smallholder farmers like this man seen irrigating crops are essential to TechnoServe's work
High-Value Crops

Agriculture

Nearly two-thirds of the world's poor rely on agriculture for their incomes, making the sector key to economic development. Agriculture is two to four times more effective at raising incomes in developing countries than other sectors. 

Certain crops with high market value  –  like coffee, cocoa, and others – can bring especially large increases to farmers’ incomes. When farmers can improve the quality and yields of these high-value crops, the impact can be transformative.

Surpluses produced in excess of household consumption can be sold commercially, increasing community food security, promoting value-added activities like processing, and supporting a variety of businesses along the supply chain.

This extra value not only supports farmers and their households, but also creates jobs, wealth, and economic growth along the supply chain until the products reach the end consumers, whether they live next door to the farmer or on the other side of the world.

Where We Work

We work in poor communities that fight poverty every day throughout Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

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smallholder farmers

Our Agricultural Work With Smallholder Farmers

TechnoServe helps smallholder farmers growing high-value (or cash) crops to achieve critical outcomes like the following:

  • Earn greater incomes by improving the quality and quantity of their crops
  • Access finance and supplies
  • Sell to better buyers, such as food and beverage companies
  • Secure partnerships with buyers that pay higher prices

By increasing access these resources and market connections, TechnoServe helps provide  farmers with a reliable, long-term market.

In order to achieve these goals, TechnoServe works to strengthen market systems. We focus on markets that have:

  • Clear Opportunities for Smallholder Farmers:

TechnoServe facilitates market connections that provide an unmet demand for a product or service

  •  Potential for inclusive growth:

The most valuable market opportunities we can create are those that benefit people like producers, entrepreneurs, employees or consumers who are living in poverty.

  • The potential for scale:

Similarly, TechnoServe focuses our efforts on creating market connections that hold promise for impacting significant numbers of families.

TechnoServe’s Approach Puts Smallholder Farmers First

TechnoServe’s approach has enabled our work to improve the lives and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers and their families.

Who Benefits

Smallholder Farmers

Many smallholder farmers in the developing world live in poverty, and rely on agriculture as their primary source of income. They often support multiple family members, and work hard around the year to nurture their crops and earn enough money to provide the following essentials for their families:

  •  Food
  • Shelter
  • Healthcare
  • Education

n 2018, TechnoServe’s work enabled 412,000 smallholder farmers around the world –  37% of whom were women – to increase their incomes.

As featured in Forbes, TechnoServe’s CEO articulates the poverty-reduction potential within the agricultural sector best:

  “We help people earn money so they and their families can come out of poverty. Much of our focus is on agriculture, because that’s still how the majority of the world’s poor earn a living. About a quarter of our work is in entrepreneurship and business acceleration, through which we support people to access information, capital and markets. That’s currently the fastest-growing part of our business.”

Local agricultural businesses

TechnoServe helps local agricultural enterprises to improve their operations so they can buy more from smallholder farmers, process or sell more agricultural goods, and create jobs for their community.

Consumers

TechnoServe’s work with farmers enables consumers in local, regional, and international markets to enjoy access to higher-quality foods and beverages produced in a more sustainable, inclusive way.

Message in a Mango

Where do your mangoes come from? Come along as a harvest of delicious Francique mangoes travels from the farm to your shopping cart, and meet a Haitian farmer who is proud to share his mangoes with you.