Produce Aggregation through Investment in FarmHubs
Organizing smallholder producers into technology-enabled aggregation centers to streamline collection, processing, and marketing.
Introduction
This pillar focuses on organizing smallholder producers into structured, technology-enabled aggregation centers—FarmHubs—to streamline the collection, processing, and marketing of agricultural produce. FarmHubs function as community-level platforms that coordinate production, enhance post-harvest handling, provide market intelligence, and offer shared infrastructure.
FarmHubs reduce fragmentation in the value chain by pooling produce, standardizing quality, and linking farmers directly to high-value markets and institutional buyers. In the context of TIFS, investing in FarmHubs is a game-changer because it addresses key inefficiencies that suppress farmer incomes and undermine food system resilience.
FarmHubs de-risk value chains by creating economies of scale, improving traceability, and formalizing informal markets, thereby creating a strong foundation for return-seeking and impact-driven investments. They also serve as nodes for youth engagement, financial inclusion, and delivery of extension and climate services.
Key Activities
Critical Data Sets
Farmer registration and profiling data: location, crops, volumes, practices
Production forecasts and harvest calendars
Geo-tagged aggregation points and infrastructure locations
Post-harvest loss statistics and storage capacity utilization
Market prices, buyer demand, and contract volumes
Quality and grading data linked to digital certification
Logistics and transport flow data
Timeline
1-3 years per hub