Hi All What types of ICT? I would like to divide ICT mainly in to two types; Traditional ICT tools, such as Televisions, Radios, etc. and Modern ICT tools, such as mobile phones, computers, internet, etc. Different types of ICT play different roles Different types of ICT have different strengths and also weaknesses. I think this is where we need ICT and Agriculture experts to work together to find the right tool for right role. Sameera.
I agree with Sameera that there are different types and categories of ICT, and that it is important to determine which are appropriate in any given context. We hope this forum will help develop our understanding of that. A variety of examples, from bar coding, to SMS text messaging, mobile phones, and the Internet are presented as means by which increased competitiveness can be achieved through the use of ICT in a recent USAID paper. (A link "ICT & Value Chain Development" found in the Resources section of this forum will take you to the full paper.) Does anyone think it would be useful (and possible) to assign different roles in the value chain to different types of ICT? Or would that be too much of a generalization?
Today, the ICT systems are playing an important role in Agricultural Value chains. The level of use depend on different variables: 1) Level of educations of the producers or "actors" of the Agricultural food chains (more level more use) ; 2) Level of organization of the agri-chain (associations of producers, cooperatives) (more level more use); 3) Type of goods produced ; if the product has a international market of reference, for example commodities like rice, sugar, cereals in general, coffee, that have commodities exchange at international level is so common that the main producers and actors of these agri chains use Internet and other ICT (mobile phones, radio) to obtain information to take the decision to sell or not. More linkage to international markets more use of ICT. 4) Price transmission. When the prices transmission is more direct or in other words, the international prices affect more the national prices, the actors of the agri chains use more technology to obtain information about the market.
Does anyone think it would be useful (and possible) to assign different roles in the value chain to different types of ICT? Or would that be too much of a generalization? Good Question Michael. The answer could be YES but in others cases NO, let me try to explain. Agrifood chains use Internet to obtain information, but in some occasions it is used to offer their products (web pages). TV: In all countries TV is a media to disseminate information, in others countries for example Argentina and Uruguay, TV programs are been using for cattle producers to offer their animals, is a way to commercialize products. Mobile phones: It is a media of communication, and in some countries associations of producers send messages to their members through this technology.
Benjamin Kwasi AddomThe Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA)Netherlands
One of my favorite quotes about ICTs and agriculture is that "understanding the place of ICTs in a developing country agriculture depends on four key concepts: i) that knowledge is an increasingly significant factor of production; ii) that all actors in the agricultural sector are part of an evolving Agricultural Knowledge System (AKS); iii) that ICTs accelerate agricultural development by facilitating knowledge management for AKS members; and iv) that ICTs are essential coordinating mechanisms in global trade (USAID, 2003). In addition to this quote, we need ICTs to facilitate the work of knowledge generators within the chain (researchers and farmers); we need ICTs to facilitate the work of the intermediary organizations that broker knowledge/information between knowledge generators and users; and finally we need ICTs to facilitate the work of consumers. Also ICTs can be classified into capturing technologies; storage technologies; processing technologies; communications technologies; and display technologies. My One Cent for now!
[quote="michaelriggs"] Does anyone think it would be useful (and possible) to assign different roles in the value chain to different types of ICT? Or would that be too much of a generalization? [/quote] I agree with Henry Benavides' answer : yes and no. Each situation, culture and context will probably call for a slightly different use of ICT's, and it may be difficult to assign specific roles to specific types of ICT. But it may be interesting to further investigate the correlation between the types of ICT that are used related to the type/level of organisation, the kind of product etc. as Henry also suggests. I guess there is a certain logic in the premise that more complex transactions/communications call for more complex and more intensive ICT-systems. On the other hand, I am inclined to amend Henry's premise that there is a direct correlation between the education level and the use of ICT's. In several pilot projects in Mali and Burkina Faso over the past four years, we've seen that the use of multimedia (digital photo, video, presentations, projections, etc.) can be quickly adopted by even non-literate farmers, and that the very fact that these non-intellectuals become producers of information can greatly enhance the trust of their fellow farmers in the information that is provided. We have witnessed a greater willingness by farmers to adopt new farming technologies and methodologies with this use of multimedia by farmers themselves. See also the article "Farmers teach farmers with ICT's" in the resource section.
[quote="sameera"] Different types of ICT have different strengths and also weaknesses. I think this is where we need ICT and Agriculture experts to work together to find the right tool for right role. [/quote] Good point, Sameera. The users and the context in which they evolve does eventually dictate what tools are most appropriate at a certain point in time. One of the problems may be that the context and the technologies evolve rapidly and that it is thus difficult to determine whether the right tool now will still be the right tool tomorrow. I would also like to add multimedia (digital camera, video etc.) to the list. Maybe an important distinction to make is the one between analog and digital ICTs - the latter having the obvious advantage that data once digitized can freely and easily be adapted and distributed along different types of ICTs. From that perspective, one could for instance propagate the digitization of community radio stations - in order to facilitate networking and information exchange via other channels such as the Internet, podcasts, etc.
Dear Benjamin, Thank you for your comments - we appreciate the participation you are making to this forum, and to past forums. Your four concepts are interesting and I think your classifications can be useful as we go forward on these discussions and the context of these in the role of ICT in Agricultural Value Chains. Best, Charlotte
Dear all, There are different kinds of ICTs being used for improving efficiency in agriculture value chain. If we take the example of India Traditional media:TV and rdio have long been used by the Government to disseminate information throgh various programmes . the most important being krishi darshan . Radio is , thogh more popular among village folk. Now-a-days TV penetration has increased in farming households hence , it has become popular too Besides this modern tools such as Computers and mobile phones are also being used in various programmes by Ministry of agriculture. Nokia has come up with Nokia Life Tools , an SMS based service available on subscription to farmers Thomson Reuters has also started Reuters Market light Project and sell SMS based on need based customised information Multimedia based technologies are also quite useful as they provide the farmers to see and believe . Here, i would mention the case of Handygo, a informtaion service provider, who are using IVR (interactive voice response ) system, where a farmer gets automated response on their queries. Also all the questions put up are also recorded. would be happy to take any more questions/queries thanks
Hi Lisa, I've read the responses to your first question. The discussion is already very enlightening for me. Most of the inputs for now deal with information dissemination. I wonder whether I'm still in the topic of this e-forum if I ask the ICT experts to share their thoughts about information management technologies and how these can work in developing country contexts. I'm thinking in particular about data bases used by market intermediaries and facilitators to manage their supply chains. In the more elaborate business partnerships of a strategic alliance between supplier and customer, such data bases are shared in order to optimize the logistics of value chains. Many food retailers in industrialized countries share this technology with their most trusted suppliers. Has this already been extended to developing countries? With the globalization of agrifood value chains, how can we help smallholder farmers and SMEs get prepared to face increased demands for data management about their practices? Jo
Hi All What types of ICT? I would like to divide ICT mainly in to two types; Traditional ICT tools, such as Televisions, Radios, etc. and Modern ICT tools, such as mobile phones, computers, internet, etc. Different types of ICT play different roles Different types of ICT have different strengths and also weaknesses. I think this is where we need ICT and Agriculture experts to work together to find the right tool for right role. Sameera.
I agree with Sameera that there are different types and categories of ICT, and that it is important to determine which are appropriate in any given context. We hope this forum will help develop our understanding of that. A variety of examples, from bar coding, to SMS text messaging, mobile phones, and the Internet are presented as means by which increased competitiveness can be achieved through the use of ICT in a recent USAID paper. (A link "ICT & Value Chain Development" found in the Resources section of this forum will take you to the full paper.) Does anyone think it would be useful (and possible) to assign different roles in the value chain to different types of ICT? Or would that be too much of a generalization?
Today, the ICT systems are playing an important role in Agricultural Value chains. The level of use depend on different variables: 1) Level of educations of the producers or "actors" of the Agricultural food chains (more level more use) ; 2) Level of organization of the agri-chain (associations of producers, cooperatives) (more level more use); 3) Type of goods produced ; if the product has a international market of reference, for example commodities like rice, sugar, cereals in general, coffee, that have commodities exchange at international level is so common that the main producers and actors of these agri chains use Internet and other ICT (mobile phones, radio) to obtain information to take the decision to sell or not. More linkage to international markets more use of ICT. 4) Price transmission. When the prices transmission is more direct or in other words, the international prices affect more the national prices, the actors of the agri chains use more technology to obtain information about the market.
Does anyone think it would be useful (and possible) to assign different roles in the value chain to different types of ICT? Or would that be too much of a generalization? Good Question Michael. The answer could be YES but in others cases NO, let me try to explain. Agrifood chains use Internet to obtain information, but in some occasions it is used to offer their products (web pages). TV: In all countries TV is a media to disseminate information, in others countries for example Argentina and Uruguay, TV programs are been using for cattle producers to offer their animals, is a way to commercialize products. Mobile phones: It is a media of communication, and in some countries associations of producers send messages to their members through this technology.
One of my favorite quotes about ICTs and agriculture is that "understanding the place of ICTs in a developing country agriculture depends on four key concepts: i) that knowledge is an increasingly significant factor of production; ii) that all actors in the agricultural sector are part of an evolving Agricultural Knowledge System (AKS); iii) that ICTs accelerate agricultural development by facilitating knowledge management for AKS members; and iv) that ICTs are essential coordinating mechanisms in global trade (USAID, 2003). In addition to this quote, we need ICTs to facilitate the work of knowledge generators within the chain (researchers and farmers); we need ICTs to facilitate the work of the intermediary organizations that broker knowledge/information between knowledge generators and users; and finally we need ICTs to facilitate the work of consumers. Also ICTs can be classified into capturing technologies; storage technologies; processing technologies; communications technologies; and display technologies. My One Cent for now!
[quote="michaelriggs"] Does anyone think it would be useful (and possible) to assign different roles in the value chain to different types of ICT? Or would that be too much of a generalization? [/quote] I agree with Henry Benavides' answer : yes and no. Each situation, culture and context will probably call for a slightly different use of ICT's, and it may be difficult to assign specific roles to specific types of ICT. But it may be interesting to further investigate the correlation between the types of ICT that are used related to the type/level of organisation, the kind of product etc. as Henry also suggests. I guess there is a certain logic in the premise that more complex transactions/communications call for more complex and more intensive ICT-systems. On the other hand, I am inclined to amend Henry's premise that there is a direct correlation between the education level and the use of ICT's. In several pilot projects in Mali and Burkina Faso over the past four years, we've seen that the use of multimedia (digital photo, video, presentations, projections, etc.) can be quickly adopted by even non-literate farmers, and that the very fact that these non-intellectuals become producers of information can greatly enhance the trust of their fellow farmers in the information that is provided. We have witnessed a greater willingness by farmers to adopt new farming technologies and methodologies with this use of multimedia by farmers themselves. See also the article "Farmers teach farmers with ICT's" in the resource section.
[quote="sameera"] Different types of ICT have different strengths and also weaknesses. I think this is where we need ICT and Agriculture experts to work together to find the right tool for right role. [/quote] Good point, Sameera. The users and the context in which they evolve does eventually dictate what tools are most appropriate at a certain point in time. One of the problems may be that the context and the technologies evolve rapidly and that it is thus difficult to determine whether the right tool now will still be the right tool tomorrow. I would also like to add multimedia (digital camera, video etc.) to the list. Maybe an important distinction to make is the one between analog and digital ICTs - the latter having the obvious advantage that data once digitized can freely and easily be adapted and distributed along different types of ICTs. From that perspective, one could for instance propagate the digitization of community radio stations - in order to facilitate networking and information exchange via other channels such as the Internet, podcasts, etc.
Dear Benjamin, Thank you for your comments - we appreciate the participation you are making to this forum, and to past forums. Your four concepts are interesting and I think your classifications can be useful as we go forward on these discussions and the context of these in the role of ICT in Agricultural Value Chains. Best, Charlotte
Dear all, There are different kinds of ICTs being used for improving efficiency in agriculture value chain. If we take the example of India Traditional media:TV and rdio have long been used by the Government to disseminate information throgh various programmes . the most important being krishi darshan . Radio is , thogh more popular among village folk. Now-a-days TV penetration has increased in farming households hence , it has become popular too Besides this modern tools such as Computers and mobile phones are also being used in various programmes by Ministry of agriculture. Nokia has come up with Nokia Life Tools , an SMS based service available on subscription to farmers Thomson Reuters has also started Reuters Market light Project and sell SMS based on need based customised information Multimedia based technologies are also quite useful as they provide the farmers to see and believe . Here, i would mention the case of Handygo, a informtaion service provider, who are using IVR (interactive voice response ) system, where a farmer gets automated response on their queries. Also all the questions put up are also recorded. would be happy to take any more questions/queries thanks
Hi Lisa, I've read the responses to your first question. The discussion is already very enlightening for me. Most of the inputs for now deal with information dissemination. I wonder whether I'm still in the topic of this e-forum if I ask the ICT experts to share their thoughts about information management technologies and how these can work in developing country contexts. I'm thinking in particular about data bases used by market intermediaries and facilitators to manage their supply chains. In the more elaborate business partnerships of a strategic alliance between supplier and customer, such data bases are shared in order to optimize the logistics of value chains. Many food retailers in industrialized countries share this technology with their most trusted suppliers. Has this already been extended to developing countries? With the globalization of agrifood value chains, how can we help smallholder farmers and SMEs get prepared to face increased demands for data management about their practices? Jo