Page 12 - Agricultural innovation

for much easier use for women and children while breaking through the hauling water work from the
water source to the fields.
While living in Cambodia, Paula adopted Rudi, and helped Rudi’s family through entrepreneurship
by helping them start a small business in the local market, which she believes can spur positive and
sustainable change. With the same goal of promoting entrepreneurship, BB2C has expanded to provide
innovative tools to struggling Cambodian farmers.
BB2C vision is to empower and enable Cambodian farmers, especially women to become more
independent, enhance their living standards, and increase the opportunities for themselves and
their children.
Paula and her engineers viewed that the traditional method of rice manual transplanting is effective
but it is very labor-intensive work while sowing seeds by hand posed a risk that is susceptible to flood or
drought, and insects. Therefore, the development of Eli Seeder aims to solve all these problems.
Eli-Rice Seeder is a problem-solving tool, it addresses the above problem through a modern method
of direct seeding with uniform spacing. High air pressure is utilized to shoot the seeds into the wet or
dry ground at a spacing of either 15 or 25 cm. The Eli Rice Seeder is proven to be less labor-intensive
than traditional manual rice planting; it requires only one person to use the tool, using fewer seeds,
reduce time spend on sowing seeds, climate resilient when there’s flood or drought, and the yield is
higher than traditional manual seed sowing.

3.1.2. Model development
As of 2022, Eli Seeder had been developed into a market-ready product Eli Seeder 3.0 and the cost
has reduced from USD 2,000 to only USD 1,300. Additionally, to ensure that farmers can use the tool
effectively, BB2C provided free training attached once farmers buy the tool. Besides, Eli Seeder can be
fixed easily with a local blacksmith once it got problems with its function.
• 2007: Brooklyn Bridge to Cambodia, Inc. (BB2C) is a 501(3)(c) organization that has operated
in Cambodia since 2007. It is incorporated in Cambodia and operates in-country as BB2C
Technologies, Co., Ltd.
• 2015: BB2C developed rice seeding technology known as Eli Seeder.

• 2016–2021: BB2C continued and expanded its operation and engagement with more partners and
increased more sales to farmers.
• 2022: the sale dropped, the lack of funds and support and especially internal problems (alleged
corruption) arose within BB2C. In the same year, the company ceased its operation.
Over the past years, BB2C’s Eli Seeder was supported by Australian Government thorough CAVAC
in Cambodia managed by Cardno for introducing it to market and farmers, conducting research
testing prototype. Meanwhile, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) cooperated with BB2C
provided training for women farmers to understand technology and knowledge of management and
leadership role; for example, the use and the rent of Eli Seeder, and other lessons such as money tracking
on farmers spending on seeds, and the regulation of amount use on pesticides and herbicides.
Eli-Rice Seeder can be attached to two-wheel tractors without adjustment, and only one person to
work on seed broadcasting. With a specially designed seat and drill frame lever, the driver can control
the seed amount, airflow, and drilling height while driving. Eli Seeder can plant 12 rows of seeds
with a spacing of 15, 20 or 25cm. Comparing to other product form Thailand, Japan or China, those
only can run through flooded field or dry field respectively, instead, Eli can be utilized in wet and dry
ground. BB2C received grants or funds from partners NGOs or corporate or donation to support its
operation. While some are the personal spending of the engineer themselves. According to Paula,

Agricultural Innovation Review in CLV Countries 5