How Dunni is reimagining African farmers’ access to agricultural knowledge through AI

Dunni by Durian is building an AI-powered rural advisory platform designed to help smallholder farmers across Africa access faster, more localized, and more practical agricultural support through technology built around rural realities. Developed by the Durian Foundation under the leadership of founder Tony Joy, the platform was created in response to one of the biggest […]

Dunni by Durian is building an AI-powered rural advisory platform designed to help smallholder farmers across Africa access faster, more localized, and more practical agricultural support through technology built around rural realities.

Developed by the Durian Foundation under the leadership of founder Tony Joy, the platform was created in response to one of the biggest challenges facing millions of farmers across the continent: limited access to timely and reliable agricultural information.

In many rural communities, farmers often struggle with delayed access to extension services, poor market information, climate uncertainty, pest outbreaks, livestock diseases, and limited advisory support. In some regions, a single agricultural extension officer may be responsible for thousands of farmers spread across large geographical areas, making consistent support extremely difficult. Dunni by Durian was designed to help close that gap.

The platform combines artificial intelligence with accessible communication tools including WhatsApp, SMS, voice support, and local language integration, allowing farmers to receive agricultural guidance directly through their mobile phones in ways that are easier to understand and apply within their local environments.

Unlike many digital agriculture platforms designed primarily for highly connected urban users, Dunni by Durian is being developed specifically for rural communities. Its system takes into account low-bandwidth environments, simple communication channels, local agricultural realities, and indigenous farming knowledge that traditional extension systems have often failed to properly integrate.

For Tony Joy, the vision behind Dunni by Durian goes beyond technology itself. It is connected to a broader mission of ensuring that rural farmers are not excluded from the growing global conversation around artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

“The future of agriculture may not only depend on seeds and soil. It may also depend on information.” she said.

Rather than positioning artificial intelligence as a replacement for farmers’ knowledge and experience, Dunni by Durian functions as a support system designed to strengthen local decision-making and improve access to agricultural information.

The platform integrates climate-smart agricultural guidance, regenerative farming practices, crop and livestock advisory support, and future market linkage systems aimed at improving productivity and long-term sustainability for smallholder farmers.

Early pilot testing reportedly processed hundreds of farmer interactions across multiple languages, highlighting both the demand for and practicality of localized digital advisory systems within rural communities.

Beyond its advisory functions, Dunni by Durian also reflects a growing shift in how African-led institutions are approaching innovation. As conversations around artificial intelligence continue to expand globally, the platform represents an effort to ensure technology serves not only corporations and urban centers, but also rural communities responsible for producing much of the continent’s food supply.

The potential impact of the platform could extend across multiple areas of agriculture. Improved access to localized advisory systems may help strengthen seasonal decision-making, improve yields, reduce crop and livestock losses, support climate adaptation practices, and reduce overdependence on already stretched extension systems.

The team behind Dunni by Durian acknowledges that challenges such as infrastructure limitations, internet access gaps, digital literacy barriers, and trust concerns remain realities across many rural communities. This is why the platform continues to prioritize simplicity, local language accessibility, and communication channels farmers already use in their daily lives.

As Africa’s agricultural sector continues evolving alongside advances in technology, Dunni by Durian is positioning itself as part of a new generation of African-built innovation focused on creating practical, inclusive, and community-centered solutions for rural development.

For many smallholder farmers navigating changing agricultural conditions, the platform represents more than digital innovation. It represents a growing effort to make agricultural knowledge more accessible, more responsive, and more connected to the everyday realities of the people feeding communities across Africa.