Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Farmers Marketplace ("we," "our," "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.

2. Information We Collect

A. Information You Provide

• • Account Information: Name, email, phone, address, profile photo
• • Verification Data: ID documents, business registration (for sellers)
• • Listing Information: Product details, photos, prices, descriptions
• • Transaction Data: Purchase history, payment methods, shipping details
• • Communications: Messages with other users, support inquiries

B. Information Collected Automatically

• • Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system
• • Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, features used
• • Location Data: Approximate location from IP or precise location (with permission)
• • Cookies & Tracking: See our Cookie Policy for details

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• • Create and manage your account
• • Process transactions and prevent fraud
• • Match buyers with relevant sellers and products
• • Communicate about your account, transactions, or platform updates
• • Improve our services through analytics and user feedback
• • Comply with legal obligations and enforce our policies

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR/NDPR)

For users in jurisdictions with data protection laws, we process your data based on:

• • Consent: When you explicitly agree (e.g., marketing emails)
• • Contract: To fulfill our agreement when you use our services
• • Legitimate Interest: For platform security, fraud prevention, service improvement
• • Legal Obligation: To comply with Nigerian laws and regulations

5. Information Sharing

We do NOT sell your personal information. We may share data with:

A. With Your Consent

• • Other users: Your profile and listings are visible to facilitate transactions
• • Marketing partners: Only if you opt-in to promotional communications

B. Service Providers

Trusted third parties who help us operate:

• • Payment processors (Paystack, Flutterwave)
• • Cloud hosting and data storage
• • Customer support and communication tools
• • Analytics and fraud prevention services

All providers are contractually required to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes.

C. Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Farmers Marketplace, our users, or the public.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary:

• • Account data: While your account is active + 2 years for re-engagement
• • Transaction records: 7 years (as required by Nigerian tax law)
• • Communications: 3 years for dispute resolution
• • Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized after 18 months

You may request deletion of your account anytime from your profile settings.

7. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• • Access, correct, or delete your personal information
• • Object to or restrict certain processing activities
• • Request data portability (receive your data in structured format)
• • Withdraw consent for marketing communications
• • Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@farmers.org.ng

8. International Data Transfers

As a global platform, your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside Nigeria. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• • Standard contractual clauses approved by data protection authorities
• • Adequacy decisions where applicable
• • Technical measures like encryption during transfer

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly.

10. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

• • Encryption of sensitive data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• • Regular security assessments and penetration testing
• • Access controls and employee training on data protection
• • Incident response plan for potential data breaches

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of material changes by:

• • Posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last updated" date
• • Sending an email notification for significant changes
• • Displaying a notice within the Platform before changes take effect

Your continued use of Farmers Marketplace after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

13. Nigerian Data Protection Compliance

Farmers Marketplace complies with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019. We are registered with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) as a Data Controller.

NITDA Complaints: If you believe we've violated the NDPR, you may lodge a complaint with NITDA at https://nitda.gov.ng