Sustainable Entrepreneurs

Although agriculture remains the largest employing branch in Africa, it is often ignored by young people who see better business opportunities elsewhere. This project focuses on shifting the view of farming for subsistence to farming as a business through the Spray Service Provider (SSP) program. SSPs are professionally trained appliers of crop protection products who hire out their services to farmers and also help educate them on the importance of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the responsible use of these products.

SSPs are trained by master trainers who in turn have been trained by CropLife experts. As a trained and certified SSP, a farmer can earn a living by charging a fee to fellow farmers for his applicator services. Through the services provided by the SSPs, the farmer will ultimately become more profitable and is therefore more likely to retain the services of the SSP moving forward.

BASF is committed to help grow the business of the SSPs long term and to this end will use this platform to launch innovative crop protection solutions.

Achievement:

• Smallholder trainings result in more sustainable farming practices and higher yields.
• First pilot was completed in Ghana in 2017, and the rollout in Nigeria started in 2018. 

Sustainable Development Goals: