Hi Michael! 

Thanks for your clarification. OSS stands for open source software, you know I got this idea from the computer programmer expert in our institution. It's like using internet sources for free, such that you can use a software which is open, that is, no subscription rate. An example of this is the GNU Image Program (GIMP). This is widely used by photography enthusiasts and open source enthusiasts who are looking for alternatives to photoshop. You see, a licensed Photoshop software is too costly. 

Hi Peter?

Nationalize the IT infrastructure? 

In my own opinion, although nationalizing IT infrastructure is a measure to empowering people in an agricultural country, it poses a great challenge on the part of the government. In such country where there is hardly stable telecommunications infrastructure and more so, characterized with volatile economy, a nationalization law in IT would be too ideal. To borrow Dobek Pater, managing member of Africa Analysis Team, mining firms words on the Zimbabwe’s nationalism law on ICT  “the nationalism law amounts to daylight robbery and has been largely proved to fail the world over…” (http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/en/issue-no-397/money/zimbabwe-s-new-natio/en)

However, what about an OSS instead?

What about a government-mandated open source policy for transferring ICT skills among farmers? I think this is much more feasible on the part of the public sector. I am of the opinion that this policy to change the operating systems and infrastructure of a country will provide opportunities for the transfer of ICT skills to traditionally underserved populations, farmers for one. The government could create large-scale project such as IT trainings and educational centers (which were mentioned  time and again by other participants in this forum) and localized software development centers (especially if the country has a mass of underutilized software skills). Of course, this is easier said than done but this might  initialize the change in the landscape of the IT infrastructure in any country.

Hi Fatima! Hello Peter! Your discussion on the public role is indeed very interesting, that it warranted my attention. Seemingly this leaves just a tiny open space for contribution. Anyway, I simply would like to emphasize the role of partnership not just between and  among the public sector but with the private sector as well. PPP is a very important concept to tackle at this point in time. This opinion will also somehow touches on the role of the government that being prone to corruption, dependency and lack of respect for local- as Peter puts it. The public (inclusive of the government) and the private sectors both have to form partnership and work hand in hand for improving producers’ production capacity, access and delivery or marketing, etc. Taking a closer look and learning from our African friends, the innovative project design through an e-government PPPs in Ghana  shows how a joint venture between government revenue agencies and a private sector partner proved advantageous on both sides.

The e-Ghana Project (FY07-FY12, IDA) has an innovative design featuring a public-private partnership (PPP) to transform revenue collection, using a joint venture between Government revenue agencies and a private sector partner. The project has helped the Government attract US$40 million in private sector investment for developing and deploying an electronic tax application to automate revenue agencies and the Registrar General's Department. Upon completion, this application is expected to help the Government increase compliance and transparency, and broaden the tax base, while reducing the incidence of fraud, upgrading Government employee skills, and developing a template for upgrading other agencies. (cf. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTINFORMATIONANDCOMMUNICATIONANDTECHNOLOGIES/0,,contentMDK:20687836~menuPK:282840~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:282823,00.html)

Hi Anne,

Thanks for picking up on my line of thinking. Embracing ICT as I have mentioned in my previous take indeed offers challenge among members (farmers) but as you have said it could also exponentially raise the potential profits of the individual and the group as a whole-- a clear presentation of opportunities though.

I therefore would like to emphasize the value of collaborative marketing among producers. After identifying common strength, weaknesses, opportunities and  threats, producers would be in te best position to come out with marketing strategies meant to counteract long term challenges in their produce. This is projection of long-term challenges such as the case of the Praire Lamb located in MInnesota Cooperative did. The Cooperative’s official mission was clear - to develop and provide profitable market opportunities for shareholding members, who consistently produce high-quality lamb and related sheep products. This in a way help them to a jumpstart in trying to innovate in the cooperative area. 

"As much as there is strength in numbers (read cooperatives), a group like this can only be as strong as its weakest member." This statement of yours in essence emphasizes the value of cooperative among producers, thus the word cooperative.

While it’s true that knowledge management (KM) is applicable to the farmer sectors and almost all types of industry sectors, of equal importance is Change management or better called transition management (TM), Kelly.

I purposely buy the idea brought up by Peter on “embracing” ICT. This word sounds exactly what transition management is all about. Change is such a strong word to use here because it connotes result whereas transition is a subtle word which focuses more on the process.  Knowing and using and prioritizing procurement of ICT gadgets, manipulating or having technical knowledge--all these should be done in a slow but sure manner. Call this transition management by such terms as “shifting  gear” or “paradigm shift” but I really subscribe to the idea that incorporating the use of ICTs should not be done hastily. ( I guess the teacher in me is starting to work again, at this point) The psychology of the learners, in this case the farmers, or the fishermen, etc. should be one major consideration here.  As in any transition management, the move should start  from the individual, then to the group, next to the organization  proceeding to the environmental.

Hi John! I go with your idea of placing priority in both financial and technical capacity of the cooperatives to purchase and maintain the new technology. However, let me emphasize KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNICAL CAPACITY of the farmer-members of certain cooperatives. Those in cooperatives heavily rely on those few staff that has the technical skills.  Computer skills of most people in cooperatives are low and learning ICT skills is more often not, the least of their priority.  This ties up with HUMAN AND INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL as mentioned by Fatima. Farmer-members of cooperatives should properly see the importance of individual capacity building which is based on their intrinsic desire to learn and use ICT. Cooperative members should actually realize the potentials of the use of ICTs. This in turn is related to another issue which is RELIANCE ON SUPPORT SERVICES SUPPORTERS. Farmers should yes, utilize ICT materials like videos, computing design, and other software products but they should be encouraged to assess and give feedback as to how to contextualize in accordance with the group’s needs. On the financial side, realities like most cooperatives are poor, they are often deficient in infrastructures and are dependent on loan investments should be appropriately addressed.

For a more detailed discussion of these issues kindly refer to:

http://www.ifip.dsg.ae/Docs/FinalPDF/Full%20Papers/ifip_25_nissila,%20t…

Hi Anne!

Speaking of ICT as tool for empowering farmers in your place, I had just finished reading a local study conducted here in our country entitled: Electronic Information Dissemination through the Farmers Information and Technology Services (FITS)/Techno Pinoy Program: Bringing Information and Technology Within the Reach of the Farmers (http://www.afita.org/files/web_structure/20110302115147_701535/20110302…). This more or less harps on the empowerment of farmers brought about by Information Technology. It is very interesting to note that here in the Philippines there is this Techno Pinoy program that utilizes information technology (IT) as a tool to fast track dissemination of agriculture and natural resources information and technologies to farmers. The discussions specifically deal with two(2) IT-based projects namely: Development of FITS Information System and Packaging and Dissemination of Techno Pinoy CD. FITS is a strategy conceptualized in 1995 by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), a sectoral council of the Department of Science and Technology mandated to coordinate and monitor R and D for agriculture, forestry and natural resources (AFNR). More popularly known and promoted as Techno Pinoy in the local scene, the Program is an information and technology service center, a resource center and a dynamic feedback mechanism. The FITS Information System is composed of seven (7) major databases namely: technology,experts’ profile, farmers; profile, contact firms, trade/production statistics, publication, and video materials. The CDs produced and released under the program became very in demand that the material is undergoing enhancement , thus, a second CD is in the offing.

If what you mean by techno peasant is that farmers being not so well-versed with technology moreso, techno illiterate by virtue of lack of opportunity that is not formally being educated, then, I should say all the more ICT could help facilitate learning on the part of the farmers. I am actually thinking from the point of view of a teacher. Let's take the case of pre-schoolers. When they first stepped inside the four corners of the classrooms they could be likened to an empty vessels waiting to be filled. The creative teachers then start pouring in learnings done through colorful, meaningful, spirited activities then wala, the eager pre-schoolers learn! The point that I'm trying to drive here is that, multimedia presentations facilitated through the use of technology can now present complicated concepts in the simplest yet very interesting manner. If the little kids get to enjoy colorful and animated presentations and learn in the process, I strongly believe the techno peasants would definitely learn! (I just hope I'm making sense here.)