Farmers expand trade with mobile connections.

Connecting farmers increases trade.

In the developing world, a mobile phone is not something to send fun emojis, to follow the Kardashians or take another selfie. Mobile phones are tools with an immediate impact upon economic output, particularly for rural communities and farmers.

Mobile phones bring critical information to communities that make their farming more productive and efficient. With mobiles in their hands farmers are brought into the information loop about soil quality, crop diseases and the prices being paid for their crops. They can access weather information and storm and wind warnings that might threaten their crops, the livelihood and even their safety.

As a trading tool, there are many apps and even SMS applications available as online marketplaces for farmers to pre-agree the pricing of their produce. The apps enable the decision making on what to grow when to grow it and whether it is worth transparent the produce to regional markets - a costly and time consuming event for some farmers.

In a cash only, physical world, exploitation of small plot farmers is rife in the developing world. Larger traders are able to take advantage of their regional buying power and set unfair prices that the farmers have little power to resist. Digital trading tools make this process transparent, on a wider scale than the nearest region. New markets, high volumes and even higher prices are accessible with a mobile device. Farmers can even be paid directly to their mobile phone, even without a bank account.

In Africa some remarkable results have occurred. One programme run by TruTrade claims that mobile connectivity has enabled greater participation from women in the market. Where previously young women understandably has safety concerns when carrying volumes of cash, they are now able to trade cashless with a mobile device.

the unconnected.org works with many partners to assist small farming communities to connect, mostly for the first time. Take a look at our live Connecting Communities in Need projects to see how you can help.