Yaw Nyarko's Tech-Driven Solutions for Rural African Farmers
Breaking the Wall of Rural Commodity Market Access
Winner Interview 2024: Social Sciences and Humanities
Yaw Nyarko's pioneering work is transforming rural agricultural markets in Africa through technology and market innovations. His research demonstrates how mobile phone technologies empower poor farmers to negotiate better prices, leading to the development of back-end technologies for the Ghana Commodity Exchange. By introducing credit mechanisms and blockchain-based apps, Nyarko's interventions are comparable to Central Bank Digital Currencies in Europe. These scalable, technology-driven solutions, which also empower women, partner with traditional governance systems to reach the most vulnerable villages. Nyarko's efforts are improving the livelihoods of thousands of farmers across Africa, showcasing the potential of tech-driven market access.
Which wall does your research or project break?
Using technology and markets, we break down the wall to build economic development for the poorest rural farmers in Africa. We do this through several mechanisms from providing mobile price alerts for transparency, advocating for the national Ghana Commodity Exchange, pioneering village-level nano commodity exchanges to introducing novel credit schemes to smallholder farmers, applying innovative blockchain technologies, and using Artificial Intelligence algorithms. Our research and data indicate huge potential to catalyze technology to solve some of the most pressing issues facing smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
What are the three main goals of your research or project?
The goal of my research with collaborator Professor Raša Karapandža is to use technology and markets to transform rural agricultural markets in developing countries; apply innovative blockchain technologies, digital currencies, and AI to benefit these markets; and improve the livelihoods and economic development of the poorest farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with technological innovations and to enable sustainable prosperity and growth.
What advice would you give to young scientists or students interested in pursuing a career in research, or to your younger self starting in science?
Doing research, especially in a field setting in developing countries, can come with many challenges and opportunities. As a young researcher, you will need to think outside the box, solve problems, and constantly strive to break barriers. Understand that field research is always evolving and changing based on what you discover as you conduct the research. Be flexible and do not get discouraged when an experiment or trial does not go as planned. Be dedicated, curious, and bold in your thinking. It will be hard work, but very rewarding and satisfying to you as a researcher, and you will have joy in knowing that you are helping so many others.
