Conclusion
The farmers here are likely still the exception, not the rule, in Kenya. They are relatively early adopters of these digital practices, and as such, are perhaps better educated, more connected, slightly more urban, and slightly more tolerant to risk-taking than other farmers might be. But they are also pioneers, illustrating ways in which platform livelihoods are a possibility for the farming sector.
We found farmers engaged with platforms in several settings: 1) Some live in urban areas with their farms situated in rural areas. They serve the urban areas because that is where their market is; 2) Semi-urban farmers live and work in semi-urban areas and look for markets in urban towns; 3) Rural farmers, most likely educated in urban areas, return to their rural homes after graduation to manage the farm.
The twelve elements of platform livelihoods demonstrate that participation in digital markets and spaces is more than simply a transaction. It is a set of practices: social, learning, and transactional. Digital platforms can involve frustrations and a fair amount of hustle, but also agency, flexibility, and the promise of better earnings for farmers.