Innovations for African Farmers

Posted by: Steve Hamm on July 22

Over the past few months, I’ve learned a bit about the agricultural economy of Africa—enough to know that these countries need to find ways to improve farming productivity and open new markets in wealthier nations. It’s not as if agricultural experts have been ignoring the topic. These problems are not easily solved. So, in the spirit of open innovation, the new hot concept, why not solicit ideas from a wider spectrum of people—say, everybody? The National Peace Corps Association has done just that, with its Africa Rural Connect program, a Web site for discussing issues, identifying problems, and coming up with potential solutions for some of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most entrenched problems. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ARC is a collaboration tool that not only collects ideas but enables people to work on ideas together. To add a bit of extra incentive to the deal, ARC is running a contest for the most creative, yet practical solutions on Africa. This contest will run from August through November, with cash prizes awarded every month in addition to one grand prize of $20,000 for the best plan.

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