Diego Fernandez

Argentinian social entrepreneur connecting small farmers to global markets through blockchain

Diego Fernandez is a pioneering social entrepreneur from Argentina who created Buena Cosecha, a blockchain platform connecting South American small-scale farmers to international buyers. His system uses smart contracts and IoT sensors to track crop quality and certifications, enabling producers to sell directly without intermediaries. Since launching in 2017, the platform has helped 12,000+ farmers increase their incomes by an average of 40%, with products like organic yerba mate and quinoa reaching 25 countries.

Diego's innovation addresses the 'last mile' problem in agricultural trade through his AgroChain system, which provides real-time market data and microfinance options. His partnership with the FAO in 2020 expanded the platform to include climate resilience metrics, helping farmers adapt to changing conditions. The system's carbon footprint tracking feature won the 2021 UN ClimateTech Innovation Prize.

His Agro Academy program has trained 5,000+ farmers in digital literacy and sustainable practices. In 2022, Diego launched SeedBox, a decentralized finance platform offering interest-bearing crop storage services. His TEDx talk Rewriting the Rules of Rural Trade has been translated into 14 languages. Fernandez was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2023 for his work bridging the digital divide in agriculture.