 5: EDAD (Electronic Dollar A Day - Saving Box)
Intervention Pathway 2: I can-Empower me to thrive!
Track 2: Financial inclusion

Team leader: :

Team Members:

1. Eng. Daniel K. Byamukama (Team Leader)
2. Mr. Paul Bakaki
3. Mr. Emmanuel Lule
4. Ms. Diana Nakiyingi

Organisation: EDAD E-Payments Limited (http://www.edadsaving.com )

Brief Description

In the context of a very poor saving culture and high financial insecurity among rural subsistence farmers in Eastern Africa, this innovation taps into the rising access to mobile phones to create an electronic platform that will disrupt current approaches to saving by bringing the savings bank teller service to the mobile phone. The platform will make it very easy for rural households to make targeted savings for household level development and risk mitigation.

Project 6: Village Egg Bank in Egg Currency (VEBEC)
Intervention Pathway 2: I can-Empower me to thrive!
Track 2: Financial Engagement and Inclusion

Team leader: :

Team Members:

1. Swaib Dragule (Team Leader)
2. Imran Ejotre
3. Acaga Taban Ismail
4. Feni Gard

Organisation: University based team from Makerere University

Brief Description

This innovation introduces a new and disruptive form of currency that can be channelled into savings through regular deposits of eggs to an egg bank by the rural farmers. In this case, the egg becomes a currency, bridging the lack of cash among rural farmers. The model can be replicated for other farm and off-farm products as an incentive-driven way of produce bulking for market leverage among very small holder farmers. A few household chickens turn into a potential income earner and currency generator for rural households.

Project 7: Better Farming Better Me!
Intervention Pathway 2: I can-Empower me to thrive!
Track 1: Livelihood diversification

Team leader: :

Team Members:

1. Dr. Possy Mugyenyi (Team Leader)
2. Dr. Gudura Basaza
3. Mr. Daniel Kadobera
4. Ms. Jennifer Kalule Musamba
5. Ms. Kellen Namusisi Nyamurungi

Organisation: Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa, Uganda

Brief Description

An approach aimed at weaning households from tobacco-dependent mono-cropping to mixed food crop and poultry farming as a more fulfilling alternative that leads to better livelihoods and food security. The approach can be replicated in other communities that are trapped in mono-crop systems.

Intervention Pathway 1: ZUKUSA! Disrupt agricultural practices and markets for resilience

Communities that experience recurrent shocks and stresses arising from climate variability are largely dependent on subsistence agriculture. This is characterized by small fragmented holdings, inefficient methods of production and/or itinerant pastoralism (UNDP, 2007). As a result, agricultural yields are small and non-diversified, leading to low income from produce (UNDP, 2007). Value addition to produce is also low. Agricultural markets are largely skewed to disfavor the rural farmer. Information asymmetries, lack of direct access to buyers, and low price leverage all affect farmer incomes from produce. This intervention pathway seeks solutions that disrupt the status quo by substantially building the agency of rural farmers to take more control of the agricultural production process, as well as the agricultural markets. The pathway has two tracks and four innovation sub challenges:

Track 1: Scaling Sustainable Agricultural practices

This category of interventions targets to transform rural agricultural production processes by developing and disseminating technologies and approaches that increase efficiency of production and post-harvest handling of produce, in ways that are green and sustainable

Sub-Challenge 1: Develop low cost environmentally friendly approaches and technologies to increase yield per acreage

Rural farmers are stuck in subsistence forms of agriculture based on small fragmented acreage and inefficient methods of agriculture and livestock rearing. High-tech implements like tractors are largely unaffordable while approaches involving heavy use of agro-chemicals would disrupt a production ecosystem that has largely remained green. Likewise, rural farmers largely lack access and know how to use modern improved seed and cropping technologies in ways that resist nuisance weeds, pests and drought and result in much higher yields per acre. We are seeking solutions that can substantially increase the yield-per-acre among rural holdings while making production more efficient and sustainable. These could include:

1.Technologies or approaches that significantly increase yield while keeping the production ecosystem green
2.Technologies or approaches that prolong production capacity in drier seasons without disrupting bio-diversity
3.Technologies or approaches that expand available surfaces for crop and animal husbandry without encroachment on high risk or protected environmental zone
4.Low cost farming implements that make production more efficient
5.New and efficient forms of green energy to power critical agricultural/livestock production processes, irrigation and farmer households
6.New approaches for increasing yield for indigenous drought resistant starches and vegetables
7.Innovative approaches for adverse climate early warning including platforms for last mile communication

Applications included provisions for greener production processes and incorporate proposals for building agency for their uptake in target communities.

Sub-Challenge 2: Develop contextually relevant technologies or approaches for post-harvest handling of produce

Rural communities face major challenges with post-harvest handling of produce. This includes both rapidly perishable produce (e.g. vegetables and fruits) and less rapidly perishable produce (e.g. grain and legume seeds). A substantial part of their produce is wasted in post-harvest-losses. Communities also have limited access to affordable technologies for produce processing to improve its quality before sale (lack of value addition to raw produce). These two factors interplay to drastically reduce the price of their produce. On the other hand, produce distributors who are able to sort, refine and add value to produce often get much higher profits than the farmers. We are seeking a solution that will transform post-harvest handling of produce to facilitate value addition in an eco-friendly way. Proposed solutions may address either rapidly perishable produce or less rapidly perishable produce. Examples of desirable solutions include but are not limited to:

1.Improved locally adaptable storage technologies
2.Improved locally adaptable technologies for drying/preservation of produce before it reaches the market
3.Low cost technologies and approaches for basic processing and local value addition (e.g. technologies for sorting grain by grade level and removing unwanted debris, technologies for fruit processing, exploring new forms of products from bananas and other local foods etc.)
4.Models/approaches for efficient handling of produce from farm to market
5.New and efficient forms of green energy to power produce processing
6.New approaches/technologies for local seed optimization to service local seed demand
7.Create a low cost easily deployable produce storage granary

Track 2: Agricultural markets 2.0.

This pathway aims to disrupt and re-organise agricultural market dynamics in ways that eliminate rural farmer-produce buyer power asymmetries so that the farmer is in more control of produce prices. By disrupting the location of markets as well as the roles of different entities in produce markets, successful implementation of interventions in this pathway could mean that agricultural markets will never be the same.

Sub-Challenge 3: Agricultural markets for the future that incentivize new types of networks and distribution models to catalyze enterprise and narrow the gap from farm to market

Current agricultural markets are riddled with mass asymmetries in information and market access. These create a distortion of supply and demand dynamics in which the rural farmer is substantially less informed about market dynamics and has no direct access to buyers. High level regional or international markets are largely inaccessible to rural farmers because they do not understand how they operate and where the definitive buyers are located. Market interfaces are often controlled by exploitative middlemen who reap massive profits at the expense of farmers and out-growers (Atingi-Ego et al., 2006).

We are seeking a solution that will disrupt the current structure and state of agriculture/livestock markets to substantially shift the level of market access and market interaction in favor of the rural farmer by obliterating current market access asymmetries and increasing direct interface between rural farmers and definitive buyers. We are also open to highly disruptive solutions that totally transcend the current definition of a ‘market’ to create the market of the future. Examples of conventional solutions could include:

1.New and disruptive approaches to small farmer networking to multiply capacity for price leverage and produce stabilization in markets
2.New approaches to linking multiple farmer networks to create super-networks that increase farmer leverage in the market
3.Changing farmer attitudes to see farming as a business

Examples of non-conventional/disruptive solutions could include:

1.New and disruptive technology driven platforms that address market related information asymmetries
2.New and disruptive platforms that completely change the location of agro-produce markets from ‘near the buyer’to‘near the farmer’
3.Disruption of the role of middlemen in the produce supply chain

Sub-Challenge 4: New models to promote produce-bulking, standardization, packaging, branding and effective farm-to-shelf produce traceability for increased farmer leverage in the market

Current agricultural markets are riddled with mass asymmetries in the power of leverage by rural farmers. Because of reliance on small holdings and non-bulk sales, rural farmers have little leverage on the price of their produce. Most importantly, rural farmers have low appreciation as well as capacity to brand their produce in a way that positions their produce competitively in the market. This creates a distortion of supply and demand dynamics in which the rural farmer is substantially weaker than the buyer, and also limits the markets that local produce attracts. We are seeking a solution that will disrupt the current structure and state of agriculture/livestock markets to substantially shift the power of market leverage in favor of the rural farmer by obliterating current power asymmetries and increasing farmer leverage in the market. Solutions should stimulate increased farmer leverage in the market through bulking, branding, produce standardization and traceability. Potential solutions could include but are not limited to:

1.Novel approaches to produce-bulking and motivation of cooperatives around produce marketing
2.Farmer driven approaches to produce-standardization, quality triaging and pricing
3.Branding strategies that enhance visibility and competitiveness of local produce in larger markets
4.Cost-effective technologies and platforms that enable rural farmers to trace their produce
5.Approaches to produce-size forecasting and supply stabilization in rural farmer networks
6.Bringing traditional foods back to the dinner table: Novel approaches to value addition for indigenous drought resilient starches and vegetables (e.g. cassava, sweet potatoes, millet and sorghum) and innovative approaches to their preparation to enhance their palatability and aesthetic properties

Intervention Pathway 2: I CAN - Empower me to thrive!

Individuals living in rural communities affected by climate variability related shocks and stresses face the challenge of non-diversification. They are dependent on one or a narrow range of livelihood options, resulting in limited finite incomes and chronic poverty. Non-diversification is caused by the lack of viable livelihood options that are contextually relevant, easy to implement, and highly profitable. It is also caused by low financial inclusion and a pervasive culture of not saving for investment. This pathway seeks to implement a set of interventions that empower target communities to diversify to profitable non-agricultural enterprises. It also seeks to develop livelihood options that disrupt the status quo in rural business, savings and access to credit. Interventions in this pathway are in two tracks and four innovation sub challenges:

Track 1: Livelihood diversification

This category of interventions seeks to create new defaults for farmer livelihood diversification to non-farm businesses that synergize each other and break the cycle of dependence on one trade

Sub-Challenge 5: Develop gender and age responsive models or platforms for launching profitable non-agricultural businesses in rural communities

Marginal communities in areas affected by climate variability related shocks and stresses often rely on one trade – their options are limited to subsistence agriculture. This lack of diversification is driven by either a lack of options for viable business in their contexts, a lack of trade skills to try extra-agriculture businesses or a pervasive fear of risk taking due to lack of entrepreneurial skills. The result of this is that individuals can be trapped in low income trades, while educated and uneducated youth are increasingly unemployed because not only do they lack access to land for production but also expertise needed to venture into viable businesses. Women, who are the primary producers of wealth in many households, are also excluded from more profitable businesses due to a combination of lack of skills and gender power imbalances in decision making in households. Attempts at adaptation to new industries have often resulted in failure and loss of investments (Tushabomwe-Kazooba, 2006). Adoption of some rapid return cottage industries like alcohol brewing by women brings short term economic gains but has bred alcoholism among men, creating new complex problems for the emancipation of women.

We are seeking solutions that create gender and age-neutral businesses that are easy to set up, moderately-to-highly profitable, green, and rapidly adaptable to rural situations. The purpose is to create viable defaults for livelihood diversification for rural communities so as to reduce their dependence on climate controlled production and to increase their incomes. We are looking for venture types that are highly attractive, with faster returns but lower negative consequences for households. Examples include but are not limited to:

Models, approaches or platforms for outsourcing of micro-work for rural youth with access to technology
Models for rural poor to profit from emerging industries like mobile telecommunications, petroleum, transport and education
Highly profitable cottage businesses defaults for women and youth i.e. default businesses that bridge a critical produce or service delivery need in the market but can be easily implemented in a home-based environment (For example, some households’ efforts to diversify led them into the business of brewing and sale of dangerous alcohol (local potent gin) which although profitable has resulted into numerous negative effects – we seek alternative businesses that are as profitable, and in form of home-based ventures, but with minimal negative effects on the community)
Models for development of rural franchises and profitable long-term family businesses among the rural poor
Profitable businesses built around green energy
Models for empowering farmers to create profitable companies
Innovative ways to involve rural communities in health promotion to prevent common deadly diseases and novel currencies for incentivizing them for voluntary work
Easy to use accurate primary care level diagnostics for common deadly diseases

This category excludes businesses centered on agriculture as the primary means of production. Applications should include strategies for building the requisite agency and mechanisms for promoting sustainable use of natural resources.

Sub-Challenge 6: Develop complementary ‘pendulum’ businesses that oscillate adaptively between dry and rainy seasons to sustain rural household incomes

Marginal communities in areas prone to climate variability related disasters often lack synergistic trades that enhance each other. Although people living in rural communities are involved in subsistence agriculture, very few are involved in coupled businesses where agriculture enhances another form of unrelated business. As a result, changes from the rainy season to dry seasons often result in underproduction, due to lack of options for business coupling.

We are seeking solutions that enhance bridging of resources between different but related businesses/trades, so that people living in rural communities can oscillate between either business in mutually enhancing ways, and in which some outputs of one business could facilitate a process in another business. The coupled businesses may not necessarily include agriculture, or an agriculture related business can be coupled with a non-agricultural one. Applicants in this category should therefore only propose models/approaches or platforms that couple at least two businesses and clearly demonstrate the synergies between the business engagements. Examples include but are not limited to:

1.Coupled businesses in which farmers can switch from one trade to another between seasons with minimal or no loss of profits
2.Coupled businesses or trades in which waste from one business can be efficiently used as inputs for another
3.Develop a low cost optimized toilet solution for flood prone/high water table areas using and/or generating by-products from/for other economic activities, and create a viable business around it
4.Develop low cost landslide resilient housing using by products from other economic activities and create a viable business around it
5.Create a business out of early warning
6.Coupled businesses that synergize each other fully off-farm
7.Bringing traditional foods back to the dinner table: approaches to promote back diversification of farmers to indigenous drought resistant starches (e.g. cassava, sweet potatoes, millet, sorghum, yams) which have been abandoned due to global demand trends for other cereals like maize or rice

Track 2: Agricultural markets 2.0

This category of interventions seeks to create new defaults for farmer livelihood diversification to non-farm businesses that synergize each other and break the cycle of dependence on one trade

Sub-Challenge 7: Develop new models or approaches to increase household savings to power investment or mitigate production related risks

One of the biggest impediments to investment and risk mitigation in rural areas is the lack of a savings culture. This includes both monetary savings and storage of some produce surpluses for use in low output months. The lack of monetary savings constrains households’ ability to invest in expanding their businesses or new business undertakings. It also constrains their ability for health seeking in times of emergencies (e.g. during maternal labour/childbirth and severe childhood illness), leading to high mortality from preventable conditions. Because communities are constrained by many stresses, they have low discount rates, hence a low tendency to save. Due to difficulty in accessing credit, it is almost impossible for these households to expand the scale of their business, let alone acquire household assets that improve their quality of life.

We seek a solution that develops the potential of individuals (both men and women) and households in rural areas, to save for investment and emergencies. Innovators should propose ways in which households can be supported to increase their savings, within their income environment. Examples of possible ventures include but are not limited to:

1.Novel technologies, approaches or platforms to facilitate saving in rural households
2.Models that simplify saving in commercial and/or rural banks for rural farmers
3.Models, approaches or technologies that channel savings directly to pre-determined low risk investments
4.New and disruptive forms of currency that can be channeled into savings
5.Innovative models and approaches for risk mitigation through risk transfer, accessible by rural communities
6.Credit ‘circles’ for the future

Applications included mechanisms for building the agency and incentives needed to create a saving culture in the target communities.

Sub-Challenge 8: Develop new models or approaches that disrupt current rural micro-finance to substantially increase access to credit for development among rural households

Rural farmers find it difficult to access credit from commercial banks. Because of their low levels of financial literacy, they are often considered a high risk group by commercial banks, which are mainly driven by profit. Farmers also lack the collateral they need to secure the size of loans that are required for establishing viable businesses. Without access to finance, it is difficult for rural farmers to expand their businesses let alone venture into new profitable enterprises. However, the many uncertainties in their environment also contribute to poor credit performance when they get loans.

We are seeking solutions that disrupt current models for rural venture financing to increase access to credit for rural farmers. Possible solution domains include but are not limited to:

1.Novel technologies, approaches or platforms to facilitate saving in rural households
2.Models that simplify saving in commercial and/or rural banks for rural farmers
3.Models, approaches or technologies that channel savings directly to pre-determined low risk investments
4.New and disruptive forms of currency that can be channeled into savings
5.Innovative models and approaches for risk mitigation through risk transfer, accessible by rural communities
6.Credit ‘circles’ for the future

Resilience Innovation Challenge 4 Adverse Climate Effects (RIC4ACE)

Projects selected for RIC Round 1 (RIC4ACE) support under EARILAB

Omwa Samuel Samson

Enoth Donald Mbeine

Levi Lukoda Kasisira

Nicholas Kiggundu

Paul Barera

Michael Niyitegeka

Mr. Januario Ntungwa

Evelyn Namara

Deusdedit Nuwagaba

Daniel Ochieng Orwa

Alexander Komakech AKENA

Muc Albert Mucunguzi

Abdu Ssekalala

Ali Ndiwalana