23 December — the birthday of former Prime Minister Late Choudhary Charan Singh — is observed as Kisan Divas in India. On this day many organisations conduct seminars to discuss farmers' rights, agricultural practices, policies, guidelines and their implementation. This aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 2: end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, ensuring all people — especially children — have access to sufficient and nutritious food year-round.
One of the key drivers to achieve this goal is growth in the agriculture sector. Since 1998 Mahiti has been providing technology solutions for the agriculture sector which have helped improve the quality of production and assess the impact of newly adopted practices.
Convene MIS — market linkage for Kisan Clubs and Farmer Producer Organisations
Convene is a comprehensive MIS platform. At Mahiti we have customised Convene to support the operations of Farmer Producer and Cooperative Organisations. It integrates farmer member information, farmer group (Kisan Club / Farmer Interest Group) management, business initiatives, and market linkages — customisable per the needs of each FPO. The application supports 16 regional languages, reducing the barriers for technology adoption.
Convene is integrated with an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) that pushes voice notifications and alerts in the local language. Market prices, market requirements and handholding support are broadcast to members through the IVRS.
Indicators FPOs track via Convene
- Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status
- Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture
- Plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in conservation facilities
- Proportion of local breeds classified by risk of extinction
Indicators facilitating non-profits gather alongside
- Prevalence of undernourishment
- Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (FIES)
- Prevalence of stunting (children under 5) per WHO Child Growth Standards
- Prevalence of malnutrition (wasting / overweight) per WHO Child Growth Standards
Convene enables small and middle-scale farmers — including women farmers — to make informed decisions. It surfaces agro-market information, risk management, trends and analysis in a single place, supports better farming techniques and reduces production costs, ensuring higher returns.
Convene-based applications are in use in India, Kenya and Tanzania.