Thanks to all for the discussion so far. We agree that ICT cannot replace face-face interaction, and that they must be adaptive to emergent needs. In a project run in Laos with animal health workers, we piloted the use of a smartphone app as a training tool. Our findings included that animal health workers were keen to learn the numerous functions of smartphones, and perceived the benefits as contributing to their overall literacy in phone communications. Moreover, an unexpected outcome of the project was the farmers' immense interest in being connected to the internet and sharing photos. This has shown lots of potential for using photo sharing for surveillance and communication about farm issues between families, which we will be exploring.
Has anyone used internet-enabled photo sharing amongst farmer communities?
good reminder Moses, in some cases the traditional means of communication are key to rural extension and imparting knowledge to the farmers, the conbinacion as you say is good old and new ICT techniques, but in some cases the same communities may be able to do their own training programs on radio and television diffusion with a minimum of technical assistance to any project
Great to follow the discussion and interesting issues raised and suggestions raised. While these are excellent contributions, I think the basic strategy should be be demand-driven and farmer-centred. Can these media mechanisms really help them solve their pressing, urgent problems? Which problems - perhaps those that can be solved with good production/processing practices and innovations, marketing and stable prices for their products, affordable and accessible financing, financial management, etc. Most of these families and members are poor, lack resources and know-how, hence providing practical solutions and options to them would go a long way in helping them to benefit in terms of their own objectives, priorities and opportunities. "The proof of the pudding" will definitley be in their "eating".
Many thanks for the opportuinty to learn from the comments of others and also to offer my comment. .
Thank you all for very interesting, informative contributions in this discussion.
At the outset, let me state clearly that I am a believer in the potential of ICTs to bring a technological revolution in farming and agriculture which can enable smallholder family farmers, the majority of farmers in today’s world, to benefit and also cope with challenges in agriculture and their livelihoods.
However, I would like to point out that while there is a lot of documentation and anecdotal information available on the potential use of ICTs to improve family farming based on pilot projects, as provided in this forum also, there is very little hard evidence on the impact and sustainability of these projects as also what has been the learning from almost 20 years of our experience in the use of the “new” ICTs such as computers and cellular telephony, for agricultural development.
Yes, cell phones have contributed to connecting people in rural areas. It is true that cell phones can enable farmers, fisher folk, pastoralists and honey producers etc. to enter and sell into markets. However, what is the tangible evidence that computers and “Smart” phones have impact on smallholder family farmers (outside some developed countries) to improve their farming and benefit from this improvement?
In fact, the evidence available today raises a lot to questions about what has been done so far and what could have been done till now to really exploit the potential of this technology for the smallholder family farmer? For example, the lack of useful content on most Institutional Internet based sources of developing countries adapted to be effectively used exploiting the full potential of these ICTs in local conditions including.
Let us understand that there are a very many other ICTs beyond cellular telephony that are also impacting on farming and agriculture. Some of these are listed here (http://www.egfar.org/news/icts-improving-family-farming). The central issue is how these ICTs can be used to benefit small holder farmers of economically developing countries who need very rapid development of their farming to survive and cope with a rapidly changing world?
Smallholder family farmers thirst for information, which they recognize is a critical resource in todays’ market oriented farming, to improve their farming and participate in markets. They need information about what, when, how and where to grow and how and where to market what they grow. Each smallholder farmer has unique problems and each needs not only a solution but a basket of solutions with options that they can decide upon. Today’s ICTs have the potential, not available so far through any “old” ICT, to satisfy this need.
And yet, there are huge issues that have not even been discussed about the availability, access, timeliness, trustworthiness, affordability, relevance, usefulness and how smallholder farmers can make effective use of this information. In fact, the question could be, is the information that the smallholder farmer needs even available and accessible? There is very little evidence of it. For example, market price information provided through cell phones is usually wholesale price at a distant market and not the farm gate price that the small holder farmer could get with her very small quantities of produce. Call centers to assist farmers offer immediate answers to a pest problem or a sowing date but not on how to optimize production for a reasonable income with resilience and sustainability for the farmer for her livelihood.
Neither have issues such availability, access and affordability of useful hardware, appropriate software, quality connectivity, useful farm advisory services, appropriate content and the necessary Institutional support, especially in research, innovation, extension and building of capacities in farmers to effectively use information needed for smallholder farmers been discussed in much depth and with evidence.
And what about the possible impact on family farmers who are and could be excluded, on economic, social, gender, age and political grounds from the effective use of these technologies?
I hope we, as leaders in thinking about ICT and family farming, can also consider some of these issues going beyond the brighter side of the potential use of ICTs in family farming in this discussion.
Thank you Mr. Maru for these reflections you shared with us.
I hope many other will follow from our members throughout the different questions on the forum that will be opened every few days.
For everyone - the list of questions and the day they will open:
1. According to your experience, how can communication, community media and ICT tools support family farmers in their activities? (open)
2. Based on concrete experience or evidence, how can ICT tools and communication services engage family farmers in accessing information and exchanging knowledge? (open)
3. What are the barriers family farmers face when using community media and other ICT tools? (opening tomorrow 26th of September)
4. What can be done at policy level to promote the use of community media and ICTs, and improve rural communication services? (opening 30th of September)
5. What are priority actions now and next steps in the future that can be undertaken to promote rural communication policies and services? And How? (opening October 2nd)
Looking forward to read the next contributions in this discussion!
Rural economic development has been a priority within IICD’s strategy since we were first established over 20 years ago. During the past five years only, almost 40 projects have been supported across Africa and Latin America as part of our overarching programme to promote socio-economic rural development through increased ICT access and use.
At IICD, we empower and capacitate Farmer Organisations and, via them, smallholder farmers, as well as other Value Chain actors, to effectively use ICT solutions. We facilitate the creation of multi-stakeholder partnerships, and act as a bridge between Value Chain stakeholders in order to enable them to jointly design and implement such ICT solutions which are the most relevant for their local context.
IICD specifically supports stakeholders of the programmes focused on rural economic development via our integrated capacity building approach. For that, we work with our broad, well-established network of local implementing, as well as supporting partners such as ICT companies, IT service providers, IT consultants and software developers, training and capacity building institutions, M&E specialists, and others. This network has deep knowledge of national and international ICT developments and a proven track record of joint ‘ICT for Agriculture’ deployments. We also facilitate knowledge sharing and reflection on local implementation experiences for joint lobby & advocacy to policy makers and decision makers in the enabling environment.
Still far too often, capacity development within ICT4D interventions appears to be considered mainly on the individual level, but not on the level of organizational strengthening of the organisations that shape the direct context and support structures that these individuals rely on.
IICD’s conviction is that what is crucial is the ability of such local organizations to appropriate relevant ICT tools and integrate them in their work and service delivery. Such institutional development is generally only achieved when the focus is on social innovation - the business transformation supported by technology, and not on the technology itself. Though the types of use of ICTs in agriculture of course keep evolving, foundational capacity and intent are not shaped by the new technologies themselves.
From our experience, we strongly believe in the diversity of capacity building activities required for effective and sustainable ICT use over time, especially at the organizational level.
Capacity building needs to be clearly understood in broader terms and not only as training interventions, but also coaching and mentoring, knowledge sharing, relationship building and networking with local technical providers and resource persons, etc. It’s essential to realize that capacity to design, develop, implement and maintain ICT solutions requires guidance and support through the business transformation processes that take place when ICT tools are adopted for agricultural purposes.
IICD has almost 20 years of experience in introducing ICTs for agriculture in development context. This experience shows that the use of the range of recently emerging ICT solutions positively affects inclusion of smallholders in
the Agricultural Value Chains, providing that it is supported by thorough capacity building of all the stakeholders. Therefore, we suggest that any ICT4D implementation should be supported by integrated, widely understood approach to capacity building.
As food for thought, here is in details what IICD’s integrated capacity building approach - referred to as our Social Innovation Process - includes:
• Conducting an in-depth analysis of the local information and communication needs within the Value Chain and mapping the existing information and communication flows and channels;
• Enhancing Farmer Organisations’ and other Value Chain actors’ awareness of potential ICT -based solutions and their prospective added value;
• Supporting the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors in defining and formulating the objectives of the implementation of ICT solutions, therefore gaining adequate understanding of the current state of the situation (e.g. in terms of available technologies) and business processes (e.g. how people do their work);
• Linking the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors to the network of local (ICT) technical providers and ensuring their close and smooth collaboration;
• Training all stakeholders to acquire all relevant ICT and non-ICT related skills needed to successfully work with the ICT solutions. That includes, apart from building ICT capacities within Farmer Organisations, directly building digital and mobile literacy of smallholder farmers to capitalise on the introduced ICT solutions;
• Assisting the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors in the design, development, implementation and maintenance of an ICT solution that is relevant and achievable in the local context of the Value Chain (technological and social dimensions) and will remain sustainable;
• Guiding the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors through the business transformation and change management process needed to sustainably embed ICT solutions into organisational processes;
• Guiding the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors in scaling up the ICT solution.
For more details, I suggest going to some of IICD's publications, e.g.:
- ICT Solutions for Inclusive Agricultural Value Chains
L'information sur les prix d'achat des produits en début de campagne est donnée à travers la presse écrite, la télévision et la radio nationale. Les radios communautaires font plus le relais de l'information auprès des producteurs du fait c'est la langue locale ui est utilisée.
Les radios locale donnent les informations sur les sessions de formation, comment bien produire et toutes informations touchant le monde rural.
Nous proposons que les radios locales puissent être utiliséées par les structures d'encadrement en vue de faire passer les messages sur les techniques de production, les opérations post-récolte ainsi que la recherche de financement et la commercialisation.
Merci Patrice pour votre contribution. Je fais un petit résumé en anglais pour ceux qui ne maitrisent pas le français.
Below - Patrice's message in English.
Information on the price of products early in the season season is provided through print media, television and national radio. Community radio stations relay the information to the producers in the local language.
The local radio stations provide information on training sessions, how much to produce and all information concerning rural development.
We propose that local radio can be used by extension sercvices to share messages on production techniques, post-harvest operations and how to look for funding and commercialization.
Son variadas, dentro de los procesos de democratización, las comunicaciones juegan un papel importante para la agricultura familiar, ya que pueden proveer de información de manera agil y oportuna a diversas comunidades que sustentan su diario vivir en la agricultura. Un caso particular, es el acceso a precios de los productos en mercados de ventas cercanos; de igual manera el tema de bancarización para traslados de efectivo y/o pago de servicios; otra forma está relacionada con temas de seguridad, ya que permite comunicaciones entre vecinos y autoridades; además es necesario anotar todos los temas de planeación y de utilización de información gubernamental como el tema de lluvias, entre otras. Para nosotros como gremio, el tema de las TICs está enmarcado en el tema de planeación y desarrollo del territorio, ya que contando con sistemas robustos en los distritos de riego, se pude tener una series de informaciones que permita tomar decisiones en tiempo real, así como la disponibilidad de la misma y la proyección, para concertar mercados y mejorando canales de comercialización, distribución.
There are various, in democratization processes, communications play an important role in family farming because they provide information in an agile and timely manner to different communities that depend from agriculture in their daily living.
A particular case is access to product prices in nearby markets; likewise the issue of banking for transfers of cash and / or payment for services; another case is related to security issues because [ICT] allows communications between neighbours and authorities; moreover it is also necessary to record all the information related to planning and use of governmental information such as the issue of rain, among others.
For us as a union, the theme of ICTs is framed in the field of planning and development of the territory, as counting on solid systems in irrigation districts, and it could provide a series of information that allows [users] to make decisions in real time, as the availability of the same of the and its projection, so to arrange markets and improving marketing channels, distribution.
Thanks to all for the discussion so far. We agree that ICT cannot replace face-face interaction, and that they must be adaptive to emergent needs. In a project run in Laos with animal health workers, we piloted the use of a smartphone app as a training tool. Our findings included that animal health workers were keen to learn the numerous functions of smartphones, and perceived the benefits as contributing to their overall literacy in phone communications. Moreover, an unexpected outcome of the project was the farmers' immense interest in being connected to the internet and sharing photos. This has shown lots of potential for using photo sharing for surveillance and communication about farm issues between families, which we will be exploring.
Has anyone used internet-enabled photo sharing amongst farmer communities?
FYI, the training app is freely available for download at: http://training.vetswithoutborders.ca/
good reminder Moses, in some cases the traditional means of communication are key to rural extension and imparting knowledge to the farmers, the conbinacion as you say is good old and new ICT techniques, but in some cases the same communities may be able to do their own training programs on radio and television diffusion with a minimum of technical assistance to any project
very good your approach
Hi Everyone,
Great to follow the discussion and interesting issues raised and suggestions raised. While these are excellent contributions, I think the basic strategy should be be demand-driven and farmer-centred. Can these media mechanisms really help them solve their pressing, urgent problems? Which problems - perhaps those that can be solved with good production/processing practices and innovations, marketing and stable prices for their products, affordable and accessible financing, financial management, etc. Most of these families and members are poor, lack resources and know-how, hence providing practical solutions and options to them would go a long way in helping them to benefit in terms of their own objectives, priorities and opportunities. "The proof of the pudding" will definitley be in their "eating".
Many thanks for the opportuinty to learn from the comments of others and also to offer my comment. .
Dear Colleagues:
Thank you all for very interesting, informative contributions in this discussion.
At the outset, let me state clearly that I am a believer in the potential of ICTs to bring a technological revolution in farming and agriculture which can enable smallholder family farmers, the majority of farmers in today’s world, to benefit and also cope with challenges in agriculture and their livelihoods.
However, I would like to point out that while there is a lot of documentation and anecdotal information available on the potential use of ICTs to improve family farming based on pilot projects, as provided in this forum also, there is very little hard evidence on the impact and sustainability of these projects as also what has been the learning from almost 20 years of our experience in the use of the “new” ICTs such as computers and cellular telephony, for agricultural development.
Yes, cell phones have contributed to connecting people in rural areas. It is true that cell phones can enable farmers, fisher folk, pastoralists and honey producers etc. to enter and sell into markets. However, what is the tangible evidence that computers and “Smart” phones have impact on smallholder family farmers (outside some developed countries) to improve their farming and benefit from this improvement?
In fact, the evidence available today raises a lot to questions about what has been done so far and what could have been done till now to really exploit the potential of this technology for the smallholder family farmer? For example, the lack of useful content on most Institutional Internet based sources of developing countries adapted to be effectively used exploiting the full potential of these ICTs in local conditions including.
Let us understand that there are a very many other ICTs beyond cellular telephony that are also impacting on farming and agriculture. Some of these are listed here (http://www.egfar.org/news/icts-improving-family-farming). The central issue is how these ICTs can be used to benefit small holder farmers of economically developing countries who need very rapid development of their farming to survive and cope with a rapidly changing world?
Smallholder family farmers thirst for information, which they recognize is a critical resource in todays’ market oriented farming, to improve their farming and participate in markets. They need information about what, when, how and where to grow and how and where to market what they grow. Each smallholder farmer has unique problems and each needs not only a solution but a basket of solutions with options that they can decide upon. Today’s ICTs have the potential, not available so far through any “old” ICT, to satisfy this need.
And yet, there are huge issues that have not even been discussed about the availability, access, timeliness, trustworthiness, affordability, relevance, usefulness and how smallholder farmers can make effective use of this information. In fact, the question could be, is the information that the smallholder farmer needs even available and accessible? There is very little evidence of it. For example, market price information provided through cell phones is usually wholesale price at a distant market and not the farm gate price that the small holder farmer could get with her very small quantities of produce. Call centers to assist farmers offer immediate answers to a pest problem or a sowing date but not on how to optimize production for a reasonable income with resilience and sustainability for the farmer for her livelihood.
Neither have issues such availability, access and affordability of useful hardware, appropriate software, quality connectivity, useful farm advisory services, appropriate content and the necessary Institutional support, especially in research, innovation, extension and building of capacities in farmers to effectively use information needed for smallholder farmers been discussed in much depth and with evidence.
And what about the possible impact on family farmers who are and could be excluded, on economic, social, gender, age and political grounds from the effective use of these technologies?
I hope we, as leaders in thinking about ICT and family farming, can also consider some of these issues going beyond the brighter side of the potential use of ICTs in family farming in this discussion.
Warm regards,
Ajit
Ajit Maru , GFAR Secretariat
Thank you Mr. Maru for these reflections you shared with us.
I hope many other will follow from our members throughout the different questions on the forum that will be opened every few days.
For everyone - the list of questions and the day they will open:
1. According to your experience, how can communication, community media and ICT tools support family farmers in their activities? (open)
2. Based on concrete experience or evidence, how can ICT tools and communication services engage family farmers in accessing information and exchanging knowledge? (open)
3. What are the barriers family farmers face when using community media and other ICT tools? (opening tomorrow 26th of September)
4. What can be done at policy level to promote the use of community media and ICTs, and improve rural communication services? (opening 30th of September)
5. What are priority actions now and next steps in the future that can be undertaken to promote rural communication policies and services? And How? (opening October 2nd)
Looking forward to read the next contributions in this discussion!
Rural economic development has been a priority within IICD’s strategy since we were first established over 20 years ago. During the past five years only, almost 40 projects have been supported across Africa and Latin America as part of our overarching programme to promote socio-economic rural development through increased ICT access and use.
At IICD, we empower and capacitate Farmer Organisations and, via them, smallholder farmers, as well as other Value Chain actors, to effectively use ICT solutions. We facilitate the creation of multi-stakeholder partnerships, and act as a bridge between Value Chain stakeholders in order to enable them to jointly design and implement such ICT solutions which are the most relevant for their local context.
IICD specifically supports stakeholders of the programmes focused on rural economic development via our integrated capacity building approach. For that, we work with our broad, well-established network of local implementing, as well as supporting partners such as ICT companies, IT service providers, IT consultants and software developers, training and capacity building institutions, M&E specialists, and others. This network has deep knowledge of national and international ICT developments and a proven track record of joint ‘ICT for Agriculture’ deployments. We also facilitate knowledge sharing and reflection on local implementation experiences for joint lobby & advocacy to policy makers and decision makers in the enabling environment.
Still far too often, capacity development within ICT4D interventions appears to be considered mainly on the individual level, but not on the level of organizational strengthening of the organisations that shape the direct context and support structures that these individuals rely on.
IICD’s conviction is that what is crucial is the ability of such local organizations to appropriate relevant ICT tools and integrate them in their work and service delivery. Such institutional development is generally only achieved when the focus is on social innovation - the business transformation supported by technology, and not on the technology itself. Though the types of use of ICTs in agriculture of course keep evolving, foundational capacity and intent are not shaped by the new technologies themselves.
From our experience, we strongly believe in the diversity of capacity building activities required for effective and sustainable ICT use over time, especially at the organizational level.
Capacity building needs to be clearly understood in broader terms and not only as training interventions, but also coaching and mentoring, knowledge sharing, relationship building and networking with local technical providers and resource persons, etc. It’s essential to realize that capacity to design, develop, implement and maintain ICT solutions requires guidance and support through the business transformation processes that take place when ICT tools are adopted for agricultural purposes.
IICD has almost 20 years of experience in introducing ICTs for agriculture in development context. This experience shows that the use of the range of recently emerging ICT solutions positively affects inclusion of smallholders in
the Agricultural Value Chains, providing that it is supported by thorough capacity building of all the stakeholders. Therefore, we suggest that any ICT4D implementation should be supported by integrated, widely understood approach to capacity building.
As food for thought, here is in details what IICD’s integrated capacity building approach - referred to as our Social Innovation Process - includes:
• Conducting an in-depth analysis of the local information and communication needs within the Value Chain and mapping the existing information and communication flows and channels;
• Enhancing Farmer Organisations’ and other Value Chain actors’ awareness of potential ICT -based solutions and their prospective added value;
• Supporting the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors in defining and formulating the objectives of the implementation of ICT solutions, therefore gaining adequate understanding of the current state of the situation (e.g. in terms of available technologies) and business processes (e.g. how people do their work);
• Linking the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors to the network of local (ICT) technical providers and ensuring their close and smooth collaboration;
• Training all stakeholders to acquire all relevant ICT and non-ICT related skills needed to successfully work with the ICT solutions. That includes, apart from building ICT capacities within Farmer Organisations, directly building digital and mobile literacy of smallholder farmers to capitalise on the introduced ICT solutions;
• Assisting the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors in the design, development, implementation and maintenance of an ICT solution that is relevant and achievable in the local context of the Value Chain (technological and social dimensions) and will remain sustainable;
• Guiding the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors through the business transformation and change management process needed to sustainably embed ICT solutions into organisational processes;
• Guiding the Farmer Organisations and other Value Chain actors in scaling up the ICT solution.
For more details, I suggest going to some of IICD's publications, e.g.:
- ICT Solutions for Inclusive Agricultural Value Chains
http://www.iicd.org/about/publications/ict-solutions-for-inclusive-agricultural-value-chains/
- IICD Approach: From Need to Sustainability
http://www.iicd.org/about/publications/the-iicd-approach-from-need-to-sustainability/
- ICT for rural economic development: five years of learning
http://www.iicd.org/about/publications/ict-for-rural-economic-development-five-years-of-learning/
L'information sur les prix d'achat des produits en début de campagne est donnée à travers la presse écrite, la télévision et la radio nationale. Les radios communautaires font plus le relais de l'information auprès des producteurs du fait c'est la langue locale ui est utilisée.
Les radios locale donnent les informations sur les sessions de formation, comment bien produire et toutes informations touchant le monde rural.
Nous proposons que les radios locales puissent être utiliséées par les structures d'encadrement en vue de faire passer les messages sur les techniques de production, les opérations post-récolte ainsi que la recherche de financement et la commercialisation.
Patrice Yapi N'CHO, Consultant indépendant,
Merci Patrice pour votre contribution. Je fais un petit résumé en anglais pour ceux qui ne maitrisent pas le français.
Below - Patrice's message in English.
Information on the price of products early in the season season is provided through print media, television and national radio. Community radio stations relay the information to the producers in the local language.
The local radio stations provide information on training sessions, how much to produce and all information concerning rural development.
We propose that local radio can be used by extension sercvices to share messages on production techniques, post-harvest operations and how to look for funding and commercialization.
Son variadas, dentro de los procesos de democratización, las comunicaciones juegan un papel importante para la agricultura familiar, ya que pueden proveer de información de manera agil y oportuna a diversas comunidades que sustentan su diario vivir en la agricultura. Un caso particular, es el acceso a precios de los productos en mercados de ventas cercanos; de igual manera el tema de bancarización para traslados de efectivo y/o pago de servicios; otra forma está relacionada con temas de seguridad, ya que permite comunicaciones entre vecinos y autoridades; además es necesario anotar todos los temas de planeación y de utilización de información gubernamental como el tema de lluvias, entre otras. Para nosotros como gremio, el tema de las TICs está enmarcado en el tema de planeación y desarrollo del territorio, ya que contando con sistemas robustos en los distritos de riego, se pude tener una series de informaciones que permita tomar decisiones en tiempo real, así como la disponibilidad de la misma y la proyección, para concertar mercados y mejorando canales de comercialización, distribución.
There are various, in democratization processes, communications play an important role in family farming because they provide information in an agile and timely manner to different communities that depend from agriculture in their daily living.
A particular case is access to product prices in nearby markets; likewise the issue of banking for transfers of cash and / or payment for services; another case is related to security issues because [ICT] allows communications between neighbours and authorities; moreover it is also necessary to record all the information related to planning and use of governmental information such as the issue of rain, among others.
For us as a union, the theme of ICTs is framed in the field of planning and development of the territory, as counting on solid systems in irrigation districts, and it could provide a series of information that allows [users] to make decisions in real time, as the availability of the same of the and its projection, so to arrange markets and improving marketing channels, distribution.