Insights and data library
By transparently sharing our data, insights, successes, and failures, we aim to provide a comprehensive portrayal of our overall impact. We think of impact as our "North Star", and rigorous measurement is the only way to know if we are heading in the right direction.
Four Mindsets That Accelerate Nonprofit Growth
Here, we reflect on the four mindsets we used to set targets, develop financial models, measure our impact, and build an organizational culture that helped us achieve exponential growth. Read now
Publications
Effective Methods for Engaging Local Government White Paper (2015)
This whitepaper recommends that early attention be given to local government relations. Further, as trials turn into programs and organizations look to expand, strong local government relationships become essential to future growth.
Post-Harvest Home Storage (2014) Trial Report
This report shares the results of trials that One Acre Fund held to test home post-harvest storage.
One Acre Fund Impact and M&E Strategy
This strategy memo explains how One Acre Fund uses impact measurement to prioritize the highest impact products, phase out low-impact offerings, and constantly improve the products and services we offer.
Flexible Repayment at One Acre Fund
There are some common characteristics shared by smallholder farmers that demand more flexible loan
terms. This report details how One Acre Fund offers flexible repayment loans to the farmers we serve.
Asset Financing at One Acre Fund
One Acre Fund has created a loan product that fits the needs of these farmers. We provide tangible goods to our clients, rather than cash. This report details asset financing at One Acre Fund.
Busia 2014 RCT summary
Summary of results from our maize yields study in Busia district, Kenya, 2014
Professional Development of Field Staff
This report shares how One Acre Fund's professional development curriculum is an integral part of their mission to serve smallholder farmers and their families.
Scale Innovations
This sampling of scale innovations projects suggests the magnitude of the challenges that One Acre
Fund needs to address in order to make a dent in Africa’s hunger problem.
Driving Financial Sustainability
This white paper highlights how One Acre Fund's financial sustainability is a driver that creates the resources for organizational growth.
A Learning Experience: One Acre Fund Ghana Pilot
In 2010, One Acre Fund scouted and launched a pilot program in southern Ghana, about one-hour
interior from Cape Coast. This report shares the lessons learned from the launch of the pilot.
Maize as Payment in Western Kenya
In 2007 and 2008, One Acre Fund farmers in Kenya repaid their loans using their maize harvest. This report details the valuable lessons about the importance of seeking feedback from clients about repayment structure, and the necessity of balancing operational complexity with impact.
Unsuccessful Scale-Up: Bean Buyback in Western Rwanda
A number of factors contributed to the lack of success of our bean harvest buyback program in Rwanda. This report details the lessons learned.
Growing Prosperity: Bain Report
This excerpt is from a larger study co-authored by Bain & Company and Acumen in November 2014. It is a portion of Chapter 4, “Repeatable Models: The key to achieving ‘good scale.’” The chapter discusses the elements of Repeatable Models.
How direct to farmer finance providers reach smallholders
This briefing aims to demonstrate how specific products and services can expand the reach of financing for smallholder farmers.
Managing Soil Acidity - 2014 Phase 2 Trial Report
One Acre Fund worked with various partners to better understand the science of soil pH changes and consider
ways to modify common lime application practice to suit the smallholder context.
Potato Fertilizer Trial Results 2014
One Acre Fund wanted to assess if higher profits can be gained through lower fertilizer
application rates.
Low Rainfall Maize Trial 2014
One Acre Fund identified and tested low-rainfall tolerant maize varieties and maize planting techniques. These varieties and techniques were trialed on our low-rainfall research station during the long-rain season (March-August) of 2014.
Maize-Legume Intercropping Report 2014
One Acre Fund conducted a series of maize/legume intercropping trials in western Kenya in order to determine the best management practices for intercropping with maize which included common bean, soybean, and groundnut.
Busia 2014 RCT results
Results of our maize yields study in Busia district, Kenya, 2014
2014 Annual Impact:
This report provides a detailed breakdown of One Acre Fund's program impact by country in 2014
Brookings Africa in Focus Blog
This is a blog urging AU countries, donor governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to take a bundled approach to make Africa’s agriculture potential a reality.
Entrepreneurship in African Agriculture
This report was authored by Agriculture for Impact, an advocacy initiative that convenes the Montpellier Panel to encourage better European donor support for the advancement of agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Banana production white paper
This report outlines the methodology used to trial four improved banana varieties at the Kibogora research station.
Maize Fertilizer Timing Trial Results
In 2015, One Acre Fund trialed plant morphology-based fertilizer timing training with smallholder farmers in western Kenya.