Innovating the Salvadorian agriculture sector and agriculture financing through technology

The eco.business Fund Development Facility, in partnership with the Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School, launched the Innovation and Technology in the Coffee Sector Project for Banco Hipotecario in 2019. The project was designed to implement technological tools that measure environmental indictors into the bank’s credit process, as well as to create a virtual app to guide producers’ decision-making process. Although the project started with the coffee sector, it is now expanding to cover multiple other crops. 

Specifically, the bank now uses drones and an app to collect information on environmental components from coffee farms, measuring their overall environmental impact. With this information in hand, bank officers can monitor their client’s environmental impact and determine if a producer is eligible for financing. The app is also accessible for producers, helping them make informed decisions that can improve their performance and decrease their environmental impact.

Up to August 2020, 10,761 ha have been mapped and 500 producers have been surveyed. Around 200 producers have been able to strengthen their decision-making process through the information gathered by the project and delivered on the app.