Empowering Smallholder Farmers through Technology
Our platform HappyFarm revolutionizes farming with a unique blend of technology and community. By connecting farmers, ambassadors, and partners through a state-of-the-art app, we ensure every plant is verified for quality. Tailored eLearning adapts to regional farming needs, making regenerative agriculture scalable and accessible. Join us in nurturing a future where technology meets tradition, fostering growth in every seed sown.
Take a look at the trees in our
farmers' fields
This is a remarkable tree species that significantly contributes to soil enrichment, as it possesses the unique ability to fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, making it an invaluable asset in agriculture. It is tolerant to harsh conditions of the Sahel region and provides a critical source of nutrition for animals due to its rich source of fodder for livestock. It has thorny branches that can create an impenetrable barrier, offering protection for crops and livestock. Its deep taproot allows it to access moisture deep within the soil.
The Senegal rosewood tree is a tall deciduous tree with nitrogen-fixing properties, employed to enhance soil quality and stabilise sand dunes. This tree is thorny and well-suited for creating living fences, windbreaks, and also yields excellent honey and timber. Moreover, the leaves and bark have some medicinal purposes. The Senegal rosewood tree holds promise for agroforestry in the Sahel region.
The tamarind is a medium to large tree that can be either evergreen or deciduous and is well-suited for use as a windbreak and for ornamental purposes. The tree can thrive in a range of soil types, including sandy and saline soils, and it is highly tolerant of both wind and drought. It is excellent for creating firebreaks and windbreaks.
The Camel's foot is a shrub that typically reaches a height of 6-8-10 metres with a twisted stem, and it can grow in a wide range of soil conditions. The plant has various uses, including medicinal purposes, a source for smoking beehives, making tools, poles and as firewood. It has a deep root system which is good for soil conservation.
The Drumstick tree, also known as the African laburnum, is a deciduous tree that can grow to heights of 10-26 metres and has dark bark. It is employed for creating shelterbelts and for ornamental landscaping. It can be used as a fuel source and the timber is resistant to termites. The leaves, roots, and pods are traditionally used in herbal medicine for treatment.
The Egyptian mimosa is a shrub which is excellent for creating living fences and exhibits rapid nitrogen fixation and is well-suited for agroforestry. It is prized for its tannin production, gum, timber, fuel, and medicinal uses due to its antimicrobial, anti-plasmodial, and antioxidant properties. Additionally, it can tolerate shade and is resistant to weeds which is important for weed control.
The ironwood is a nitrogen-fixing, tall deciduous tree which can be used as fodder for cattle, as their young leaves and shoots are consumed by the animals and the seed pods are particularly favored. The seeds can be fermented similarly to Parkia biglobosa, whilst its leaves have medicinal uses. The tree is well-suited for purposes such as erosion control, windbreaks and agroforestry in the Sahel region.
The Cayor pear tree is a tree that reaches heights of 12-15 metres, characterised by its bark resembling crocodile skin. It is typically found in Sudanese savannahs and dry forests, but also thrives in hot, dry, tropical climates and forms a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with soil bacteria, which is beneficial to nearby plants. The tree produces fruits that are edible and its timber is used in furniture-making. Medicinal benefits also exist from its roots, bark and leaves.
What People Say
We have partnered with HappyFarm to restore 40,000 trees in The Gambia through FMNR. The HappyFarm team impressed us with their innovative approach of using a mobile app designed specifically for smallholder farmers, coupled with a system of local, certified ambassadors.
Well done, HappyFarm! 🫶 We immediately fell in love with your concept and are convinced that it will really make a difference. Naturally, we wanted to be part of it. We're deeply honoured to be the pilot sponsor for the first 124 smallholder families in The Gambia. I'm sure this won't be our last involvement in this great project.
Thanks to HappyFarm, my crop yields have increased. The trees in my farm make the soil very fertile, which benefits my crops, and I also need less fertiliser than before.
My role as a HappyFarm ambassador has enabled me to earn extra income. Many people in my village now consult me because they want to join the programme and need advice on how to farm more sustainably and how to make their farm more resilient to climate change.
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You Must Have Questions
1. How do you help farmers regenerate their land?
We promote Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), which involves the systematic regrowth and management of trees and shrubs from felled stumps and sprouting root systems. The regrown trees and shrubs - planted between crops - help restore soil structure and fertility, reduce erosion and evaporation, restore and stabilise groundwater levels and increase biodiversity. Some tree species also release nutrients such as nitrogen into the soil.
2. Are you just re-growing "stumps" or are you planting trees too?
Under ideal conditions, we find at least ten to several dozen stumps per farm to regrow into mature trees. The existing root system will speed up recovery and help us sequester CO2 much faster. Where necessary, farmers will plant selected saplings to achieve at least this level.
3. What are the benefits for your farmer partners?
Through our platform, we teach farmers how to make better use of their land by adopting regenerative practices. The regrown trees and shrubs - planted between crops - help restore soil structure and fertility, reduce erosion and evaporation, restore and stabilise water tables and increase biodiversity.
4. What is your process of selecting farms?
The farms we select have to have a minimum of 10 tree stumps with existing root stock that can grow into trees (not all stumps are suitable). Usually, the closer the field is to the village, the less shrubs are there, because they have been cut down so many times to satisfy the need for firewood. The farther away, the more shrubs that qualify.
5. What is unique about your method?
Our platform HappyFarm revolutionizes farming with a unique blend of technology and community. By connecting farmers, ambassadors, and partners through a state-of-the-art app, we ensure every plant is verified for quality. Tailored eLearning adapts to regional farming needs, making regenerative agriculture scalable and accessible. Join us in nurturing a future where technology meets tradition, fostering growth in every seed sown.
6. How does your ambassador network work?
New ambassadors are carefully referred by existing ambassadors and undergo thorough training in the methods necessary for farmers to join the initiative. They then recruit farmers from their own community and, with the assistance of our tailored application, guide them in adopting these methods. The ambassadors are rewarded with a signing-up bonus, and throughout the program, they will receive performance bonuses based on the correct implementation of the methods by the farmers.
7. What main features does your app provide?
Our app is designed to empower farmers and ambassadors with key features:
- Farmers and ambassadors can register a farm and follow our curated curriculum on regenerative farming practices.
- Access to eLearning content in their local language is provided for both farmers and ambassadors.
- Engaging gamification: Users can participate in competitions, earn points and receive rewards.
- Users can upload verification pictures to showcase the implementation of techniques recommended in our curriculum on their farm.
- Users can easily view their earned balance and seamlessly withdraw it through our integrated mobile money partners.
Partners benefit from a sophisticated dashboard offering a comprehensive view of verification images, GPS coordinates, and other pertinent information for trees in their portfolio undergoing regeneration.
8. What is your pricing model?
For tree-based practices such as FMNR, we apply a yearly fee per tree, while area-based practices like mulching or composting incur a fee per hectare. This flexible approach enables us to customize pricing according to the specific nature and scale of each method.
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We teach smallholder farmers regenerative farming methods and connect them to carbon finance.
