Information latency profoundly limits agricultural cooperatives’ ability to conduct business and access financing – an avoidable problem with serious consequences for rural farmers in the developing world. Acopio is a nascent social venture offering information systems that enable farmer-owned cooperatives to better manage the data that is vital to managing their operations, accessing financing, and marketing their products. The team’s solution has the potential to positively affect the lives of millions of farmers in the developing world.
Using Demand Management to Address the Problem of Intermittent Water Supply: The Capellanía Water System in Panama (UC Berkeley)
Many piped potable water systems in developing countries do not provide continuous service. Intermittent supply is a nuisance to users and can degrade water quality.