In today's dynamic and rapidly evolving agricultural landscape,
inefficiencies and exploitative practices have long hindered
progress. However, a new wave of innovation is sweeping across the
industry, led by visionaries who are determined to make a
difference. Join Karla Jo Helms on
the Disruption Interruption Podcast as she talks with Usman Javid, CEO of RiCult International, about
how he is leveraging innovative AI to transform agriculture and
uplift smallholder farmers.
TAMPA
BAY, Fla., July 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --
Although often referred to as the world's least digitized industry
by outsiders, agriculture is undergoing a technological revolution
with the potential to change the lives of millions. Extensive
evidence shows that digital advisories can improve farmers'
practices, increase yields and incomes, and enhance resilience,
indicating a 22% higher adoption rate of recommended inputs and a
$10 benefit for every $1 spent. (1) Karla Jo
Helms (KJ), host of the Disruption Interruption podcast,
talks with Usman Javaid, a leader
and innovator in the agricultural technology (AgTech) sector, to
discuss the groundbreaking work being done at Ricult International.
"Our goal is to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inefficiency by
providing smallholder farmers with the tools and resources they
need to succeed, with a mission to address their challenges in
accessing capital and improving their performance," Javaid
explains.
"Our goal is to disrupt the cycle of
poverty and inefficiency by providing smallholder farmers with the
tools and resources they need to succeed, with a mission to address
their challenges in accessing capital" - Usman Javid
Revolutionizing Agriculture
Under Javid's leadership, RiCult International has achieved
remarkable milestones. The company has not only increased farmers'
incomes by 17% but has also attracted significant investments,
securing over $12 million from
prestigious entities such as the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation
He emphasizes the staggering statistics that highlight the
urgency of the situation: 75% of the world's poor are farmers, and
84% of these farmers are smallholders with less than 20 acres of
land. These farmers face immense financial exclusion, often relying
on exploitative moneylenders due to a lack of access to mainstream
financing. The impact of climate change further exacerbates their
plight, with shifting weather patterns and rising temperatures
threatening crop yields and food security.
Empowering Smallholder Farmers
Ricult International uses AI and data analytics to help smallholder
farmers optimize yields, manage resources, and tackle climate
challenges. "There is huge potential to make these changes to help
people make a better living, but also to help them produce more
food," Javid states. His commitment to leveraging technology for
social good is transforming AgTech, bringing hope and opportunity
to farmers across Asia and
beyond.
Javaid discusses AI's impact on agriculture, focusing on
smallholder farmers, and explores strategies with Helms to improve
productivity and mitigate risks, emphasizing Ricult's efforts to
enhance farmers' access to capital and quality inputs.
Expanding Agricultural Transformation
Ricult is actively expanding its reach across Asia and its numerous regions with significant
potential for agricultural transformation. Javaid emphasizes the
untapped opportunities in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. "These regions lack access to advanced
agricultural technology, and we see enormous potential for change,"
he notes. Looking ahead, Javaid envisions a future where technology
and access to capital empower farmers to break free from
poverty.
Links:
Disrupting Agriculture: Usman
Javaid's AI Revolution for Smallholder Farmers in
Asia
https://omny.fm/shows/disruption-interruption/disrupting-agriculture-usman-javaids-ai-revolution?in_playlist=podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/usmanj/
Company Website: https://www.web.ricult.com/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ricult/
Disruption Interruption is the podcast where you will hear from
today's biggest Industry Disruptors. Learn what motivated them to
bring about innovation and how they overcame opposition to
adoption.
Disruption Interruption can be listened to in Apple's
App Store and Spotify.
About Disruption InterruptionTM
Disruption is happening on an unprecedented scale, impacting all
manner of industries— MedTech, Finance, IT, eCommerce, shipping,
logistics, and more—and COVID has moved their timelines up a full
decade or more. But WHO are these disruptors and when did they say,
"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT!"? Time to Disrupt and Interrupt with host
Karla Jo "KJ" Helms, veteran communications disruptor. KJ
interviews badasses who are disrupting their industries and
altering economic networks that have become antiquated with an
establishment resistant to progress. She delves into uncovering
secrets from industry rebels and quiet revolutionaries that uncover
common traits—and not-so-common—that are changing our economic
markets… and lives. Visit the world's key pioneers that persist to
success, despite arrows in their backs at
http://www.disruption-interruption.com.
About Usman Javaid
Usman Javaid is the CEO of Ricult
International and Ricult Pakistan, leading an AI-powered solution
empowering smallholder farmers across Asia through digital financial technology.
Ricult operates as an AI-based data platform leveraging data from
agriculture value chain sources like remote sensing, weather
satellites, and financial institutions. Under Usman's leadership,
Ricult has scaled operations across Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam, impacting over 800,000 farmers with a
17% increase in income. He has secured over $12 million in grants and investments from
organizations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and
MIT. Usman holds an MBA from MIT Sloan,
with a background in engineering and experience at Nestle
pioneering mobile banking services. Passionate about using
technology for social impact, he co-founded Ricult at MIT to address agricultural challenges, earning
global recognition and establishing the company as a spin-off in
2015, headquartered in Boston.
About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief
Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™.
Karla Jo learned firsthand how
unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the
line — and how the control of public opinion often determines
whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally
rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys,
private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of
goodwill into the good graces of public opinion — Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it
right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what
it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how
the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right
hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive
markets and impact market perception.
References
1. Kremer, Michael, and Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo. "Grow Back Better?
Here's How Digital Agriculture Could Revolutionise Rural
Communities Affected by Covid-19." World Economic Forum,
9 July 2020,
weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/digital-agriculture-technology/.
Media Inquiries:
Karla Jo Helms
JOTO PR™
727-777-4629
jotopr.com
Media Contact
Karla Jo Helms, JOTO PR™,
727-777-4629, khelms@jotopr.com, jotopr.com
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