Multi-sided platforms for trading African Indigenous Vegetables in East Africa: Results from an implementation case study

Kurzfassung

Smallholder farmers in East Africa face fragmented value chains, high transport costs, and limited access to timely information. These conditions are particularly harmful for African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs), which are highly perishable and prone to post-harvest losses. This paper examines whether an ICT application grounded in two- and three-sided market theory can increase efficiency by matching producers, transporters, and buyers and by improving transparency along the chain. Within the InNuSens project, we designed, prototyped, and tested an AIV trading smartphone application in three field phases in Kenya and Tanzania between 2022 and 2024. The platform operationalises multi-sided platform principles through pricing and fee allocation, governance mechanisms such as access and quality control, and location-based matching with indicative pricing. Findings suggest high farmer acceptance, but inadequate infrastructure, transport inefficiencies, and information gaps remain the main sources of costs and post-harvest losses. Limited transporter onboarding also constrains network effects, the application’s widespread adoption, and scalability. The policy implications include targeted incentives for transporters, interoperability with existing ride-hailing services, and farmer-oriented digital support. A carefully governed multi-sided platform can reduce post-harvest losses, transaction costs, and strengthen rural livelihoods.