Application Deadline:
Acumen Academy is launching a new Pakistan Agriculture Accelerator for agri-enterprises to gain transformative skills to build and scale sustainable solutions for smallholder farmers in Pakistan.
Pakistan is the world’s fifth-most populous country, and its rural agriculture sits at the heart of the country’s economy. Despite accounting for 20% of Pakistan’s GDP and employing almost 63% of the total population — most of which are rural farmers — its agricultural sector is hugely underproductive. Smallholder farmers comprise 90% of all farmers, yet they cultivate less than half the agricultural land. Weather patterns and water scarcity add pressure to Pakistan’s unsustainable economic chain, as smallholder farmers are increasingly trapped in subsistence-level farming, cyclical poverty, and a fundamental vulnerability to climate shocks.
Acumen’s new accelerator program will prepare a cohort of agri leaders with the grit, character and competence to build truly scalable, inclusive and sustainable solutions to rebuild a fracturing Agri economy and restore dignity to Pakistan’s smallholder farmers.
Eligibility
This accelerator is open to agri entrepreneurs who:
- Run a social enterprise based in Pakistan that exists to positively disrupt the agriculture sector in Pakistan with a demonstrated commitment to improving outcomes for smallholder farmers
- Have a demonstrated track record of at least 18 months and some market traction (must have evidence of customer demand and increasing revenues)
- Have a team equivalent to three or more full-time staff
Benefits
- Seven Learning Labs with peers
- Two one-on-one consultation calls with Acumen’s team
- Support from industry experts on strategic business aspects and innovation in agriculture
- Video tutorials on customer discovery, sales and marketing, financial modeling, and pitching
- Case studies from social enterprises that have successfully scaled
- Readings and lessons on Acumen Founder and CEO Jacqueline Novogratz’s Principles of Moral Leadership
- Eligibility to compete for one of two grants of $15,000 and $10,000
- Opportunity to join Acumen’s locally rooted and globally connected community of social innovators
Application Procedure
Over 12 weeks, you and your team will learn the essentials of building a business model that can achieve both social and environmental impact and profitability, while connecting with a network of peers and experts focused on innovation and agriculture.
Our curriculum will teach you the skills to become a transformative leader, leveraging the experience of Acumen’s investment work at the intersection of poverty and climate change and our pioneering leadership practices. Together, these lessons will give you the knowledge, tools, and confidence to build and scale solutions and technologies that positively disrupt Pakistan’s agricultural sector — improving the sustainability, resiliency, and livelihoods of smallholder farmers across the country.
You’ll access industry-specific case studies, video tutorials and practical readings on all module topics, and receive invaluable support from our Accelerator and Portfolio teams. You’ll complete assignments that are designed to help you think critically about your business, and join weekly interactive Learning Labs to give and receive feedback from your peers. You’ll also receive support and industry insights from expert advisors and investors with decades of experience in the entrepreneurship ecosystem and the agriculture sector.
The program will culminate with a virtual closing session where you’ll have the opportunity to pitch your venture for a share of $25,000 of grant funding.
Official Website: Pakistan Agriculture Accelerator
