Walmart foundation awards $ 2.78 million to boost agricultural tech in India

The Walmart Foundation has announced three new grants totaling $2.78 million to advance technological innovation in India's agriculture sector. These grants will support the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), Cornell University in partnership with the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI), and Precision Development (PxD). The initiatives aim to benefit over 3 lakh farmers across India.

Through tech-powered interventions, these grants aim to enhance farmer livelihoods, increase market access and promote sustainable agricultural practices, thereby contributing to the Walmart and Walmart Foundation goal of reaching 1 million smallholder farmers by 2028, with at least 50 percent women, across India's agriculture sector.

Julie Gehrki, Vice President for the Walmart Foundation said, "Smallholder farmers are a crucial link to advancing India’s agriculture ecosystem. Our grantees are investing in FPOs to promote sustainable agricultural practices, enable more opportunities for smallholder farmers and enhance access to tech-driven solutions- all of which help farming communities that lack financial resources add to their incomes in a scalable way. We are excited about the tech-based solutions that Cornell University, NEN and PxD will bring to build a more inclusive value chain that bolsters a resilient ecosystem and empowers farmers."

The Walmart Foundation has granted over $1.5 million to NEN to advance AI-based solutions for grain assessment. This funding will enable NEN to enhance its AI-driven app, which helps farmers in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra evaluate the quality of soybean grains. The project aims to address food security and improve market access for farmers by integrating the AI model into broader agri-tech platforms. The app will serve as a Digital Public Good (DPG) for future training and quality assessment, supporting 2 lakh farmers through 330+ FPOs in these states.

Cornell University has been awarded $990,000 to further develop the 'My FPO Connect' database through the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI). The grant will enhance this web-based platform, which was launched in August 2021 at the Center of Excellence in Delhi. The platform offers data on over 33,000 FPOs, including information on crop production, financial data, and sponsoring agencies. It will also be available in regional languages to increase accessibility and understanding.

Prabhu Pingali, TCI Director, emphasized that the grant will support the growth of FPO models, enhance market access for smallholder farmers, and improve farmers’ incomes.

PxD has received $260,000 to continue its work with smallholder coffee farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka through its Coffee Krishi Taranga (CKT) service. This grant will institutionalize CKT’s digital advisory service with the Coffee Board of India, providing farmers with ongoing access to cultivation information, price updates, and weather forecasts. The grant will also support the integration of a voice-based weather forecast service and the development of educational videos on agricultural practices.

Gagandeep Kaur, Head of Programs at PxD, noted that the grant will further empower farmers, with a focus on women, by providing tools and resources to adopt sustainable practices and enhance their incomes. B. Shivakumaraswamy, Deputy Director at the Coffee Board of India, praised the CKT service for its effectiveness in providing valuable information and engaging farmers.