We are proposing to build an e-commerce marketplace to give rural communities access to new supply chains and markets, lift them out of poverty, and provide them with the tools, skills, resources, and services they need to trade openly in both local and global markets.
Marketplace/ Infrastructure/ Transportation
We will create an e-commerce marketplace to sell high quality produce aggregated from smallholder farmers in Africa. We will setup collection centers in rural areas and collaborate with farmers to sort, grade, and package their produce. We will transport the produce from our collection centers in the rural areas to our warehouses. We will also provide an sms version of our platform so that farmers, market vendors, and customers who do not have access to a smart phone or internet will still be able to use our platform.
Food Affordability
Market vendors play an important role in food availability and affordability as most consumers in Africa purchase their produce from them. Market vendors, who are made up of mostly women will be able to use our platform (web or sms) to purchase produce from our marketplace, which will be delivered directly to them at the market centers. Since we will be getting rid of middlemen, farmers will benefit from higher prices, and the cost of food will also be affordable as we pass down the savings to market vendors who will in turn pass it down to their customers.
Access to Markets:
Local markets: We will form relationships with market vendors in towns and cities, and other customers such as supermarkets, restaurants, etc. to buy farmers’ produce.
Global market: We will be able to aggregate the produce of the farmers we work with and sell and export them to the global market.
Increase Bargaining Power: Smallholder farmers usually have low bargaining power due to their limited amount of produce causing them to accept lower prices for their produce. Aggregating the produce of farmers will enable us to increase their bargaining power and increase their earning potential.
Value Added Products: We will create value added products and sell them to supermarkets, hotels, vendors, etc.
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