Extensio

Web: www.extensio.mx 

Launched in 2015 and sold to Acceso in 2020

Of the 130 million farmers in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), 60 million are smallholder farmers, most of whom are disconnected from critical information for decision making and connections to quality markets to sell their crops. There is still a high incidence of poverty (48.6%) and extreme poverty (22.5%) in rural areas despite progress from 1990 to 2014.

Acting as a digital field agent, Extensio employs mobile communication to provide farmers and actors in agricultural value chains with timely information for decision making: weather and pest forecast and management, production risk mapping, best agricultural practices, and market trends. Extensio’s services have reached 19,000 farmers directly and 60,000 indirectly in Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador with proven increase in incomes and adoption of better practices. Among Extensio’s past clients are Modelo, Bavaria, Alternare, Agrana, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

Empowering smallholder farmers through robust food value chains that connect them to formal markets is a catalyst for rural economic development. A critical step to developing these value chains is ensuring access to high quality technical assistance and market information, which is abundant, but often not accessible.

Acceso acquires leading digital field agent Extensio to transform smallholder agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean

By combining forces, Acceso and Extensio will offer smallholder farmers an unparalleled and holistic solution, providing them with both digital and in-person information and training, agricultural inputs, affordable credit, and guaranteed market access to boost productivity and increase income levels in an efficient and cost-effective way.

The acquisition of Extensio by Acceso was compelling for both organizations due to their mutual impact-driven strategies and complementary entrepreneurial approaches. Their combined capabilities will allow the organizations to conduct in-person agricultural training accompanied with customized and timely digital information that improves farmer production aligned to market needs.

Acceso is a social business builder with businesses in Colombia, El Salvador, and Haiti. These businesses work along entire value chains to ensure that smallholder farmer production reaches large domestic food companies (supermarkets, retailers, restaurants) as well as international markets. Acceso’s businesses have generated over $50M for 15,000 farmers and farm workers through targeted technical assistance and inputs, crop aggregation and processing support, and guaranteed market linkages.

More info about the acquisition here.

CONTACT

If you are interested in getting in touch with the Extensio team, email us at info@connovo.org