Having the right combination of technology, talent and training are crucial for the adoption of digital agriculture to make farming more efficient and sustainable, according to panellists at a G20 global forum on agriculture.
Pinduoduo, the largest agricultural platform in China, shared its experience connecting millions of farmers and consumers to advance agriculture at The Global Forum on Digital Agriculture Transformation in Accelerating Women and Youth Entrepreneurship, which took place in Bali, Indonesia, before the G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting on 27th September 2022.
As part of its “Tech for Agri” approach, Pinduoduo takes a holistic approach by emphasizing market access, digital inclusion and literacy, and cost-effective agricultural technology. Its digital platform has helped almost a billion consumers discover new agricultural products directly from farmers and co-operatives, who can bypass multiple layers of intermediaries and sell directly to the end consumer. More than 16 million farmers have connected to the digital economy through the platform.
To ensure that farmers have the right digital skills to take advantage of the market access that e-commerce offers, Pinduoduo developed a broad range of online courses to teach them how to start and grow their online businesses. It has also trained more than 100,000 “New Farmers” to date, encouraging young people to get involved in agriculture and help their communities.
Many of these young agricultural entrepreneurs have gone on to inspire others to follow suit. The new businesses also spark demand for ancillary services like logistics and packaging, creating employment opportunities for women and less-privileged groups in rural areas.
To improve farming productivity and boost agricultural incomes, Pinduoduo works with top universities globally to develop practical, cost-effective precision farming technology. The company organizes an annual Smart Agriculture Competition that gathers top data scientists and agricultural researchers to come together and solve real-world pain points faced by smallholder farmers.