Syngenta Agricultural Insight and Earth Observation Data uplifts subsistence farmers into profitability

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Doron Gal

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

Doron Gal - Head of Digital Sustainability and Soil Health, Syngenta

Vikram Borade - Syngenta Foundation India

Simon Winter - Executive Director, Syngenta Foundation

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

12

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Empower 2M-strong community of small-farm and agri-entrepreneur advisors with a secure, decentralized system to leverage earth observation, farm and market data for agronomic and commercial decisions.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

All systems and software assets developed as part of the proposed scope of the Security Oracle will be open-sourced and available on GitHub. Some background IP pertaining to the processing of satellite imaging data will not be included

We intend to make all educational materials, reports, and outputs produced during this project available to the Cardano community to maximize the benefit for the ecosystem. However, due to the nature of this project, which involves close collaboration and interaction with multiple companies some of the project outputs may be subject to confidentiality or proprietary concerns.

At this stage, it is undetermined whether all the companies involved will permit the sharing of certain sensitive information. As a result, we cannot commit to making all materials open source. Our focus will be on ensuring that all non-sensitive outputs, such as general educational materials and public-facing reports, are shared with the community to foster further collaboration and innovation.

We aim to balance transparency and industry needs while protecting the proprietary interests of the companies involved.

[METADATA] Horizons

Business Services

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Introduction: Building on Syngenta Foundation India and its affiliate the Agri-Entrepreneur Growth Foundation’s successful Agri-Entrepreneur (AE) model, which empowers over 2 million small farm holders across India, and leveraging novel technological breakthroughs in remote sensing, this enterprise R&D initiative aims to build a proof-of-concept oracle system that leverages Cardano blockchain technology to enable trusted exchange of rich data amongst smallholder growers, the agri-entrepreneurs who support them, market-side buyers who buy farm produce and government agencies who provide subsidies and set environmental goals. Such a system could help mitigate the current massive waste caused by inefficient, overly-inflated and opaque layers of distributors, thereby supporting the fundamental shift envisioned in the Agri-Entrepreneur program, namely, help transition small growers from subsistence farming to profitable, self-sustaining commercial farmers.

Data Collection & Integration: For this project, we will integrate data from multiple trusted sources: High-precision and real-time farm and field data derived from low-cost satellite imagery using novel, deep learning algorithms; operational data sourced from growers and verified by AEs; complementary data, such as weather prediction, sourced from or screened by Syngenta. This integrated, tamper-proof data is foundational for producing accurate agronomic insights and advice with Syngenta’s deep expertise, for disintermediation and market access, and for financial inclusion.   

PoC Oracle Development: Syngenta’s IT & Digital team, in collaboration with earth observation data experts and Cardano specialists, will build a Cardano-based oracle to securely deliver Earth observation data as well as complementary data layers. This PoC will validate the feasibility of integrating blockchain technology into Syngenta’s (and partners’) existing agricultural systems, demonstrating its potential to enhance trust and efficiency while laying the groundwork for decentralized, more efficient and transparent farming-related practices.

DID and NFT Implementation: To align with Syngenta’s vision for empowering growers , the oracle will incorporate Decentralized Identities (DIDs) for individual farm parcels, granting smallholders both ownership and control over their data. NFTs will be used to represent and verify specific accurate datasets, ensuring the data is authentic and can be securely owned—features critical for future scalability and broader adoption. Defining the boundaries of small farms is crucial to establish and measure current baseline and future requirements and evolution of the land and farming (e.g. soil health, farmer characteristics, financial history and trajectory for credit purposes) and for tracking of progress.

Farmer Access & Tools: The solution includes the development of intuitive dashboards and APIs for small farm holders and Agri-Entrepreneurs (AEs) within Syngenta and its Foundation’s network. These tools will provide real-time insights and allow AEs to input and validate ground-level data, enhancing the system’s reliability and usefulness for decision-making.

Empowerment through Financial Services: By utilizing the secure and verified data from the PoC oracle, AEs would be able to design better offers for the smallholder growers , who would also be able to access financial services such as micro-loans, insurance and eventually consolidated/aggregated carbon credits. The system’s verified land and crop data and yield prediction capability will provide farmers and the ecosystem with reliable collateral for these services, advancing Syngenta’s efforts to foster long-term financial inclusion and economic empowerment for small farm holders.

Scalability & Training Programs: Syngenta and its Foundation will leverage the existing AE model to train and onboard farmers in using this technology and reach. Training programs delivered through platforms like Andamio.io will focus on using the system and interpreting agricultural data. The pilot phase will begin with 1,000 farmers, with plans to scale to 100,000 within the scope of the proposal based on feedback and outcomes, optimizing the solution for broader implementation in the coming years.

Use case partners

Syngenta

Syngenta is a leading science-based agtech company. We help millions of farmers around the world to grow safe and nutritious food, while taking care of the planet.

Syngenta is a global company with headquarters in Switzerland. 30,000 employees in more than 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown and protected.

We accelerate our innovation and invest to advance a more sustainable agriculture which is good for nature, farmers and society.

Our work helps farmers to face the challenges of today’s changing world. Farmers must adapt to the effects of climate change, improve the soil and enhance biodiversity, and respond to society’s views on food and agricultural technology. And we are transparent about what we’re doing and the impact it is making.

Syngenta Foundation, India 

Syngenta Foundation India is a non-profit organization focusing on sustainable agriculture in India. They and their Agri-Entrepreneurs Growth Foundation partner work to enhance smallholder farmers' livelihoods and food security. Their initiatives include promoting sustainable farming practices, empowering farmers, and establishing market linkages. The foundation collaborates with various stakeholders and emphasizes the adoption of innovative agricultural technologies. Their goal is to contribute to the long-term development of Indian agriculture and rural communities.

Role: Operational partner on the ground, local stakeholders engagement including Indian governments 

Agtuall 

Agtuall focuses on creating digital platforms that enable the design and delivery of risk transfer instruments (e.g. parametric insurance products) for smallholder farmers worldwide. We specialize in embedding insurance products with services such as farm advisory, market access, and farm loans. We aim to increase the resilience of smallholders through the adaptation of crop insurance products. We are currently operating in Asia (India) and Africa (Uganda, Sudan, and Tanzania). 

Role: Fintech and insurtech partner  

Satellite & AI

Gamma.earth

The company is developing uniquely powerful AI solutions for Earth Observation and remote sensing. It provides super-resolution, up to 10x increase in spatial resolution with reconstruction of spatial features, textures and accurate spectral characteristics.

Role: Satellite APIs

DigiFarm

Digifarm help companies in the ag-value chain optimize their production. We're one of Norway's leading ag-tech startup and have spent the last years developing the technology for automatically detecting the highest accuracy field boundaries and seeded acres using deep neural network models and super resolved EO-data.

Role: AI for Agri land borders

Blockchain 

AnastasiaLabs

Anastasia Labs is a Haskell consultancy specialized in developing mission-critical blockchain applications. Our team consists of highly skilled developers who have made significant contributions to various community projects, including Lucid, Plutarch, and Liqwid-Plutarch-Extra. Our developers have had experience developing and publishing end-to-end DApps including production projects like WingRiders. We specialize in Cardano smart contract auditing and security. 

Role: Oracle Blockchain infrastructure

Nmkr

NMKR is a leading NFT Creation, Minting & Trading Infrastructure provider on the Cardano blockchain, with a proven history of delivering robust and reliable solutions. The company has minted over 2 million NFTs and has worked with high-profile clients, including celebrities like Martin Lawrence and foundational entities of the Cardano Blockchain: IOHK (IOG), Emurgo, and the Cardano Foundation.

Role: Service provider - NFT infrastructure and minting

Andamio

Andamio is a new kind of platform for learning and contribution management. It is built to enable people to onboard and contribute to collaborative projects so that they can make a meaningful impact. We envision a future where work is defined and delivered in ways that achieve the highest levels of human collaboration.

Andamio consists of a learning-management platform and a contribution-management platform that work together to create unique pathways for organizations and contributors to align on meaningful work. It uses the Cardano blockchain to provide non-custodial ways for people to build a record of learning and contribution, and it allows organizations to collaborate in solving important problems.

Role: Service provider - Learning and contribution platform for AE (Agri entrepreneurs)

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Impact on the Cardano Ecosystem: By integrating Cardano’s blockchain technology, this project showcases its potential to solve real-world agricultural challenges, promoting its use in an industry-critical sector. The implementation of the PoC oracle will drive network activity and transaction volume, engaging farmers, Agri entrepreneurs, and various stakeholders, all interacting within the Cardano ecosystem.  

This project will facilitate on-chain activities through land ID and ongoing data updates aggregation of the data could integrate and enable the utility of multiple dapps on Cardano such as insurance, finance and carbon credits as a true, credible and useful financial asset/currency built within and beyond the Cardano ecosystem.

Some examples of Cardano relevant DApps include https://landano.io/, https://palmyra.app/, https://fida.finance/.

Using the Andamio platform will lead for additional on-chain activities through registered skills and contribution for the AE, helping to establish the farm borders and info to share with the farmers. 

On chain activities:

• minting 100k NFTs and periodically adding data to the NFTs
• 100k wallets (probably paper wallets)
• Oracle on chai activities
• Andamio related on chain activities (verified credentials, contribution and reputation for agri entrepreneurs   

In the future on chain activities will grow:

• Scale the project to 2 million farmers 
• Access to more farmers
• Connecting to multiple dapps (finance, insurance, land ownerships, supply chains)  

Impact on Small Farm Holders: This initiative can drive a transformative empowerment of smallholder farmers in India by giving them ownership of their farm data which is then used to inform agronomic and business decisions, access opportunities created by Agri-Entrepreneurs, such as better offers on their traceable produce, and access important financial services such as micro-insurance, credit and subsidies. The projected 45 – 100% increase in income means that growers can shift from subsistence or pre-commercial farming to a profitable, sustainable business. The POC will start with 1000 AEs and 100,000 farmers. 

Scalability and Adoption: The project’s phased approach will demonstrate how blockchain technology can scale within the agricultural sector. By partnering with Syngenta and leveraging the Agri-Entrepreneur network, we ensure a broad reach and practical testing environment, setting the stage for future, larger-scale deployments and further Cardano integration. This project will have high visibility also with the Indian government and other initiatives around small farm holders worldwide (there are around 500 million small farm holders). 

Social and Economic Impact: The project aims to improve crop yields and farmer incomes through better agricultural insights, ultimately contributing to economic stability in rural communities. By providing secure data for financial services, the project also advances financial inclusion, aligning with Cardano’s vision of creating equitable economic opportunities.

Value for a typical smallholder farmer in India with 2 hectares of land and a current annual income of $1000 - $1,500:

This represents a potential income improvement of 45-100% over the current income levels.

This open range of opportunities for on-chain development related to the financial empowerment of the farmers. A simple example could be, saving part of income using a Cardano stable coin. 

Small farm holders - a huge underserved market: 

Small farm holders, who make up a significant portion of the global agricultural workforce (an estimated 600 million worldwide), face numerous challenges that limit their productivity and economic potential. These farmers, typically working on less than 2 hectares of land, often lack access to crucial information about their land, struggle to obtain credit, and have limited bargaining power in the market. In India alone, where our pilot will take place, there are over 100 million small farm holders, with an average farm size of just one hectare.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The Syngenta team and its partners bring a diverse, specialized skill set and a track record of delivering complex projects in blockchain, agriculture, and data technology. The collaborative expertise within this team covers each project phase—from blockchain development to on-ground agricultural training—ensuring both technical capability and practical deployment in the field. Here’s how each key capability strengthens the team’s ability to deliver the project successfully:

1. Proven Expertise in Blockchain Development and Security

• Anastasia Labs leads the blockchain development aspects, specializing in Cardano smart contracts, oracles, and secure transaction systems. Their team has contributed to major Cardano projects, including WingRiders, and has extensive experience developing and auditing blockchain systems for security and efficiency.
• NMKR provides robust NFT infrastructure and digital asset management, ensuring secure and reliable implementation of data ownership through NFTs, a crucial component of the project.

2. Advanced Data Integration and Satellite Technology

• Gamma Earth and Digifarm bring unique capabilities in processing and integrating satellite data, utilizing high-resolution Earth Observation APIs and AI models. Their experience ensures the accuracy and real-time availability of agricultural insights needed for smallholder farmers.
• By partnering with Gamma Earth, the project integrates cutting-edge data processing and machine learning, optimized for real-world agricultural applications. This technical expertise guarantees high-quality data analytics crucial for agronomic insights and decision-making support.

3. Local Expertise and Farmer Engagement

• Syngenta Foundation India leverages years of experience working directly with smallholders in India, providing local agricultural insights and operational coordination. Their extensive network with Indian smallholder farmers and Agri-Entrepreneurs (AEs) ensures culturally adapted training and community engagement.
• Their on-the-ground presence enables effective training and support, bridging the gap between blockchain technology and local farming practices. This local expertise is crucial for high adoption rates and scalable implementation, as Syngenta Foundation India tailors training and support specifically for smallholder needs.

4. Robust Project Management and Cross-Functional Coordination

• Syngenta’s Project Lead, Doron Gal, brings strong leadership in digital sustainability and project oversight, ensuring each milestone aligns with strategic goals and is delivered on schedule. Doron’s experience managing interdisciplinary teams helps coordinate partners from blockchain development to agronomy and data science, maintaining clear communication and resource allocation.
• Shay Gammer manages partnerships and community engagement, drawing on experience with previous Catalyst-funded projects to ensure alignment with Cardano’s goals and standards. Shay’s expertise in coordinating with the Cardano ecosystem ensures high transparency and integration, supporting smooth project execution and effective stakeholder communication.

5. Track Record in User-Centric Design and Training

• Andamio brings specialized skills in designing training platforms and learning materials, enabling accessible, user-friendly onboarding for smallholders and AEs. Their learning management experience ensures that training content and dashboards are engaging and practical for end-users.
• The project’s UI/UX designers are experienced in building intuitive, data-driven interfaces, allowing farmers and AEs to easily interact with complex data outputs. User testing and feedback loops are incorporated to refine the interface, ensuring it meets the specific needs of a non-technical audience.

6. Commitment to Transparency and Accountability

• The team has outlined clear milestones with defined outputs, acceptance criteria, and evidence of completion, establishing transparency and accountability across the project timeline. Each milestone will include public progress updates, available through GitHub and other platforms, providing visibility to the Catalyst community and stakeholders.
• Regular audits, performance reviews, and continuous feedback from local partners help maintain quality and security throughout development and deployment.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

 Design and Planning (4-6 weeks)

Establish the project scope, detailed design specifications, and development roadmap.

Output: 

• Research report detailing the target use cases for Earth Observation and complementary data layers for the Syngenta Foundation’s AE program
• A project plan detailing the system architecture, technical specifications, integration strategy for the PoC oracle

Acceptance Criteria:

• Research report completed showing the use case from AE, farmers and business perspective - showing the importance of the use case for farmer empowerment
• Details project implementation plan is ready

Evidence:

• Link to pdf file on GitHub

Development and Integration of the PoC Oracle with Satellite Data (12 weeks)

Build the PoC oracle system and integrate satellite data sources for real-time processing.

A functional PoC oracle built on Cardano, integrated with satellite data sources to provide real-time agricultural information and insights.

Output: Fully functional Oracle infrastructure ready for deployment on the Cardano preprod testnet.

• Implement off-chain backend to process Oracle requests
• Implement on-chain validators to handle Oracle transactions
• Define and document API interface for integration with external data source
• Provision and management of cloud infrastructure
• Execution and reporting of integration tests

Acceptance Criteria:

• Oracle data requests can be submitted on-chain
• Oracle data request are fulfilled and results are available on-chain
• Integration tests results show data consistency and expected performance
• Development process follows best practices

Evidence:

• Publicly available source-code repository.
• Version-control history and change-log
• Backend and API documentation for administrators
• On-chain interface documentation for data consumers
• On-chain transactions as results of the integration testing
• Report describing performance and capacity of the protocol

UI Development for Agri-Entrepreneurs (AEs) (10 weeks)

Develop a user-friendly interface for AEs to access and utilize oracle data effectively.

• Output:
• Functional UI that provides real-time insights, data input capabilities, and a clear interface for AEs to manage farm data and insights.
• Dashboard with easy navigation, secure data input, and visualization tools tailored to AE needs.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• UI is user-tested by a pilot group of AEs for ease of navigation, data access, and decision support.
• Feedback from AEs is incorporated to improve interface usability.
• UI integrates securely with the backend and the PoC oracle.
• Evidence:
• Publicly accessible demo link for the UI with example data.
• Feedback report from AEs confirming usability and functionality.
• Screenshots or video walkthrough showcasing UI features and data access.

 Pilot Deployment with Agri-Entrepreneurs (AEs) and Implementation of DID and NFT Functionality (8-10 weeks)

Launch the system with 1,000 AEs and their farmer communities to test functionality and gather feedback.

Develop features for Decentralized Identity (DID) and NFT-based data ownership verification.

Output: 

• Development and deployment of Decentralized Identity (DID) features and NFT-based ownership functionality with 1000 farmers and 10 AE to manage and verify agricultural data securely within the oracle.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Successful integration of DID functionality that allows individual farm parcels to be assigned verifiable identities within the system.
• NFTs issued to represent and secure specific datasets, demonstrating ownership and traceability.
• Smart contract audits confirming the correct issuance and management of DIDs and NFTs without security vulnerabilities.

Evidence:

• Link to example on-chain transaction showing the minting of the NFT with relevant data points
• Link to audit report

Training Programs and System Optimization (8 weeks)

Conduct training sessions and optimize the system based on pilot feedback.

Output

• Develop training materials for AE how to use the Satellite Oracle output and add content based in interaction with the farmers (i.e. adjustments of land borders)
• Test and improved the overall Oracle functionality
• Develop the scale-up plan to reach 100,000 farmers and 1,000 AE
• Platform ready for AE to 
• Platform to include the satellite images for 100,000 farmers (about 100,000 hectares) 

Acceptance Criteria

• Training materials ready 
• Testing report completed with 1000 farmers and 10 AE
• Scale-up plan with clear timeline and activities on the ground 

Evidence 

• A pdf or online link with info re the training 
• A pdf link with report info
• A pdf to the scale-up plan 

Program Scale-Up, Close-Out Report, and Video Submission (12-16 weeks)

Objective: Expand the program, compile a comprehensive report, produce a close-out video, and initiate public relations activities.

• Output:
• Expanded reach to 1,000 Agri-Entrepreneurs and 100,000 farmers.
• Final project use case report and a summary video showcasing results and impact.
• Public relations campaign to build visibility for the project and its results.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Platform fully scaled to support 1,000 AEs and 100,000 farmers.
• Use case report completed, documenting project impact and lessons learned.
• PR activities in place, increasing public awareness through media channels.
• Evidence:
• Demonstration link to platform interface showing data access for 100,000 farms.
• Public link to the final use case report.
• Video link of the close-out summary, hosted online.
• Documentation of PR campaign efforts and media coverage.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Below are the key team members that will coordinate the project. Based on the ongoing needs of the project each team member will onboard relevant colleagues from the company it represents.  

Project Lead - Doron Gal, Syngenta

Role: Leads overall project direction, timeline management, and coordination with Syngenta, Cardano partners, and stakeholders.

Responsibilities: Ensures project objectives are met and aligned with Cardano’s ecosystem goals, oversees budget allocation, and manages communication across teams.

Relevant Experience: With a background in digital sustainability, regenerative farming, precision agriculture, and soil health, Doron brings critical expertise in sustainable agriculture and blockchain application.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorongal/ 

Project Country Lead - Vikram Borade, Syngenta Foundation India

Role: Oversees India activities.

Responsibilities: Enlists and creates alignment with Agri-Entrepreneurs, value chain stakeholders and government agencies. Manages the local team and operation. Relevant Experience: Extensive experience in building networks of agri-entrepreneurs as sustainable local businesses, bringing innovations including digital to smallholder farmers

Agricultural Technology Specialist - Deepak Ekka, Syngenta/Syngenta Foundation

Role: Actively engages Agri-Entrepreneurs and farmers in Project. Ensures that project requirements address local agricultural needs.

Responsibilities: Gathers insights from smallholders and Agri-Entrepreneurs (AEs) and translates these into technical specifications for user-friendly solutions.

Relevant Experience: Extensive experience in agricultural technology, particularly in developing practical tools for farming communities.

Lead Blockchain Developer - Phil Disarro, Anastasia Labs

Role: Leads development of the Cardano-based PoC oracle and manages blockchain integration.

Responsibilities: Designs and implements smart contracts, integrates oracle functions, and ensures the solution meets Cardano’s security and functionality standards.

Relevant Experience: Specializing in Haskell and blockchain projects, including WingRiders, Phil’s background strengthens the proposal’s technical foundation.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-disarro-068b56161/ 

Earth Observation Data Specialist - Yosef Akhtman, Gamma Earth

Role: Oversees the integration of satellite data with the PoC oracle.

Responsibilities: Develops and implements algorithms for real-time data processing, ensuring the data’s reliability for agronomic insights.

Relevant Experience: Proficient in remote sensing and agricultural AI applications, essential for accurate data processing in agriculture.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhtman/

Training and Mentoring Coordinator - India-based, Syngenta Foundation

Role: Develops and implements training and mentoring programs for farmers and Agri-Entrepreneurs.

Responsibilities: Creates educational materials, trains and deploys agri-entrepreneur mentors, conducts training sessions, and gathers feedback to facilitate adoption.

Relevant Experience: Skilled in agricultural training and community engagement, supporting effective technology usage and community empowerment.

Partnership and Community Engagement Manager - Shay Gammer

Role: Manages partnership and community outreach initiatives.

Responsibilities: Engages Syngenta’s AE network and Cardano’s community, coordinates onboarding, and promotes adoption through events and workshops.

Relevant Experience: Background in community engagement and agri-tech partnerships, maximizing adoption and real-world feedback collection.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shay-gammer-8046966/

Technical Auditor and Security Specialist - Phil Disarro, Anastasia Labs

Role: Conducts security audits for smart contracts and data processes.

Responsibilities: Ensures system security, performs audits, and addresses vulnerabilities following Cardano’s standards.

Relevant Experience: Expertise in technical audits and blockchain security, critical for protecting sensitive agricultural and financial data.

UX/UI Designer - Zachi Dinnar

Role: Designs user-friendly dashboards and interfaces for smallholders and AEs.

Responsibilities: Develops accessible tools for data visualization and decision support.

Relevant Experience: Proficient in UX/UI design for agri-tech solutions, helping farmers interact with the oracle effectively.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachi-diner-214219/

Training Platform - Roberto Mayen, Andamio

Role: Designs and deploys the digital training platform for AEs.

Responsibilities: Develops user-friendly training modules and collaborates with the Training Coordinator for optimal content delivery.

Relevant Experience: Skilled in platform development, enabling interactive learning for AEs and driving technology adoption.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertomh/

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Total Budget: 1,400,000 ADA*

*Syngenta and the Syngenta Foundation anticipate providing an in-kind contribution of $200,000 to the project, covering personnel and resources not included in the budget below.

Budget Breakdown by Milestones -

Milestone 1: Design and Planning (4-6 weeks) - 150,000 ADA

• Project Management and Coordination: 40,000 ADA
• Research and Requirements Analysis: 30,000 ADA
• System Architecture Design: 35,000 ADA
• Technical Specifications Development: 20,000 ADA
• Initial Stakeholder Engagement: 25,000 ADA

Milestone 2: Oracle Development and Integration (12 weeks) - 450,000 ADA

• Oracle Infrastructure Development: 175,000 ADA
• Includes smart contract development, off-chain backend implementation, and API integration.
• Satellite Data Integration: 175,000 ADA
• Development of data processing algorithms, super-resolution processing, and cloud removal features.
• Testing and Security Audit: 50,000 ADA
• Covers integration tests and security verification.
• Infrastructure Setup and Configuration: 30,000 ADA
• Documentation and API Specifications: 20,000 ADA

Milestone 3: UI Development for AEs (10 weeks) - 175,000 ADA

• Project Management and Coordination: 25,000 ADA
• UI/UX Design and Prototyping: 50,000 ADA
• Developing user-friendly interfaces and conducting iterative testing with AE feedback.
• Frontend Development: 40,000 ADA
• Frontend implementation, integrating with the PoC oracle backend.
• User Testing and Optimization: 40,000 ADA
• Continuous improvements based on feedback, ensuring accessibility for non-technical users.
• Documentation and Guidelines: 20,000 ADA

Milestone 4: Pilot Deployment with DID and NFT Implementation (8-10 weeks) - 275,000 ADA

• Project Management and Coordination: 25,000 ADA
• DID System Development: 100,000 ADA
• Building decentralized identity (DID) infrastructure to verify and secure data ownership.
• NFT Infrastructure Implementation: 75,000 ADA
• Creating and deploying NFTs for data ownership representation and verification.
• Initial Deployment with 1,000 Farmers: 40,000 ADA
• Supports initial onboarding and interaction.
• Security Audits and Testing: 20,000 ADA
• Verification to ensure smart contract security for DIDs and NFTs.
• Pilot Program Management: 15,000 ADA

Milestone 5: Training Programs and System Optimization (8 weeks) - 200,000 ADA

• Training Platform Development: 75,000 ADA
• Developing training modules, materials, and interactive content for AEs.
• Content Creation and Materials: 40,000 ADA
• Producing guides, tutorials, and onboarding content.
• AE Training Program Execution: 35,000 ADA
• Conducting training sessions and workshops with AEs.
• System Optimization Based on Feedback: 30,000 ADA
• Platform Enhancement: 20,000 ADA

Final Milestone: Program Scale-Up, Close-Out Report, and Video Submission (12-16 weeks) - 150,000 ADA

• Program Scaling and Infrastructure: 60,000 ADA
• Expanding system capabilities to support 1,000 AEs and 100,000 farmers, covering additional infrastructure and technical resources.
• Use Case Report and Close-Out Video Production: 30,000 ADA
• Preparation of comprehensive project documentation and a professional summary video.
• Public Relations and Media Campaign: 30,000 ADA
• Outreach and visibility efforts, including PR activities to promote project outcomes.
• Extended Support and Maintenance: 15,000 ADA
• Final Audit and Quality Review: 15,000 ADA

Budget Distribution Summary

• Technical Development and Implementation: 700,000 ADA (50%)
• Includes allocations for Anastasia Labs, Gamma Earth, Digifarm, and NMKR.
• Training and Platform Development: 275,000 ADA (19.6%)
• Covers Andamio and Agtuall’s contributions.
• Project Management and Implementation: 275,000 ADA (19.6%)
• Resources from Syngenta and Syngenta Foundation India.
• Coordination and Administration: 150,000 ADA (10.8%)
• Team Coordination and Admin & Others allocations.

Budget Management Notes:

• All costs include necessary software licenses and operational expenses
• Each milestone includes a small contingency buffer for unexpected expenses
• Partner allocations include both development and operational costs
• Infrastructure costs are distributed across relevant milestones
• Regular financial reporting and auditing will be implemented

The budget structure ensures:

• Clear allocation of resources per milestone and partner
• Transparent distribution among partner companies
• Adequate funding for critical development phases
• Sufficient resources for training and scaling
• Proper documentation and quality assurance throughout the project
• Dedicated resources for project coordination and administration

This budget has been designed to support the successful delivery of all project objectives while maintaining flexibility for adjustments based on pilot phase learnings and scaling requirements.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The proposed budget of 1,400,000 ADA represents a cost-effective investment for the Cardano ecosystem, carefully allocated to maximize both immediate impact and long-term value across three main pillars: technical development, training and adoption, and ecosystem growth.

1. Strategic Investment in High-Impact Use Case

This project exemplifies Cardano’s potential in addressing real-world challenges by leveraging blockchain in agriculture, a sector that impacts millions of people globally. The allocation of 50% of the budget to technical development (blockchain-based oracles, DIDs, and NFTs) ensures a robust, scalable solution with far-reaching effects. Through this, Cardano will showcase its capability to improve transparency, data ownership, and financial access for smallholder farmers, positioning it as a leader in blockchain applications beyond traditional finance.

2. Cost Efficiency Through Targeted Partnership and Expertise

The project’s cost structure capitalizes on partnerships with organizations like Syngenta and Gamma Earth to tap into deep agricultural and satellite data expertise, reducing the need for exploratory costs. Working with experienced blockchain partners like Anastasia Labs enables Cardano-compliant integration at competitive rates while upholding high security standards. This targeted use of experienced teams streamlines costs by leveraging established systems, reducing time to implementation, and ensuring that resources go directly toward impactful solutions.

3. Proportionality and Regional Adaptation

By leveraging Syngenta Foundation India’s local presence, the project ensures that costs associated with training, local implementation, and user engagement are not only proportional to regional standards but also tailored to optimize impact within the community. Allocating 18% of the budget toward training and adoption efforts in India keeps costs manageable while fostering high adoption rates among smallholder farmers, a large and often underserved demographic. Localized training also allows more efficient use of funds, as regional expertise is typically more cost-effective than deploying international resources.

4. Scalable Solutions for Long-Term Ecosystem Growth

By establishing decentralized data ownership and enabling secure financial and market access for smallholders, the project sets a foundation for future DeFi and agri-tech innovations on Cardano. Allocating funds toward robust, modular systems allows the platform to scale from an initial 1,000 farmers to a target of 100,000 with minimal additional investment. This scalable model not only justifies the initial costs but also opens Cardano to additional partnerships, applications, and users in agriculture and related sectors.

5. Transparent Allocation with Direct ROI for Cardano

With only 12% of funds dedicated to administration and coordination, the budget ensures that nearly all resources go toward development and end-user engagement. This direct allocation allows the project to drive visible ROI for Cardano by:

• Increased On-Chain Activity: DID and NFT transactions and oracle data exchanges generate real-time blockchain interactions.
• New Cardano Users and Market Visibility: Engaging up to 100,000 farmers introduces blockchain to a traditionally underrepresented user base.
• Catalyst for Further Development: The project’s infrastructure can support future Cardano-based financial products (such as microcredit and crop insurance), increasing Cardano’s visibility in DeFi for social impact.