About Anushka Ratnayake

Innovative Savings for Smallholder Farmers

Anushka Ratnayake founded myAgro in 2011 to create a sustainable alternative to input credit, using mobile phones and scratch cards for farmers to save small amounts toward seeds, fertilizers, and tools.[1][4][5] This system matches farmers' existing savings habits, delivering inputs upon reaching savings goals and yielding 30-50% higher harvests.[1][7] myAgro has supported thousands in countries like Mali and Senegal, focusing on human-centered design (HCD) to build trust and savings behavior.[6][7]

Equity and Women in Agriculture

Ratnayake advocates for equity over equality, arguing that equal opportunities fail marginalized groups like women farmers without addressing systemic barriers.[2] myAgro closes equity gaps by helping small-scale farmers, especially women, generate wealth from farms through accessible savings.[2] She highlights how such models create inclusive futures by tailoring solutions to lived realities.[2]

Climate Resilience and Food Security

myAgro empowers farmers to tackle climate challenges via sustainable practices like drought-resistant seeds and soil health techniques.[8] Ratnayake provides government advice on five strategies for food security, emphasizing scalable farmer savings and input access.[9] Her approach links resilient farming to broader impact on nutrition and poverty reduction.[3][8][9]

Financial Inclusion and Digital Innovation

Through myAgro's 'Dial & Save' model, farmers use mobile scratch cards for micro-savings, pioneering digital tools for rural finance.[1][4][8] Ratnayake's CGAP contributions detail how this supports smallholders in Senegal via HCD, fostering savings without debt.[6][7] She positions it as a replicable model for input financing in low-income contexts.[5]

Entrepreneurship and Social Impact

Since working in rural Africa from 2008, Ratnayake has built myAgro as an entrepreneurial solution to food insecurity, blending business innovation with impact.[3][10] She shares stories of scaling operations and collaborating with stakeholders for systemic change.[9][10] TED recognition underscores her vision for farmer-led prosperity.[3]