Smallholder farmers can spend up to 25% of their income only on energy for irrigation. By transitioning to a solar energy-powered irrigation system, farmers can recoup their investment within two years and increase their profitability substantially. However, high upfront costs pose a significant barrier to adopting solar energy.

Profitable farmers often have limited access to affordable financial services due to informality, high transaction costs, lack of collateral, perceived risk, financial illiteracy, inability to invest in sustainable practices and renewable energy solutions, and increasing vulnerability to climate change perpetuating their dependency on fuel generators.

At the same time, there is a rising global demand to participate and invest in profitable and impactful projects with social and environmental benefits. However, a major obstacle is the absence of digital infrastructure for direct, secure, and transparent collaboration and coordination with aligned incentives.

Today, approximately 50% of smallholder farmers in developing countries, including Latin America, lack access to formal credit from around 500 million smallholder farms worldwide.

Palta3 is a Web3 blockchain-based framework, aims to overcome the barriers that smallholder farmers face when accessing solar energy project funding. It will connect farmers with investors, eliminating the need for traditional financial institutions and allowing investors to evaluate projects based on their potential impact and feasibility rather than solely on credit records. Our pilot will leverage blockchain technology and cryptocurrency to reduce transaction costs associated with transfers and small loan amounts. Palta3 will assess projects based on predetermined criteria, such as feasibility, impact, and sustainability. By using smart contracts and blockchain technology, the platform ensures transparency and traceability, mitigating perceived risks and giving investors confidence in their investments while simplifying the funding process for farmers, reducing barriers related to financial and solar energy literacy through digital Due Diligence of solar projects. By Tokenizing ownership and contributions, Palta3 aligns incentives and ensures that investments have a positive impact on both the local community and the environment. Features such as a user-friendly interface allow farmers, NGOs, and associations to submit project proposals and investors to browse and select projects for funding based on their investment goals and values. Once a project receives sufficient funding, the smart-contract triggers, and funds are allocated to the project. A Palta3 implementation partner receives the funds and carries out the solar energy project. The contract also allow retrieving loan installments directly from farmers or through local stakeholders such as sellers, associations and exporters and re-distributing funds to investors which they can cash out or reinvest in more projects.