HAVEIT

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Inspiration

This project started with something we all experienced, PM2.5 pollution. During the high of PM2.5, our university classes were shut down and we were stuck inside our dorms for days. The air felt heavy, the smell of burning was everywhere, and for many of us, it was the first time we realized how bad the air quality could get. That discomfort sparked something in us. If it felt this suffocating for students in an urban area, how much worse would it be for people living and working in rural parts of Thailand?

That question led us to research more deeply. We discovered that burning sugarcane fields is a major contributor to PM2.5, and that this practice is driven not by carelessness, but by necessity. In Chiang Mai, 86% of sugarcane farmers do not have access to harvesting machinery or labor, leaving them no choice but to burn their fields. It is faster, cheaper and requires fewer hands. But it is also devastating for public health and the environment. Burning sugarcane contributes to 2.4 million tons of emissions annually and is linked to serious respiratory issues. That is when we decided to build HAVEIT, a solution focused on giving farmers access to affordable, sustainable harvesting tools, reducing their dependence on burning and helping all of us breathe cleaner air.

What it does

HAVEIT is a web based platform that allows sugarcane farmers to rent harvesting machines affordably through a cooperative system while promoting green, no-burn harvesting methods. Here’s how it works, we have a booking system where farmers can reserve machines based on location, availability and harvest timing. The cooperative model helps farmers share costs, responsibilities and maintenance of machinery. The knowledge hub is the website, which can be used as a platform that offers educational content, including tutorials, guides, and community discussions to help farmers transition from burning to clean harvesting, the Focus on farmer first design, where Our UI is simple, mobile-compatible and tailored for low-tech users and there are Variety of machine specs, We plan to use harvesters with a cutting rate of 80–100 tons/day, low fuel consumption (5–10L/hr), and adjustable widths (1.2–2.5m), which are perfect for Chiang Mai’s fragmented farmland.

In a broader sense, HAVEIT reduces emissions from sugarcane burning, improves public health by cutting PM2.5 at the source, supports government policies like the 120 baht/rai subsidy for green harvesting, aligns with Bonsucro’s global push toward sustainable sugar sourcing and empowers local communities through shared ownership and knowledge.

How We built it

We started by diving into research, reading government reports, academic papers and media coverage of Chiang Mai’s air quality and sugarcane industry.

Then we Mapped out the business model using tools like SWOT analysis and stakeholder mapping, created a full Figma wireframe of our user interface for both mobile and desktop, built an early stage prototype using Google Sites and matched our solution to real policies such as government subsidies and sugar mill pricing for green harvesting. Our development process focused on simplicity, accessibility, and real world feasibility. We have also scheduled testing and feedback rounds once we move into our pilot phase.

Challenges I ran into

Bringing HAVEIT to life was not easy. We faced several challenges, including designing a low tech friendly platform that rural users could easily navigate, budgeting around high machinery costs while keeping the service affordable for farmers, creating a cooperative structure that feels fair and manageable and lacking field level feedback so far, since we are still in the research and planning phase. We worked around these by constantly brainstorming, testing with mock users and looking at real world examples of successful cooperative farming models in Thailand and abroad.

Accomplishments that We are proud of

One of our biggest wins was identifying a very real gap and building a solution that addresses it from multiple angles. We are proud of creating a complete business and tech model from scratch, designing a platform that is not just functional but farmer focused, aligning our work with government and global goals on sustainability and learning how to build for impact, not just innovation. This project helped us grow as a team and as people we have learned to think beyond what’s convenient and focus on what’s truly needed.

What We learned

HAVEIT showed us that sugarcane burning isn’t carelessness—it’s necessity. Farmers lack alternatives, making affordability and accessibility crucial.

We designed a simple, mobile-friendly platform for those with little tech experience. A cooperative model made machine rentals viable, ensuring real impact over flashy innovations.

Collaboration was key. Farmers, policymakers, and experts helped refine HAVEIT to align with real-world policies like green harvesting subsidies.

This journey wasn’t just about tech—it was about sustainability, teamwork, and problem-solving. Tackling PM2.5 pollution showed us that thoughtful innovation can drive real change.

What's next for HAVEIT

We have a one-year roadmap to take HAVEIT from concept to pilot: June–July 2025: Sugarcane landscape research and pilot project selection October 2025: Farmer interviews to validate the platform’s assumptions November 2025: Stakeholder and partnership development December 2025: Finalization of business and cooperative models January 2026: Platform development and web infrastructure March 2026: Launch of cooperative service and machine rental April 2026: User testing and feedback collection May 2026: Funding proposals and expansion planning

In the long run, we want to: Launch a mobile app version with offline features Add GPS-enabled machine tracking Introduce a reward system for green harvesters Integrate PM2.5 dashboards so farmers see their own environmental impact Our dream is to scale HAVEIT to reach other provinces and create a national movement for clean, sustainable harvesting, where farmers thrive and the air we breathe is safe for everyone.

Built With

• canva
• google
• google-sites