AgriTrust

Inspiration

AgriTrust is inspired by the reality that many Zimbabwe smallholder tobacco farmers are heavily dependent on contract farming arrangements where buyers provide inputs as loans and later control grading and pricing. These systems often lack transparency, leaving farmers unable to verify contracts, understand deductions, or challenge unfair prices. Over time, this keeps farmers trapped in debt despite their hard work. We saw Digital ID as a way to give farmers ownership of their records and create a fairer, more transparent farming system.

What it does

AgriTrust gives each farmer a digital identity that belongs to them. This identity stores contracts, input loans, harvest details, and sales records in one place. When tobacco is sold, farmers receive information showing how their price compares with average market prices. Over time, this digital profile helps farmers prove their credibility to banks, insurers, and other buyers.

How we built it

We started by mapping the full tobacco farming journey, from contract signing to final sale. We identified where farmers lose visibility and power and designed AgriTrust to solve those gaps using Digital ID. The system is designed to work on basic phones through SMS and USSD so it can be used in rural areas without internet. Farmer data is secured and can only be shared with the farmer’s permission.

Challenges we ran into

One challenge was designing a system that is simple for farmers but still trusted by buyers and financial institutions. Another was ensuring farmer privacy while allowing useful data sharing. We also had to think carefully about how the solution fits into an existing and regulated tobacco market.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We created a clear Digital ID–based solution that goes beyond farmer registration. AgriTrust links identity, contracts, and pricing into one farmer-owned record. This directly addresses unfair grading, hidden costs, and lack of trust in the tobacco value chain.

What we learned

We learned that transparency is one of the most powerful tools for improving farmer livelihoods. When farmers can see and verify information, power imbalances reduce. We also learned that farmer-owned data is key to building long-term trust across the system.

What's next for AgriTrust

Our next step is to validate the idea with farmers, auction floors, and financial institutions. We plan to develop a simple prototype and test it with a small group of farmers. Once proven, the model can be expanded to other crops and regions using the same Digital ID foundation.

Built With

• africa's-talking
• mosip
• postgresql
• python(flask)
• react
• render