What We Stand For
The AI Engine of African Agriculture. We’re building the AI engine powering a resilient African agriculture – one that’s open, evidence-led and farmer-first.
Beyond Harvests. Our work doesn’t stop at yield increases – we focus on long-term resilience, farmer income, soil health and system-wide transformation.
Being Open Is in Our DNA. We believe the future of advisory should be open. That’s why our science, insights and platform tools are all designed for transparency, reusability and shared progress.
Our Impact in Year One
From Pilot to Powerhouse: 250,000 Farmers in One Year
See Virtual Agronomist in Action
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sorghum yield
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maize increase
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uptake in Kericho, Kenya
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per farmer cost (vs $20-100 for traditional extension)
Our Vision
10 Million Farmers. One Powerful Platform.
By 2030, we aim to reach over 10 million African farmers with AI-supported, scientifically sound, farm-specific advice. But this is about more than scale - it’s about systems transformation.
This means:
- Moving from one-size-fits-all extension to farm-level precision.
- Replacing one-off field visits with real-time, season-long advice.
- Shifting advisory from expensive and reactive, to open, adaptive and radically low-cost.
- We’re proving a new model for agricultural extension that’s 10× more scalable, 10× cheaper, and actually used by the farmers it’s built for. It’s digital infrastructure for African food systems - and it works.
Our 2030 target
10M farmers
For everyone
60+ crops
All African countries
Built by Scientists. Proven on the Farm.
AI Meets Agronomy: Advice You Can Trust
Virtual Agronomist is underpinned by the most detailed soil and crop models in Africa, combining:
- iSDASoil’s high-resolution maps
- Nutrient recommendation engines tailored to specific plots
- AI-driven diagnosis of pests, planting windows, and practices
- Real-world validation via trials and farmer data
It’s science-led, not tech-for-tech’s-sake. Every recommendation is backed by data and evidence — and continuously improves with every farmer interaction.
Smart, Inclusive Scaling: From Maize to Coffee
Not All Farmers Grow the Same - So We Don’t Treat Them the Same.
Virtual Agronomist is designed around two core farmer realities:
- Staple crop farmers need support to break cycles of low fertility and food insecurity.
- Cash crop farmers need precision tools to maximise profit and quality.
- Virtual Agronomist tailors its offering:
- Free, resilience-first advice for staple crops like maize and sorghum
- Premium or bundled features for commercial crops like tea, coffee and cocoa
- Models that cross-subsidise advisory, ensuring access doesn’t depend on income
This dual strategy helps us deliver both inclusive growth and financial sustainability - faster. Download Full Strategy PDF
Open by Design
Not Just a Tool - A Platform for Innovation
At iSDA we’re not just building tools, we’re building platforms for others to build on. Our “T-shaped” strategy means going deep where we lead (agronomic AI), and wide where others innovate:
- Open APIs for nutrient recommendations, pest diagnosis, chatbot logic
- Public access to iSDAsoil maps and crop image libraries
- Developer-friendly documentation and sandbox environments
- Data-sharing partnerships
This is agricultural infrastructure - not intellectual property. We want governments, NGOs, and startups to build with us, not compete with us.
Explore more of what we’ve been doing
Building Climate Resilience
Farming for 2030, Not 1990
Climate change is no longer a risk - it’s a reality. Virtual Agronomist is designed to help farmers adapt now, not after disaster strikes.
How?
- Hyperlocal planting and fertiliser timing
- Drought mitigation tips delivered in real time
- Long-term soil health advice that builds resilience season by season
- Adaptable AI models that learn as climate patterns shift
We’re not just helping farmers survive the climate crisis. We’re helping them outsmart it.
Built on Partnerships
Our Growth Engine Is Collaboration
