Lead organisation: AGRICORE
Climate change, inefficient farming practices, lack of space for harvest conservation and limited market connections have led to increasing poverty among farming families in the Great Lake countries. To solve this, RETFARMER GL (Regional Training for Farmers of the Great Lake Countries on Climate and Peace) offers an integrated approach that combines practical field training with digital innovation.
RETFARMER organises Farmer Field Schools where farmers are trained in integrated techniques for soil fertility management, crop cultivation, and plant disease management. The AGRICORE app, a digital innovation specifically designed to meet the needs of farmers in the Great Lakes region, allows them to monitor weather conditions, identify plant diseases and connect to broader markets. Through this solution, RETFARMER expects to increase agricultural yields, reduce post-harvest losses, improve market access, strengthen peace and regional cohesion by providing viable economic alternatives.
AGRICORE has been selected as one of the RAIN bridge fund recipients. Bridge funding supports selected projects to sustain and build on their work during 2026. This funding is intended to provide a strategic bridge between the original RAIN award and future pathways for scale, influence, or longer-term financing. Building on its work, the scale-up of this approach incorporates an AI-powered Virtual Agronomist, delivering real-time, localised advisory services and training women Agri Leads.