FAO supports Chile's Ministry of Agriculture in the implementation of the rural digitalization plan

19 April, Santiago.- The Office of Agrarian Studies and Policies (ODEPA) announced a rural digitalization plan to be implemented by Chile's Ministry of Agriculture, the Undersecretary of Economy, the Regional Government of Ñuble, the Undersecretary of Telecommunications (SUBTEL), the Institute for Agricultural Development (INDAP), private sector companies and FAO (through its 1000 Digital Villages initiative and the South-South Cooperation project) in the Itata Valley of the Ñuble Region.  

This project, which initially considers the implementation of three digital village pilot projects, aims to promote connectivity and provide resources and digital solutions to improve the services available to thousands of people in rural areas, thereby helping to increase their production and expand their employment and income opportunities.  

The announcement was made during the meeting to present the study "Connectivity in Latin America and the Caribbean: current situation, challenges, and actions for digitalization and sustainable development", which was prepared by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) jointly with the World Bank, Bayer, the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, Microsoft and Syngenta.  

This study provides updated data on the state of rural connectivity and experiences related to this issue, as well as on the use of digital technologies that are being developed in the countries of the region.

The event was attended by the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero, the Minister of Agriculture of Chile, Esteban Valenzuela, FAO's 1000 Digital Villages initiative team and agricultural producers.