Innovation meets agriculture: Green Eden Farms empowers African farmers, enhances climate resilience, and tackles the food crisis.
The climate-food crisis in Africa is dire, affecting millions of people, with smallholder farmers bearing the brunt when they lack adaptation technology and face declining agricultural productivity. It is projected that annual food imports by African countries will increase threefold, from USD 35 billion to USD 110 billion by 2025. These challenges call for concerted efforts toward climate-resilient agriculture in Africa, and Green Eden Farms, led by Stephanie Meltus, one of the 8 winners of the 2023 YouthADAPT Challenge, is contributing to this effort. Committed to sustainability and innovation, they have developed solutions that empower farmers and transform the way food is grown. Offering consultancy services to farmers and utilizing a blend of AI and IoT in their Scaregrow app, they provide real-time insights for irrigation, pest control, and disease prevention. This enhances productivity and strengthens food system resilience in the face of climate challenges.
The 2023 YouthADAPT Challenge is a flagship initiative of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) that is jointly implemented by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA). This program champions entrepreneurship and youth-led innovation in climate adaptation across Africa. Supported by the African Climate Change Fund (ACCF), this edition focuses on female-owned enterprises utilizing Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies to enhance climate resilience.
Green Eden Farms was co-founded by Stephanie Meltus and Theophilus Maimako. Starting with 10 hectares of open-field maize and tomato farms in Northern Nigeria in 2019, they expanded to three greenhouses in Plateau State by the following year. Between 2022 and 2023, the company began researching and developing the Scaregrow technology, with plans to complete its deployment and scale their Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies.
Beyond their own crop production, which includes corn, bell peppers, cucumbers, and vegetables, the company offers soil testing and analysis, as well as consultancy services to greenhouse operators, providing guidance on crop selection, pest management, and sustainable practices. Additionally, they implement precision farming solutions using advanced technologies such as greenhouse technology localization, smart sensor technology integration, and hydroponics farming. The company’s premier Scaregrow App, offers real-time data visualisation that includes; soil moisture, temperature, humidity, ethylene levels and live images. The App also provides agronomy consultations as well as in-App market connection. Furthermore, it integrates Green Eden GPT, which farmers can use to identify crop and pest diseases and receive automated recommendations on how to address them.
Green Eden Farm’s impact
Green Eden Farms Ltd addresses Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, and 13: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, and Climate Action among others. They have contributed to water conservation through green precision sensor-controlled irrigation and greenhouse farming, which uses 90% less water than conventional farming methods. As part of their commitment to sustainable agriculture, the company has facilitated the training of over 100 women farmers on sustainable farming practices in the Fobur and Angware communities of Jos East. This initiative not only empowers women but also ensures the adoption of environmentally friendly farming techniques. Additionally, Green Eden Farms has implemented routine crop disease detection, identifying 17 crop diseases through the Scaregrow App, which promptly provides accurate treatment recommendations. Through Green Eden Farms, over 50 tonnes of food have been produced, including maize, peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Through free training programs, Green Eden Farms has been equipping youth with essential skills in pitch decking and best agricultural practices, with a specific focus on women, thereby fostering inclusivity in agriculture.
Looking ahead, with the support of the 2023 YouthADAPT Challenge, Green Eden Farms aims to develop a more robust machine learning model to achieve approximately a 15-20% improvement in prediction accuracy within six months and optimize resource allocation for precision farming. They also plan to pur
chase five delivery bikes, three of which will have cold storage, to access non-motorable roads, and a cold truck to transport fresh produce, thereby increasing distribution volume and reducing post-harvest loss by 27.5%. Additionally, they plan to roll out the iOS version of the Scaregrow App, expanding accessibility and increasing their user base by 22%. To further promote sustainable climate resilience and empower women in the agritech space, Green Eden Farms aims to train 95 women on climate adaptation practices and technology introduction, with a goal of having at least 10% of these women implement the technology to improve their farming practices.
Stephanie says, “For me, winning the 2023 YouthADAPT Challenge is a game changer. It represents an exciting opportunity for me to expand my scope and fight against climate change. It aligns with my mission of using innovation to tackle the problem of food insecurity to empower Africa and contribute to climate resilience in Africa.”
To learn more about Green Eden Farms, visit
