Ghana - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

CropTrack: Fresh Produce and Livestock Marketplace, is an e-commerce programmed to prevent crop rotting by readily connecting farmers to consumers of their productions

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

This business aims to design and implement a simple-to-operate platform (app or website) aimed at helping both farmers and consumers of farm produce reach each other with ease. The idea will first be implemented in the Sunyani municipality district of the Bono Region in Ghana a major agricultural area. Data (Name, address, kind of crops or livestock produced, availability, quantity produced, mobile number, etc.) about farmers in this locality will be collected and assembled on the platform. With time, the sample will be enlarged to encompass several other districts and the whole country at large. As and when a farmer is out of stock or about to harvest a particular crop or livestock, they will notify the platform, and the information will be updated accordingly. Consumers using the platform will be able to access what farmer has what crop and livestock at what time in what exact address. Consumers can then go ahead and contact the farmer for purchases. Mo

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Despite the prominence of farming, most of the Ghanaian population live below the poverty line. These two statements infer that most farmers in Ghana are poor. One major contributor to farmers living below their poverty line is the untimely supply of their produce to the market or consumers for purchase.Additionally, CropTrack will help farmers prevent crop rotting and ensure timely access to markets, contributing to food security and availability,

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

Connecting farmers directly with customers, CropTrack will help reduce inflation caused by wholesale buyers who often impose lower purchasing prices on farmers due to their inability to carry their produce from the farms. This will enable farmers to reach their customers with ease and at a fair price, improving their standard of living and contributing to the fight against poverty, in line with SDG 1 (No Poverty). According to the World Bank, Ghana's GDP per capita was $2,219 in 2021, with agriculture contributing around 20% to the country's GDP. CropTrack's efforts to empower farmers can help increase this contribution and drive economic growth. Additionally, CropTrack will help farmers prevent crop rotting and ensure timely access to markets, contributing to food security and availability, aligning with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). The business will also create various employment opportunities, such as for website designers, producers, managers, and truck drivers.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Farmers and Consumers

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2024-01-04

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

0

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

0

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

None

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

http://example.com

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

l) Agriculture

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

CropTrack will enable farmers to reach their customers with ease and at a fair price, improving their standard of living and contributing to the fight against poverty, in line with SDG 1 (No Poverty).

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

CropTrack will help farmers prevent crop rotting and ensure timely access to markets, contributing to food security and availability, aligning with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

CropTrack will increase consumer access to fresh, locally-grown and healthy produce and livestock

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

The business will provide farmers with the comfort of knowing that they will be able to reap the full rewards of their labor, potentially raising interest in agriculture among the youth. This will help address the challenges faced by the agricultural sector and attract more young people to pursue education and careers in agriculture.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

5

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Men involved in farming will benefit from their produce and women engaged in selling the farm produce will as well benefit from this business

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

4

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

4

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

The business will create various employment opportunities, such as customer service representatives to handle inquiries and provide assistance to both farmers and consumers, website designers, producers, managers, and truck drivers, thus increasing community members' standard of living and contributing to the development of economic growth and decent work. CropTrack's platform will also open up opportunities for local entrepreneurs to provide ancillary services, such as transportation, packaging, and marketing.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

The business will create various employment opportunities, such as customer service representatives, producers, managers, and truck drivers, thus increasing community members' standard of living and contributing to the development of sustainable communities, as per SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

Facilitating the direct connection between farmers and consumers, CropTrack will increase consumer access to fresh, locally grown produce, aligning with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

4

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

4

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

2

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

5

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

2

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

2

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

2

05.08 Justification

Although websites for fashion, and bolts for transportation have been built but the website for fresh agricultural products in Ghana does not exist, meanwhile Ghana depends most on this farm produce. An example was during the COVID-19 pandemic when the government posed restrictions on human movement. Getting access to this fresh farm produce was a challenge meanwhile with this aim we could just order the items in our various homes while minimizing human traffic.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

My main competitors will be other website creations for this same business but the community awareness and branding of my website will make me stand out

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Not yet