Monitoring in the lime-light

I often talk about the value of monitoring for learning and adaptation but end up drawing on the same old examples.

So, here's a new one. It's a nice one because it resulted in proper systemic change. My takeaways at the end.

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This story begins in 2014, at the Nairobi office of the DFID and Gatsby funded Kenya Markets Trust (KMT).

A small team, led by Susan Maina (and later Michael Mwangi), tasked with systemic change in the agriculture sector.

Tackling soil acidity with agricultural lime

Soil acidity was (is) a serious problem for productivity on smallholder farms. One proven solution is to apply agricultural lime – essentially, the spreading of pulverised limestone on the soil.

However, when they dug in, the team found that producers of lime products (mining companies) were focussed on industrial and construction markets, paying scant attention to farms.

"Ah ha!" thought the team - this was an opportunity.

A promising start…

In 2015, the team partnered with Homa Lime Company Ltd, a limestone and farming business. Together, they developed a powdered lime product for agricultural use, and distributed it through local retailers.

While I can’t share numbers, sales were encouraging enough for Homa Lime to invest in a small team dedicated to agricultural lime.

By the end of 2019, two more firms had entered the agricultural lime market, and the government had incorporated lime more prominently into its extension services.

…but how to scale?

Success can be a warm place to rest. But when the team revisited their original ambition, it was clear that the scale of impact was modest compared to the size of the problem. Subsequent research confirmed this - less than 2% of farmers in affected areas using lime.

They turned to their monitoring. They had regularly observed Homa Lime’s field demonstrations and had conversed with farmers. The feedback was good. They couldn't work it out - why wasn't lime taking off?

Then, one piece of feedback stopped them in their tracks:

“The biggest problem with powdered lime is not price; it’s in fact quite cheap. The challenge is its dustiness and difficulty in application”.

"Ah ha!" thought the team - this was a problem.

They commissioned a study to better understand how lime was being perceived by users. Interviews, focus groups and farm-level observation. The results highlighted several issues:

• The product was dusty, easily blown away by the wind
• Large quantities were required, making transportation costly
• It needed to be applied pre-planting, separately from other inputs, increasing labour costs

The pivot: introducing granulated lime

Armed with this understanding, the team explored alternative forms of lime. They gravitated towards granulated lime - finely ground limestone processed into small granules. It has several advantages:

• It isn’t blown away by the wind
• It can be micro dosed, meaning less is needed and reducing transportation costs
• It can be applied during planting, reducing labour

In 2019, they adapted their Theory of Change and began researching the commercial case for producing and distributing granulated lime. They then promoted it to potential manufacturers (for more on this, see this video from 46 minutes).

It's inconvenient for my blog but we don't have data on subsequent on sales. What we can say however, is that by 2023, Homa Lime and at least four other firms had launched granulated lime products. In total, 12 firms were marketing 27 lime products of various kinds in Kenya.

The team felt sufficiently confident as to exit the market.

It will be interesting to check back in a few years to see how the market for agricultural lime, and the problem of soil acidity, is progressing.

Takeaways - why I think this case is interesting

• Monitoring helped keep ambition in view. The team remained anchored to their original, large-scale ambition by regularly referring back to their Theory of Change and associated targets. Data revealed that while they had successfully brought a new product to market, they were still falling short of their ultimate goal. Monitoring ensured that the team stayed committed to this broader vision.
• Methods evolved. As needs evolved, so did their methods. It made sense to start with accessible, anecdotal data and later transition to more formal research methods. This approach provided deeper, more robust insights, which were essential for refining their strategy.
• Team reflection played a key role. Team reflection sessions were crucial. These regular gatherings allowed the team to assess progress, share insights, and make key decisions - such as the pivotal shift toward granulated lime.