PAD is a non-profit organization with a mission to support smallholder farmers in developing countries by providing customized information and services that increase productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability.
We are establishing a new model for agricultural extension: reaching farmers with personalized agricultural advice through their mobile phones. We implement this model in collaboration with partner organizations and governments and gather evidence on its impact. We aim to improve the lives of 100 million farmers in developing countries with our services and support to existing systems.
We collaborate with in-country partners and local governments to reach farmers with mobile-based personalized agricultural advice, gathering evidence on its impact. Using this model, PAD aims to improve the lives of 100 million farmers in developing countries.
Using two-way communication and information aggregation, we offer farmers useful information customized to their geography, market, and farmer characteristics. As farmers realize the benefits of this service, they have incentives to contribute accurate information into the system that continuously improves our recommendations. PAD incorporates insights from behavioral economics and social learning theory, making use of A/B testing and machine learning techniques designed to identify what types of information and delivery mechanisms work best for farmers.
We currently work with partners in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia.