Linking farmers, their families and local markets, to achieve significant demand based on agricultural production, during this difficult juncture generated by the Covid-19, was the motivation that inspired students at the District University of Bogotá to create an application that was exalted in one of the most prestigious competitions in the world, organized by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
Thanks to the web application they have called 'Sosqua', young Colombian girls were recognized – along with their four other colleagues – within the Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge organized by the American agency.
Led by the engineer and geodesist of the Francisco José de Caldas District University, Yoseline Ángel; this multidisciplinary group of five engineers and a graphic designer was the winner of the Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge competition organized by NASA.
The scenario, which aimed to find proposals and initiatives of young researchers to provide solutions to future challenges in the right supply of food resources during the current context of the global pandemic generated by coronavirus, is considered one of the most important and prestigious competitions in the world for the quality of its participants and the entities that support it.
The project, led by Yoseline Ángel; it was also developed by the environmental engineer of the District University, Yenifer Ángel; agricultural engineer Stephanie Ángel; the electronic engineer, Paola López; the electronic engineer, Omar López; and the graphic designer, Martin Hernandez.
Yoseline, who, after leaving The District University has continued her academic training as a master's degree in Geomatics at the National University of Colombia and currently holds her PhD in Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the ‘King Abdullah’ University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia; was at LAUD 90.4 FM STEREO discussing this outstanding process of creation that today has its working group as one of the most recognized worldwide for its contribution. Listen to interview.
'Sosqua', as a community-supported farming web application, links family farmers and local markets, based on the production and demand for real food.
Harvest time per farm is calculated by tracking growing cycles using satellite images, which farmers validate through a custom mobile app.
Local markets can access this platform to check product availability, communicate with suggested farmers, and place an order based on their location and harvest time.
The application provides analytical and monitoring data on the productivity and dynamics of fair trade to support the decision-making activities of relevant institutes in the agricultural field.
