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A 2015 Kenya ecosystem review & strategic perspective on digital financial services for smallholder farmers
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This White Paper from Mercy Corps' AgriFin Accelerate program explores the major findings of a 2015 ecosystem study of digital financial and non-financial services for smallholders in Kenya.
[Download the full White Paper]
"Fertile Ground" outlines the major findings of the AFA Kenya Ecosystem Study (KES) which was conducted from April to July 2015 with Dalberg Global Development Advisors on behalf of the program and the MasterCard Foundation. The study takes an ecosystem approach to understanding the market landscape and farmer needs, which includes, but is not limited to, value chain analysis.
In addition to being one of the few country ecoystem studies covering this topic, the report presents several important findings. Although Kenya is at the forefront of digital finance technologies, there is a low penetration of services at the smallholder famer level. The white paper explores several reasons for this phenomenon, including the need for product tailoring and a weak understanding of smallholder needs, preferences, and behaviors.
