Digitisation has the potential to revolutionise the way 100 million smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia manage their plots and crops.

In Indonesia, oil palm cultivation has become important to rural livelihoods, particularly amongst smallholder farmers (“smallholders”). The focus of the Grow Asia Hackathon 2018 is independent smallholders, who account for 40% of the total oil palm area in Indonesia. It is critical that they become key players in the ongoing transition to a more sustainable oil palm value chain.

We want to find solutions that will give smallholders better access to information, credit, and services to improve their livelihood and drive more sustainable outcomes.

That's where you come in.

Join us at the Pre-Hackathon Workshop (12 April) where you can learn about the palm oil ecosystem in Indonesia from the ecosystem stakeholders themselves. Also, learn about the challenges the smallholder farmers face. Find out how you can create solutions to make a difference and create a positive impact on their livelihoods.

You can also meet like-minded innovators and entrepreneurs with whom you can collaborate at the Hackathon!

Challenges

1. Data sharing: Data sharing - Many companies are addressing the issue of “traceability” - collecting, recording and analysing data on the plantations, farmers, and middlemen.

• How might we design a data application or platform and appropriate business models for the mutual benefit of the ecosystem actors and smallholders?

2. Productivity: Low productivity is a key factor leading to smallholders growing larger areas of under-productive oil palm rather than intensifying production. The single most essential activity to increase smallholder productivity and efficiency is technical training and assistance.

• How might we provide the right information and training to smallholders, improving productivity and aiding in sustainable intensification of plantations?

3. Financing: Smallholders are often too small for commercial banks and too large for micro-finance schemes. They do not have credit history and cannot supply reliable management information to access finance. Their only option is to access informal credit, which comes with high interest terms and short tenure.

• How might we devise a new credit scoring mechanism for financial institutions to extend credit, and allow for incorporation sustainable practices along with this finance?

4. Logistics: Smallholders who do not have their own means of transport rely on local traders or the closest mill and are subject to unforeseen weather conditions.

• How might we improve the timeliness of information and coordination of transportation options, so smallholders can make informed decisions?

Programme

• Overview of smallholder challenges in Southeast Asia

• Introduction to Palm Oil Ecosystem

• Hearing from the Farmers

• Overview of Sustainable Practices

• Discussion on Hackathon Challenges

• Introdcution to available datasets

• What to expect at the Hackathon

Don't forget to check out the Grow Asia Hackathon 2018! No matter what background you come from, we'd love to have you join us at the Hackathon and use your skills to help make a difference to smallholder farmers!

If you have any questions, please drop us an email at info@padang.co.