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Why Invest in ICTs for agriculture? (CTA Discussion Paper, 2018)

March 9, 2019

With the ability to reach many farmers with timely and accessible content, the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for agriculture (ICT4Ag) has the potential to transform farming and food production, worldwide. ICT4Ag supports new methods in the monitoring and management of soils, plants and livestock (precision agriculture), access to online markets, and improved communication between value chain stakeholders, among others. The services provided are vital in connecting farmers with the information they need to improve their agricultural productivity and reduce poverty. Through case studies and examples of ICT4Ag initiatives from across Asia, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, the first chapter looks at how ICT4Ag actually works to drive economic development across developing economies.

Click here for full paper.

Filed Under: *REGION: Sub-Saharan Africa, Economic & Livelihoods, Ghana, ICT4D (Information Communication Technologies for Development), India, Publications (published in print and/or online), Rural Development, Rwanda, Uganda Tagged With: Agriculture, Case Studies, farmers, Fiji, ICT4Ag

Exploring the potential for interactive radio to improve accountability and responsiveness to small-scale farmers in Tanzania (Making All Voices Count Research Report 2016)

February 6, 2017

What are the possibilities of using new digital technologies alongside radio to help ensure that agricultural development projects are farmer-centred, and meet the needs of the rural citizens they intend to serve? This research assesses Farm Radio International’s Listening Post – a model that combines radio and digital technologies with the aim of collecting and aggregating farmer feedback to aid decision-making and adaptive project implementation.

The Listening Post model is used by different partners who are engaged in agricultural development, research and extension projects – including nitrogen fixation from grain legumes, post-harvest storage, and promotion of disease and drought-resistant cassava. At the heart of the Listening Post is an interactive radio series focused on the theme of the project. The radio broadcasts are combined with Uliza, an interactive voice response tool for gathering and analysing feedback and questions from audience members. Farmers can vote on poll questions, leave messages for development partners and policy-makers, and request the delivery of specific information.

The research shows that linking a mobile-based crowd-sourcing tool with radio is effective at ensuring engagement from a large number of farmers, who felt it was a useful way of raising their questions and concerns to NGOs, policy-makers and experts. The model has clear potential to strengthen the chain of relationships between citizens, extension services suppliers, projects and policy-makers. It has also demonstrated its potential to collect real-time feedback from farmers that could be used to aid decision-making and improve accountability in agricultural development initiatives, helping to ensure they are more responsive to farmers.

Filed Under: *MASS MEDIA ROUTES, Case Studies, Economic & Livelihoods, ICT4D (Information Communication Technologies for Development), Participation, Publications (published in print and/or online), Rural Development, Tanzania Tagged With: accountability, Crowdsourcing, farmers, Feedback Loops

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