[quote="Lisa-Cespedes"] Question 3 (9 Dec.) What potential downsides (negative impacts) might be experienced when ICT is used in the agricultural value chain? How can we guard against the downsides? [/quote] Dear Lisa, In my understanding and experience I find the ICT vendors and providers themselves will be the most detrimental downsides.We are aware that traders always try to earn more profit from their businesses.When the use ICT in agricultural value chains will be inevitable,the ICT traders will play novel tricks to monopolize or harvest more profits in various manners. To guard from such malpractices by the ICT traders governmental interventions and regulatory provisions are necessary. All the best, Tasnim

[quote="Lisa-Cespedes"] Question 4 (10 Dec.) What are the real drivers of success for the use of ICT (in value chains) in rural areas? What challenges are faced in these situations? [/quote] Dear Lisa, Security may be considered a vital challenge for the use of ICT(in value chains)in rural areas.Unless the safety and security can be ensured for the costly ICT devices,the realization of ICT in value chains may be very difficult.I invite the learned participants to comment on this aspect. Best regards, Tasnim

[quote="kevinguy"] In Australia we are about to commence a project with farmers documenting their production methods and natural resource management techniques by publishing digital stories and hosting these stories online. Does anyone have experience with farmers teaching farmers with digital stories and can you post some online references please? [/quote] Bangladeshi NGO, D-NET utilizes the digital story telling method for traing their clients including farmers.It is heartening to note that a large volume of resource material of this category is available on the web.I checked the net and found too many of such material. All the best, Tasnim

[quote="Lisa-Cespedes"] Integrating ICT into Value Chain Development Introduction Value chains encompass the full range of activities and services required to bring a product or service from its conception to sale in its final markets—whether local, national, regional or global. Value chains include input suppliers, producers, processors and buyers and are supported by a range of technical, business and financial service providers... Information and communications technology (ICT) offers a growing number of ways to exploit opportunities and ad-dress constraints to value chain growth and competitiveness... Paper Attached- written by Judith Payne of USAID and Lisa Kearns and Hannah Schiff of ACDI/VOCA. http://www.e-agriculture.org/uploads/media/Integrating_ICT_into_VC_Deve… [/quote] Dear Lisa, May I know if any particular activity is more important than others in the value chain concept? Best regards, Tasnim

[quote="Lisa-Cespedes"] Dear Participants, please tell us a bit about yourselves here. [/quote] Dear All, I am Tasnim from Bangladesh.I am a student of an Agricultural University.The ongoing discussion on The role of ICT in agricultural value chain is very interesting.I thank all contributors for their spontaneous services for the development of agriculture as a whole. Best Regards, Tasnim