E-Agriculture

Question 1 (opens 12 Nov.)

Question 1 (opens 12 Nov.)

 

 Question 1: What roles does ICT play in producer organizations? Support examples with specific reference to an organization, the technology tool(s), and content delivered. 

In particular consider:
  • How can ICT facilitate accountability and transparency among members of an organization and between different organizations?
  • How can ICT facilitate climate change adaptation among members of an organization and the rural communities where the organization is active?

 


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Hello Riikka

Thank you for your comments. I am not familair with the situation in Vietnam other than that after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and subsequent tsunami some countries affected by the tsunami had begun plans to improve their warning systems.

I think that ICT can play a greater role in disaster warning. You mentioned that state of the art technolgy is a new approach that may be useful. I fully agree that it has great potential to fill gaps particularly where governent resources are somewhat limited to provide. However, I think this would have to be combined with local systems that exist on the ground so that information can be relayed to those that do not have access to the techonly. I think that in areas of lower penetration of smart phone technolgy (due to lack of tech infrastructure, or high cost of phones/services) a lower tech network is also needed.

IN the event of a major distaster the overlaoding of private phone networks is something that needs to considered which if memory serves correctly occurred after the Hanshin earthquake. 

However, I think that many people (regardless of location, education, etc) underestimate the danger of natural disasters and are slow in responding to warnings, so  I think that the first step in creating an ICT must be eductaion as to the potential risks of disaster. We have seen time and time again how people have ignored warnings to "watch", to try and protect their homes, or remove their possesions.

Peter

 

Pierre Rondot
Pierre RondotCentre International de Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement (CIRAD)France

Thanks for your very valid comments. ICT are instruments that can be used by people and their organizations to improve the efficency of their organizations. The question is not related to what do producers use ICT for but how producer organizations use ICT to be more effective in delivering services to their members.

You are very right that ICT can be an important tool for producer organizations dealing with food safety. The question to you is do you know andy producer organization engaged in food safety ? Are these organization using ICT ? In other word are you working with cooperative engaged in storing rice ?  If yes how can you work with these cooperatives and help/engage  them to use ICT to disseminate information you want their member to know? 

 

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

You are very right that ICT can be an important tool for producer organizations dealing with food safety. The question to you is do you know andy producer organization engaged in food safety ?

Not directly. I am a few steps removed from this, so I am more familiar with some of the food saftey issues than the producer organizations.

Specifically, I am involved in a food saftey program in Japan for students from Asian countries.

Are these organization using ICT ? In other word are you working with cooperative engaged in storing rice ?  

No, but our some of our graduate students (and profs)  are involved in investigating food safety issues and looking for practical solutions that may be useful for producer organizatons, such as inexpensive and relatively simple analyais methods of testing for food contamination. However, this is still ongoing.

If yes how can you work with these cooperatives and help/engage  them to use ICT to disseminate information you want their member to know? 

I would not be involved in this kind of dissemination.

 

Thank you for your questions.

 

peter

 

 

Alexander G. Flor
Alexander G. FlorUniversity of the PhilippinesPhilippines

Peter has a point. The rural-urban dichotomy may not be that appropriate when we look at ICT and producer's organizations from a climate change lens. In reality, extreme weather events may lower food production in some areas but may also increase production in some areas. Communities that are in the direct path of a typhoon may suffer immense crop damage, but provinces in the periphery benefit from the added rainfall. And a typhoon doesn't distinguish between a rural, a peri-urban, or an urban community

A more relevant factor may be vulnerability or resiliency (at the other end of the continuum). Hence, the appropriate question would be, how does ICT enable climate change adaptation in high risk, vulnerable communities.

Hello Dr. Flor. The importance of ICT in areas affected by extreme weather conditions can never be undermined. This is, of course, working on the premise that ICT survives in the barest and hardest of circumstances. Let me recount a personal experience. In 2009, Kenya suffered from a long drought which claimed the lives of thousands of Kenyans and drove pastoralist tribes out of their animals’ grazing areas. An estimated number of 38,000 cattle believed to have died during the extended dry season. In the place where my missionary-colleagues worked, mobile phones and internet became their life-line. By using SMS, phone calls and emails, they were able to organize and mobilize food donations, and direct food supply to where people had moved. My colleagues were fortunate to be using solar-powered electric system to charge their mobile phones and computers.

And so, in dealing with issues regarding ICT’s ability to facilitate climate change adaptation (or survival?) among members of an organization or community, the most fundamental step to be undertaken is to ensure that ICT survives the ordeal and remains in place, particularly in rural areas, whenever tragedy strikes.

In the case of the 2009 Kenya drought, the awareness and information generated by ICT and the media in general regarding the vulnerability of people in the drought-stricken areas led the government to put up more mobile phone signal transmitters and solar-power systems in key centers, so that, in the future, people could be reached, forewarned and assisted early before another dry spell bites.

Dr Flor, thank you for adding that perspective. I think that if we look at ICT in terms of the high risk, venerable communities, I think one wy may be to look to:

1) preparation

ICT can play a role as a warning system (but as I mentioned before, I think it must be used first as an eductaion tool to increase understanding of the immense danger that could exist so when it is used a s warning more people will heed the warnings)

2) short term relief

ICT, assuming that is exists after the disaster, would be an effective way of helping people get information about relief efforts and ways to access this relief if necessary 

3) long term recovery

ICT can also be used to inform people of immdiate health risks (e.g. water comtamination) and of longer term issues such as risks due to molds, storage methods, etc.

Unfortuneately, ICT cannot actually help unless there is real relief (i.e. financial and food aid) for the people suffering for a major disaster.

 

Peter

Thank you for your comment.

In light of your question: how does ICT enable climate change adaptation in high risk, vulnerable communities.

I think that ICT could play these roles:

1) Pre disaster eductaion

As we have seen time and time again, even the best warnng systems are inadequete when the people affected do not heed the warnings. (they sometimes want to "watch" the disaster, or try to proctect their homes, or evacuate their possesions, etc).

2) Warning system

3) Short term disaster relief support

ICT could disseminate information regarding disater relief, and impending dangers, (e.g. after shocks, water contanination, etc

4) long term recovery efforts

 education for replanting, information about long term risks (e.g. food storage) etc.

 

I see Pre disaster eductaion to be the most important because climate change is putting NEW areas at risk. I think that leads to people being more likely to underestimate the risks. 

 

peter

Susan Balanza
Susan BalanzaPhilippines

Its very true today Sir Flor that the challenge of cliimate change adaptation in high risk and vlnerabale communities should get extra attention. One thing that we are therefore focusing on today in the Department of Agriculture is the complettion of Climate Change vulnerability maps that can help in the planning for appropriate interventions that can be provided to ensure that the sector and farmers can be able to adapt to climate change. The ICT is medium by which these vulnerability maps and technology information on climate change adaptation are disseminated to farmers and other farming stakeholders.

Vulnerability mapping then is a tool that can show where extreme weather events at a given period can be either advantageous to one geographic area and disadvantageous to another geographic area or depending on standing crops or commodities. In this way, the appropriate commodities can be grown at a certain period where extreme weather events usually occur of which commodities can withstand extxreme weather conditions. Added information would be he different programs and services that organizations are extending to farmers in these areas and how these programs and services can be accessed. It is really be of great help if these inforation are readily available to farmers through the ICT.

Through ICT, food production in different areas can be readily monitored, and resources can be rationally allocated so that food security can be ensured, as well as livelihood can be sustained.

 

Sr. Eva Ocenar
Sr. Eva OcenarPhilippines

The roles of the ICT towards producer organizations can be categorized as mediators and bearers of good news and upright human values.  I think the contents of the message of information would rely on the continuing promotion of constructive and useful knowledge, awareness and education in general that focus on the concern of aiming for the benefits of all both the capitalists, owners of the lands, farmers, and laborers.  "Accountability and transparency" can be seen as important parts of the interest.  While concentrating on the target and goal of attaining and gaining profits, it is necessary to consider the human assests; the laborers, workers, farmers, and contributors or whoever parts of such constructing and developing agricultural profit or non-profit stocks, projects or establishments.  This job of channeling truthful information and learning in a holistic approach to cater to the needs of the receivers in the agricultural aspects, I believe, is not that easy as what the others have already mentioned that indeed there are already existing socio-political and economic systems and policies which are needed to be respected.  Again geographical location is another challenge, in terms of accessibility of digital connection and linkages in some regions and places of the country.  Therefore, these factors also call for awareness.  

Education in this matter, specifically in the information dissemination and upholding awareness of knowledge, is not simply based on feeding the targets and beneficiaries on the use of modern technologies or upgrading them for the new agricultural procedures and systems for wide-ranging information but to impart to them the learning and values on how to appreciate and treasure the lands and seas; the ecological gift of nature, the environmental endowment wherein it is in these very significant sources which our daily bread; provisions, fuels, and sustenance in life are dependent on them.  Thus, transmitting to open what is essential and needed message (information) applicable and suited to the needs of the producer organizations, ICT meets its goal and functions effectively and productively.

Sr. Eva Ocenar
Sr. Eva OcenarPhilippines

Content and context in relation to the roles and functions of ICT are truly significant.  They are inseparable and connected to the whole picture of the reality.  While ICT is the tools, means, transmitters, and distributors of information, it is essential to keep in mind the contents of information which are being routed to receivers.  Again, I think it is the responsibility, accountability of the involved groups to ensure critically the right use of ICT.  Whether producer organizations utilize ICT as a means, still it is their duty to use these tools accordingly.  It is not only to consider the how to use but also the message, the content is absolutely needed to be crucially deemed as they are part of the concept, belong therefore to the entire story.  So ICT even it is merely an instrument of probably simple communication or complex ones, still users are primarily the reliable ones for the purpose and result of transmitting information.  To what purpose and kind of goals does ICT is trying to achieve.

I think it is also important to note that contents of information may vary to various contexts.  It depends on the demands and the applicable needs on those contexts.  That is why I can see that reviewing our posts and sharing, we have all different stories to tell, multi socio-economic and cultural praxes in terms of dealing agricultural realities in relation to ICT.  It cannot be declined the uniqueness of each country and place with regards to responding to the needs, and the manner of employing ICT is regulating on the mandates.