bold idea
Improve food security and climate resilience in underserved farming communities across the Global South by delivering transformational AI technology for early prediction and detection of crop pests and diseases.
organization overview
Farmer Lifeline is a Kenya-based company that aims to improve food security and climate resilience for hundreds of millions of underserved smallholder farmers across the Global South. Farmer Lifeline developed proprietary solar-powered devices that use advanced algorithms and AI to continuously monitor crops for early detection of crop pests and diseases. The devices promptly notify farmers via text message with recommendations for cost-effective and environmentally friendly fertilizers and chemicals. By making AI available and affordable, Farmer Lifeline is delivering transformational technology to underserved communities.
Personal Bio
At age 26, Esther Wanjiru founded Farmer Lifeline to reduce climate change and hunger within the most severely impacted places — underserved smallholder farming communities. Farmer Lifeline’s products have directly and indirectly impacted tens of thousands of smallholder farmers, the majority of whom were women.
Growing up in a farming community, Esther witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of crop pests, diseases, and climate change. Esther is internationally recognized for her exceptional work, receiving the FAO Achievement Award from the United Nations and the Waislitz Global Citizen Disruptor Award in 2023. She showcases her thought leadership on global platforms and has spoken at COP28, the World Food Forum, the YouthKonnect Summit and the Africa Food Systems Forum.
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Impact Location ?
Countries or continents that were the primary focus of this Fellow’s work at the time of their Fellowship.
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Organization Structure ?
An organization can be structured as a nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid (a structure that incorporates both nonprofit and for-profit elements).