Helping farmers navigate climate change? There’s an app for that

On a farm in Sololá, Guatemala, Miguel carefully plants two pea seeds in each divot of his land. “I learned to grow peas from my father,” Miguel said. Of the many skills his father taught him, Miguel learned how to plant and harvest crops based on seasons of rainy days and humid mornings. When he was 25, Miguel’s father told him he was ready to work by himself. Now, Miguel and his wife rent farmland to grow their crops. They joined a local association of farmers that share knowledge and resources as they faced rising costs of seeds and fertiliser, alongside excessive heat caused by climate change.

Over the last several years, Miguel and his wife realised climate change affected planting and harvesting schedules for their peas. They couldn’t rely on the same predictable weather patterns. “We make the most of the rainy season because that is the only time we can plant and harvest,” Miguel said. “Then, the drought affects us because we don’t have income. What has been helping us is what we saved during the harvest season. Sometimes it’s enough and sometimes it’s not enough.”

The farmers wanted to learn more about climate-resistant techniques for their crops, and they signed up for workshops with Mercy Corps, which has supported farmers in the region since 2020. The members of the farmers’ association attended training sessions where they discussed growing drought-resistant crops like beans and peas that can thrive in harsh environments. To offset the cost of these new materials and resources, the farmers each received 250 pounds of seeds and 330 pounds of fertiliser for their land through the programme.

Boosting harvests with innovative climate technology

Small farming communities around the world are the least responsible for climate change, but are often most impacted by the climate crisis. Globally, over 70% of farmers say that climate change has negatively impacted their crops, and their incomes decreased by more than 15% due to climate change. Guatemala experiences rapidly worsening El Niño patterns, which has caused irregular rainfall and lowered precipitation levels. Studies have shown that during drought years, Guatemalan farmers lost an average of 55% of their crops. Without the resources and knowledge to adapt to longer and extreme droughts, farmers can lose their entire harvest, and their ability to make a living.

Miguel and the farmers’ association told Mercy Corps that with uncertain weather patterns, they wanted to learn more about using technology to farm more efficiently. At the training sessions, Plataforma DECIDE was introduced. This app, developed by a climatologist with data from the International Research Institute for Climate (IRI) and the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH) of Guatemala, uses forecasting to provide up-to-date, accurate climate predictions and forecasts of expected rainfall. After applying what he learned in the Mercy Corps training programme and using the Plataforma DECIDE app, Miguel tripled his harvest and increased his income. Across the country, the programme has supported over 2,000 small farmers and more than 9,000 people in their communities.

More than 100 miles north of where Miguel farms in Sololá, Zoila is a teacher and farmer in Cobán. Zoila has worked in agriculture her entire life and grows French green beans on her farm with her husband. Like other farmers contending with higher temperatures and lower precipitation, Zoila noticed how the weather impacted her farm. Even for green beans that thrive in the heat, she worried about whether each crop will survive as well as the last. Zoila is also a part of a farmers’ association supported by Mercy Corps that received seeds and financial assistance to purchase fertiliser, and learned to use the Plataforma DECIDE app. Every week, Zoila meets with many of the other farmers in the association to review weather patterns and share updates. The first year that Zoila received support from Mercy Corps, her green bean harvest improved by over 33%, from 900 pounds to 1200 pounds. 

The group of farmers Zoila joined are also part of an initiative to increase women's access to agricultural markets. Some women have been limited to opportunities in production or post-harvest labour, such as cleaning the crops after they’ve been collected. The programme guides women producers as they make connections to buyers and meet food safety and quality standards. Their improved crop yields throughout the year make the farmers more competitive. By managing their own land, women can provide for their households, learn about the agricultural markets, and support their communities as they grow.

Faced with the uncertainty of climate change, farmers want to do more on behalf of their communities. As their yields increase, the farmers would like to manage more aspects of the production cycle themselves. The current practice is that after their crops are collected and cleaned at a processing centre, most of the produce is exported to American, Canadian, and European markets. If the farmers’ association can independently access the market for their crops, they can manage their own processing centre and generate more jobs.

“We can only imagine what the future will bring”

In Sololá, many of Miguel’s neighbours have left the country to earn more money for their families. Miguel worries about who will work the land if they don’t have enough farmers to help harvest. “We can only imagine what the future will bring,” he said. Miguel and his wife are now co-presidents of their association of pea producers. They advocate for their friends and neighbours and use Plataforma DECIDE to share more information about the climate.

Miguel remains hopeful. He wants to stay on his land and maintain his livelihood. “We were born here; we know the culture; the language. Here we built a family, met friends,” Miguel said. Just like Miguel’s family members taught him to farm, he wants to pass knowledge to his community — the agricultural methods his father taught him, and the techniques he’s recently learned with the Plataforma DECIDE app and the farmers’ association. Miguel wants to do everything he can to help his community prosper, because he wants his children to live in the same beautiful place that he loves.