PISA Smart-Agro Innovation (SAI)
PISA Hearts Foundation Launches Smart-Agro Innovation (SAI) to Strengthen Local Food Systems in Nigeria
PISA Hearts Unveils SAI to Tackle Nigeria’s Growing Food Crisis
A bottom-up agronomy model empowering smallholder cooperatives with technology, finance, and climate-smart capacity building.
In response to Nigeria’s deepening food crisis, PISA Hearts Humanitarian Foundation had been pilot-testing a localized bottom-up agronomy strategy aimed at improving food security amidst the current political economy, instability fueled by banditry, climate change crisis and farm inputs price fluctuations. PISA Hearts Humanitarian Foundation is now set to launch the ambitious new program — the Smart-Agro Innovation (SAI) project — designed to transform local food systems by supporting smallholder cooperatives and rural households through technology, finance, and capacity-building.
Why This Matters
According to the FAO’s Cadre Harmonisé, about 30.6 million Nigerians are at risk of acute food insecurity as at August 2025, and the drivers of this crisis include climate disruption, conflict, and inflation. Smallholder farmers — who produce more than 70% of Nigeria’s food — are central to the solution. But many of their cooperatives are underfunded and fragmented, with very low technical capacity in agronomy practices.
PISA’s Vision
PISA’s SAI project tackles this challenge head-on. In its pilot phase, the foundation reached over 1,000 smallholder farmers and vulnerable households. Now, PISA Hearts Humanitarian Foundation through the SAI project proposes to reach at least 10,000 smallholder farmers and vulnerable householders across six states by the end of 2026. While SAI continues to solicit support/investment from global donors and impact investors, there is ongoing database expansion of farmers cooperatives across target states. Farmers' association and cooperatives are encouraged to continue submission of relevant documentation for processing or contact SAI project desk for guidance on how to complete their documentation
What Smart-Agro Innovation Offers
The SAI initiative delivers a holistic support package for farmers and their communities:
Agronomic training
Strengthening skills in climate-smart farming and modern agricultural practices.
Financial inclusion
Grant and loan instruments tailored for cooperative members, paired with digital financial services.
Health safety net
Family-level primary healthcare coverage for farming households.
Policy advocacy
Promoting stronger, smarter agriculture policies that support smallholder resilience.
Market connections
Building aggregation systems and linkages to processors, buyers, and off-takers.
Climate resilience
Tools and strategies to help farmers adapt to environmental shocks.
Why the Smart-Agro Innovation Model Works
PISA leverages the strength of cooperatives — not isolated farmers. Every investment into a cooperative multiplies impact across households and communities.
Scalable impact through cooperatives
Empowering farmer cooperatives multiplies resources, strengthens collective productivity, and accelerates community-wide agricultural transformation effectively.
Strong monitoring and evaluation systems
Rigorous monitoring and evaluation frameworks ensure transparency, measure progress accurately, and guide continuous program improvement effectively.
Proven sustainability strategies
Implementing environmentally responsible practices and resilient food-system models ensures long-term agricultural productivity and community stability.
Capacity-building for cooperative leadership
Training cooperative leaders enhances decision-making, governance efficiency, and operational coordination essential for sustained agricultural development.
Designed for long-term agricultural transformation
This model prioritizes resilience, innovation, and community empowerment to systematically transform agricultural ecosystems over generations.
Why the Smart-Agro Innovation Model Works
PISA leverages the strength of cooperatives — not isolated farmers. Every investment into a cooperative multiplies impact across households and communities.
Scalable impact through cooperatives
Empowering farmer cooperatives multiplies resources, strengthens collective productivity, and accelerates community-wide agricultural transformation effectively.
Strong monitoring and evaluation systems
Rigorous monitoring and evaluation frameworks ensure transparency, measure progress accurately, and guide continuous program improvement effectively.
Proven sustainability strategies
Implementing environmentally responsible practices and resilient food-system models ensures long-term agricultural productivity and community stability.
Capacity-building for cooperative leadership
Training cooperative leaders enhances decision-making, governance efficiency, and operational coordination essential for sustained agricultural development.
Designed for long-term agricultural transformation
This model prioritizes resilience, innovation, and community empowerment to systematically transform agricultural ecosystems over generations.
Help Feed 10 Million Nigerians
Together, we can unlock a future where smallholder farmers are not just surviving — but thriving with dignity, innovation, and resilience.
PISA Hearts Foundation invites global development organizations, philanthropic foundations, corporate CSR programs, and impact investors to co-create a more resilient food system through the SAI project.
Areas for collaboration include:
Co-investment & funding
Collaborative funding mobilizes essential resources, accelerates project scale, and strengthens sustainable agricultural development across communities.
Technical partnerships
Technical partnerships bring expert knowledge, innovative tools, and capacity-building support to enhance cooperative productivity and resilience.
Policy engagement
Strategic policy engagement influences agricultural reforms, strengthens governance systems, and promotes supportive environments for smallholder farmers nationwide.
Climate and innovation support
Climate and innovation support equips farmers with adaptive technologies, resilient practices, and long-term environmental sustainability mechanisms.
Research & monitoring
Continuous research and monitoring ensure data-driven decisions, measure project outcomes clearly, and guide long-term program improvements.
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