Who helps farmers? This is a question I think about often, as I read about the realities of different communities impacted by environmental threats around the world.

According to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, 3.3 to 3.6 billion people are currently living in settings that are “highly vulnerable” to climate change. Furthermore, 50% of the world’s human population may be exposed to periods of life-threatening climatic conditions by 2100 in a low-emissions scenario. Facing these realities requires that we all work on many, many fronts.

Agriculture, for example, takes a toll on our environment by using resources that impact freshwater, soil, and the air. In order to adapt to and help protect our rapidly-changing environment, reduce pollution, and aid farmers around the world, utilizing sustainable agriculture systems is critical.

But being a farmer isn’t easy, and challenges to achieve sustainable agriculture can take many forms and shapes. For example, crop residue management is a pressing issue for the agriculture sector. Crop burning is often done by farmers to clear fields to plant new seeds, but unfortunately, this practice can create dense smoke that leads to air pollution and public health concerns. Moreover, many smallholder farmers struggle with business growth and stability due to the unpredictability of farm work and a lack of resources and financing. And the consequences of crop failure extend beyond the livelihoods of farmers – the local communities that depend on them for food are impacted as well. These are just some examples that demonstrate how communities around the globe are vulnerable to environmental challenges.

How is IBM helping?

Recently, we launched the IBM Sustainability Accelerator. This is a pro bono social impact program that applies IBM technologies, such as hybrid cloud and AI, and expertise, ultimately helping populations especially vulnerable to environmental threats including climate change.

We have been working with three partner organizations on sustainable agriculture. This is just the start of the Accelerator program, and we are aiming to engage with more organizations addressing other sustainability challenges in the near future, including clean energy to extend affordable access, availability of information, with a focus on the most vulnerable communities. IBM is now seeking proposals from nonprofit and governmental organizations for tech-driven initiatives that advance the equity, science, and/or scholarship associated with clean energy usage and/or transition.

So, to answer the question a lot of people may have (what’s the status of these first projects?) here’s our answer:

Plan21 Foundation

The Plan21 Foundation for Sustainable Human Development proposed creating a sustainable agriculture app delivering insights to farmers in Latin America and making their products more compelling. ​

• Their mission is to protect natural resources and improve the quality of life in our communities, making possible participatory processes and promoting the implementation of better public and private practices, within the framework of sustainable human development.
• Their vision is a diverse, inclusive, caring, and tender society to live on earth.
• Their primary objective is to increase the income generated by and sustainability of smallholder farmer activity across Latin America.​

The Nature Conservancy India 

The Nature Conservancy India proposed co-creating a collaborative web-based information sharing platform to manage and promote a crop residue management program that reduces air pollution and improves agricultural sustainability while reducing costs for farmers. ​

• Their mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. ​
• Their vision is a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives. ​
• Their primary objective is to build public and organizational support for the program, which helps improve air and soil quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water waste, all while lowering costs for farmers.​

Heifer International

Heifer International proposed co-creating with IBM scalable and affordable digital solutions designed to equip farmers’ cooperatives in Malawi with insights including weather and crop yield forecasts to help increase their incomes. ​

• Their mission is to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way by supporting and investing alongside local farmers and their communities.
• Their vision is to create an environment where localized food systems and small-scale farmers can thrive.
• Their primary objective is to increase smallholder farmer income by providing them digital technologies, which would facilitate fair profits for their labor but are too expensive without support.

We are excited to partner with such amazing organizations. The IBM Sustainability Accelerator is our way to use IBM technologies to scale and empower organizations making a difference across the world.

Next year, the focus of the program will be on clean energy. Learn more about the IBM Sustainability Accelerator and how an organization can become part of this journey at ibm.org.