AI for Impact: Edufarmers Receives $2M from Google.org to Empower Farmers and Combat Stunting

Edu Farmers International Foundation (Edufarmers), a leading Indonesian nonprofit dedicated to agricultural empowerment and stunting prevention, today unveiled its newest program, Fostering AI for Resilient Farming and Mitigating Stunting—F.A.R.M. Supported by a USD 2 million grant from Google.org, the initiative harnesses the potential use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver personalized guidance aimed to increase the productivity of smallholder farmers and empower parents and communities in combating childhood stunting. The program aims to target over 200,000 smallholder farmers and vulnerable families across Indonesia.

This generous funding from Google.org  allows Edufarmers to leverage AI's transformative potential to tackle Indonesia’s most urgent challenges head-on," said Amri Ilmma, Chief Operating Officer of Edufarmers. “We are committed to turning innovations into impact, enabling inclusive growth so thousands of farmers and children can thrive.”

This grant builds on the previous support from  Google.org in 2022, where Edufarmers intensively trained more than 4,400 farmers and 1,000 youth through the ‘Bertani untuk Negeri program,’ where farmers and youth are equipped with good agricultural practices and business acumen and collaborate to solve challenges farmers face. Additionally, the online learning platform Bertani Academy, developed with the first Google.org grant, has attracted over 2,500 enrollments, showcasing the growing reach of Edufarmers and farmers' quests for greater efficiency and interest to become more productive.

With this momentum, F.A.R.M. initiative will continue to address key challenges by focusing on the following two major components:

1. Strengthening Food Security and Farmers welfare through Plaza Bertani Ecosystem and A.I. Chatbot

Edufarmers' F.A.R.M. initiative will tackle food security head-on with a two-pronged approach. First, an AI-powered chatbot will equip 80,000 farmers with real-time, personalized advice on optimizing their crops to increase productivity. For example, farmers would be able to gain suggestions on pesticide treatments by submitting photos of their crops. Localized data on weather and soil conditions can also provide recommendations on the timing of watering and optimal fertilization use. Second, the Plaza Bertani Ecosystem—a comprehensive platform for agricultural education and enabling collective farming —will empower 20,000 smallholder farmers through hands-on field schools, teaching them tailored agronomic techniques to boost their productivity and income.

2. Preventing Stunting through Nutrition AI and Knowledge Hub

Edufarmers will scale up its work to combat stunting by introducing a Nutrition AI and Knowledge Hub to reach 100,000 parents, health cadres, and teachers. This platform will provide nutrition education for early childhood and stunting prevention, as well as nutritional interventions to 1,500 children through the One Day One Egg program. "Parents will be provided with informed child care and healthy eating advice through our AI chatbot to improve nutrition," Amri added.

Edufarmers will collaborate strongly with relevant government agencies, community organizations, and corporate partners to deliver its impact and foster knowledge exchange. 

Edufarmers is taking this course of action in concert to effect sustainable change, build resilience among Indonesian farming communities consistent with the national agenda for development, and ensure long-term participation at the local level.

We extend our gratitude to Google.org and our network of partners; due to their support Edufarmers will be uniquely positioned to impact the double burden of agriculture and nutrition in Indonesia," he said. "Infusing AI technology into the initiative can change the face of farming and contribute to the Government of Indonesia’s effort to achieve the national stunting reduction target. This will be an important step toward building a healthy and resilient future for Indonesian families and farmers.

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