Innovation in horticulture panel: M-LIMA Platform

Description

The presentation, delivered by Lilian Uwintwari with M-LIMA and Agro-FIBA, outlines the objectives and achievements of the M-LIMA platform. It was presented as part of a panel on "Innovation and Technology in Horticulture" May 9, 2018, at the Horticulture Innovation Lab Annual Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.

M-LIMA provides information and communication technology (ICT) solutions for smallholder farmers. It is a platform that is meant to improve the productivity of farmers and connect them to different markets and stakeholders via web and mobile technologies using unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) and short message service (SMS) channels. The project is dedicated to improve the lives of the rural poor farmers and transforming their farms into viable businesses and, in turn, boosting economic growth. 

M-LIMA connects farmers, financial institutions, extension services, insurance providers, and markets all on one platform. The project has three objectives:

  1. To achieve national and regional food security
  2. To improve farmers livelihoods through increased smallholders income
  3. Educate the rural community on practical use of ICTs.

More information about the M-LIMA platform can be found at http://www.agrofiba.com/.