African farming technology project gets DFID funding

18 Aug 14
The UK Department for International Development will hand over almost £11m to a Scottish research group to make available agricultural technology across ten African countries to improve the efficiency of small-holder farms.

By Judith Ugwumadu | 18 August 2014

The UK Department for International Development will hand over almost £11m to a Scottish research group to make available agricultural technology across ten African countries to improve the efficiency of small-holder farms. 

Research Into Results, a subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh, is set to receive £10.8m over a six-year period for its Social Enterprises for Economic Development programme (SEED).

The SEED programme has been designed to develop technology-driven social businesses whose products and services increase the profitability of smallholders. RIR has already worked on research that has delivered pest-free crops, improved storage systems and a mobile phone app which tells farmers the best time to plant their crops.

By working with a range of partners, SEED will help businesses take their technology to market in the east and southern African regions. There will also be mentoring for these businesses to help them grow and find private investment.

DFID said the research group had the potential to make over half a million farmers become more efficient, helping them feed their families and work their way out of poverty.

Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said: ‘This substantial support from DFID together with the skills and networks of the University of Edinburgh and H20 venture partners will go a long way to improve the efficiency of small-holder farmers in Africa.

‘It will provide them with technology and most importantly transform the lives of many people living in some of the poorest countries in the world.’

RIR director Andy Frost added: ‘There is a substantial unmet need for the ambitious social enterprises in the Africa. Institutions, NGOs and local entrepreneurs lack the skills and experience to build large-scale investible businesses; on the other side, venture capital in the region lacks quality investment deal flow.

‘SEED is an ambitious programme, it aims to be a game-changer, to create viable social enterprises for the benefit of small-holder farmers and by so doing provide robust evidence on the effectiveness of social enterprises as a vehicle to get past research investment into use, at scale.’

Did you enjoy this article?

Related articles

Have your say

Newsletter

CIPFA latest

Most popular

Most commented

Events & webinars