Systems and methods for reducing poverty

• US 20080097811A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fritz Kramer, Michael S. Roberts
• Original Assignee: Fritz Kramer, Michael S. Roberts
• Inventors: Roberts, Michael S., Kramer, Fritz
• Application Number:
  US11/588,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097811A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating and monitoring a plan to reduce poverty include identifying market opportunities exploitable by one or more smallholders; generating an intervention plan to assist the smallholders; establishing a supply chain to deliver supplies to the smallholders and establishing a linkage with an output market; and monitoring and evaluating the intervention plan.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method generating a plan to reduce poverty, comprising:

identifying market opportunities exploitable by one or more smallholders;

generating an intervention plan to assist the smallholders;

establishing a supply chain to deliver supplies to the smallholders and establishing a linkage with an output market; and

monitoring and evaluating the intervention plan.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising determining irrigation improvements.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising recommending drip irrigation in areas where wells no longer produce enough water to support conventional surface irrigation.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising recommending drip and micro-sprinkler systems and low-cost water storage tanks linked to micro-irrigation of high-value crops.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising determining market demands for crops that smallholders can produce and sell for profit.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising recommending opportunistic solutions to reduce poverty.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising identifying untapped, underutilized, or poorly utilized resources and recommending an effective utilization of the resources, the resources including credit, critical technology, knowledge of improved agriculture methods.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising optimizing a recommendation based on Smallholder Poverty Alleviation, Wealth Creation, Market Sustainability, Project Cost Effectiveness, Model Validation, Gender/Sociocultural Impact, and Environmental Impact.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising establishing supply chains for micro-irrigation and agricultural inputs, together with technical support, quality control, and training of dealers and sub-dealers to provide effective services to farmers.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising creating demand through social mobilization and through the provision of technical assistance to smallholders.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising performing market development through an establishment of collection centers for smallholder produce and through workshops to link traders to the collection centers.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising linking farmers to micro-credit sources.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising performing a gender analysis including a cultural and societal study.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising analyzing roles that women and men play;

resources, activities and benefits women and men have access to and control over;

daily workloads of women and men; and

practical and strategic needs, interests and priorities of women and men.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the intervention plan comprises a market strategy, a water strategy, a gender strategy, and a partnership strategy.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring and evaluating of the plan comprises monitoring poverty, environment, and gender criteria.

17. An expert system to reduce poverty, the expert system comprising code to:

identify market opportunities that can be exploited by smallholders;

develop solutions that the smallholders can use to generate income;

establish supply chains to deliver technologies to the smallholders at affordable prices; and

establish linkages with output markets for the smallholders.

18. The system of claim 17, comprising code to optimize a recommendation based on Smallholder Poverty Alleviation, Wealth Creation, Market Sustainability, Project Cost Effectiveness, Model Validation, Gender/Sociocultural Impact, and Environmental Impact.

19. The system of claim 17, comprising code to establish supply chains for micro-irrigation and agricultural inputs, together with technical support, quality control, and training of dealers and sub-dealers to provide effective services to farmers.

20. The system of claim 18, comprising code to perform gender analysis including a cultural and societal study.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the intervention plan comprises a market strategy, a water strategy, a gender strategy, and a partnership strategy.