Digital Innovation
Where we work: Kenya
Digital Innovation’s work in Kenya includes the following activities:
Digital Co-Lab: Assessing the digital divide impacts on farming outcomes
To assess the use of digital farmer services in rural farming communities, we conducted a household survey in Kitui County, focusing on 1,000 households divided into two groups with and without having reliable access to digital infrastructure.
Digital Twin: Satellite remote sensing-based crop-type mapping
In collaboration with Impact Observatory, we developed a pilot to plan a future large-scale, multi-crop mapping tool focused on Kenya. The aim of the pilot was to demonstrate the technical feasibility of automated crop identification and irrigation status using Copernicus Sentinel-2 10m satellite imagery on Microsoft Azure cloud. This pilot developed a series of “proof of concept” crop-type maps using artificial intelligence/deep learning methods. The output from this pilot was presented to the Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organisation, Kenya Space Agency, and World Bank.
Digital Inclusion Framework: Addressing the gender price gap
In 2022, while analyzing household survey data across five countries, we found a concerning trend of the gender price gap. Women farmers consistently sell their produce at a lower price compared to their male counterparts in the market. However, the analysis suggested women with cell phones might overcome the challenge by accessing the market information and negotiating better with buyers. To test this, we are developing a follow-up study in the potato value-chain in Nakuru County, Kenya, in collaboration with the National Potato Council in Kenya, International Potato Center, and World Food Program.
Read about the Initiative’s other focus countries and regions: