Ghana, Kenya Engage in Knowledge Exchange Ahead of FarmSense Launch
Ghana, Kenya Engage in Knowledge Exchange Ahead of FarmSense Launch
As part of preparations towards the launch of the FarmSense, a team from the Distributed IoT-Platforms, Privacy and Edge-Intelligence Research (DIPPER Lab) has engaged Kenyan partners in a cross-learning visit in Nairobi.
The delegation, led by Scientific Director of DIPPER Lab, Prof. Eric Tutu Tchao, and Dr. Enoch Bessah, Research Lead for Climate Change and Ecosystem Services, visited the RISA Fund Office.
The team also held discussions with stakeholders including Viktora Ventures, Impact Investing Ghana, and Impact Investing Kenya.
The engagement focused on lessons around access to finance for initiatives, policy support, and sustainable models for scaling innovation across African markets.
The visit comes ahead of the official launch of FarmSense in Ghana, scheduled for October 20, 2025 at the IDL Conference Centre, KNUST.
Developed by DIPPER Lab in partnership with Sesi Technologies, FarmSense provides smallholder farmers with soil analysis, crop recommendations, and nutrient planning using integrated hardware, software, and machine learning tools.
The initiative forms part of the Africa Agri-Tech Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP).
This next phase is supported by the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund, with funding from UK International Development.
Mark Lawler, RISA Fund Team Lead, described the collaboration as a learning opportunity with long-term value for donor programming, policy design, and future innovation ecosystems.
“We’re very conscious of legacy. If we can bottle the lessons from engagements like this, they can influence future programming not just for us, but for other development and private sector actors as well,” he said.
Head of Program at RISA Fund, Sheila Koiko, also
announced a series of learning exchange webinars, where the DIPPER Lab team will contribute to shaping future policy and innovation conversations across Africa.
The FarmSense launch event will be held under the theme:
“From Research to Action: Advancing Agriculture in Ghana Through Industry-Academia Collaborations.”
Partners include KNUST, DIPPER Lab, Sesi Technologies, Innovate UK, Manchester Metropolitan University, Impact Investing Ghana, and the RISA Fund.
