In an era where the world is rapidly evolving into a digital village, Ghana’s agricultural sector lags behind. This gap is particularly evident in the complex and fragmented network of small-scale players that characterizes Ghana’s agricultural landscape. Traditional paper-based systems are rife with errors and prone to manipulation, hindering the ability to track products from farm to fork and stalling efforts to improve productivity and ensure transparency. Digitization in agriculture is no longer a luxury but a necessity, crucial for driving growth, enhancing efficiency, and ensuring fair practices throughout the value chain.

Despite being a major employer, Ghana’s agricultural sector is plagued by systemic issues such as child labor, unethical sourcing, unfair pricing, and lack of market access and financial inclusion for farmers. These issues are further amplified by outdated technologies like spreadsheets, which are inadequate for comprehensive traceability and market linkage. Enter Treesyt, a revolutionary tool designed to address these challenges by providing holistic solutions that combine farmer profiling with market access, ensuring traceability and transparency from the source to the shelf.

Take a commodity like Shea, a staple in many cosmetic and food products, which follows a complex journey from its origin in the rural landscapes of Africa to the luxurious shelves of global markets. The traditional shea value chain is fraught with inefficiencies and opacity, making it difficult to ensure that the benefits trickle down to the smallholder farmers who are the backbone of this industry. This is where Treesyt steps in, leveraging cutting-edge technology to map the journey of shea and provide end-to-end traceability.

Here’s how Treesyt is transforming the shea industry with its key features:

Traceboard

This user-friendly feature allows for real-time tracking of commodities from farm to final destination. The platform provides insights into the number of farmers bought from, the social impact on women and children, and the environmental footprint. Users can request further details on these impacts. Traceboard also offers data on total commodity metrics, truck locations, and goods in transit. This ensures that all products are ethically sourced and that farmers receive fair compensation for their labour.

Farmer Support

Treesyt digitizes the various support initiatives provided to the farmers within our network. Agents gather information from farmer groups regarding the services and tools they need prior to the planting season. These may include ploughing services, essential inputs, or financial resources. Voice confirmation systems are embedded in the system for verification and transparency on requests and receipts.

Green Tracker

Treesyt’s Green Tracker app records nursery, conservation, and parkland activities. Monitoring data from these sectors are uploaded to the system to track tree health and growth. Data on seedling growth rates and tree health can be monitored.

Features like purchases can be utilized by management to streamline commodity purchasing processes, from on-field teams sourcing for commodities to collection and disbursement of funds all within a systematic system. The Treesyt system is pivoting the digital inclusion and revolution.

This is how we are creating value for the various stakeholders within the agricultural value chain and the organisations set out to create impact for these farmers;

Farmers

Treesyt is digitizing the operations of farmers by ensuring traceability in the value chain. This ensures fair prices and broader markets, especially in countries with traceability and fair trade requirements. Farmers are economically empowered; the income of the farmers we have worked with has increased by 22%. The detailed profiling and data collection help tailor support and interventions to meet the specific needs of farmers and communities.

Agribusiness and Manufacturers

Treesyt enables transparency in the value chain and streamlines activities. Businesses can track commodity purchases back to individual farmers and communities, monitor their conservation and on-field activities, and ensure value for the end consumer. With Treesyt, we are making narratives that last and impact that is felt.

Consumers

Treesyt gives consumers confidence in the products they purchase, knowing they are sourced ethically and sustainably and that the prices they pay trickle down to the farmer and their families.

Impact Organizations.

Sommalife currently has over 100,000 farmers within its network and with our years of working with them, we have garnered experience and data on their issues and challenges placing us in an optimal position to draft our services that would create real and felt impact for the people. All of this is possible through treesyt.

Moving Towards Full Digitization

Treesyt is not just about improving commodity purchases; it’s about lighting the path to a more transparent, ethical, and sustainable agricultural sector. Through its innovative features and commitment to community development, Treesyt is making a significant impact, proving that with the right tools, Africa’s agricultural sector can thrive and be inclusive in the digital age.