CONTRIBUTE TO SHAPING THE DESIGN OF THE AGRIFOOD SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES & INNOVATIONS OUTLOOK (ATIO) KNOWLEDGE BASE (KB)
DISCUSSING A PROTOTYPE AND A DRAFT CONCEPT NOTE OF ATIO KNOWLEDGE BASE
Questions and proposed responses: Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) Chief Directorate: Food Security
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Given the description of the ATIO KB, how do you think it can help you and users like you? As a Policy developer and support provider to farmers/producers the ATIO KB will assist in providing realistic and appropriate technologies to the users, key is that the ATIO should be considerate of the farmer’s circumstance which will then enhance their adoption. Grassroots communities require hand holding and once an innovation is adopted success benefits these users, in particular at their local spheres.
Describe one or more specific use cases that you wish the KB would address, - one would like to see information amongst farmers themselves, an example is the FAO’s Farmer Field School is a case that can be used wherein farmers use another farmers field as a learning platform to gain practical knowledge.
2. What do you make of concepts like policy innovation and social innovation? Policy innovation is a process wherein policy makers such as government craft policies that create conducive environments for farmers and policy users to thrive. Social innovation on the other hand is like a public call to support community growth and development without expecting profit.
Can you think of examples? Examples include the supply of water harvesting equipment to communities which then enables the communities to harvest rainwater to augment water availability for their various needs.
Is it useful for you to be able to find such content? Yes.
In which form do you expect to find them? User friendly, pamphlets, graphics. How would you use them? Collaborate with Provincial Extension Officers to disseminate the information to users.
3. How important is it to feature grassroots innovations? It is critical as these are the most challenged communities in terms of resources.
Looking at some records of grassroots innovations in the prototype, what would you like to see in the descriptions that you don’t see? Under the Innovations section need to add: Use of paperless technologies for farmers [especially subsistence farmers/producers] to apply for support in their respective areas – this reduces their travel costs to areas and sites where such support is dispatched from.
Which dimension should we capture? Support to subsistence producers as these are disadvantaged.
What is most useful for grassroots use/application of innovations? Consultation prior the development of innovations and awareness including illustration of benefits for such innovations.
4. How do you think branded commercial products should be featured on the ATIO KB? Branded commercial products should be featured as they are provided by the owners of such brands as this will promote data sharing and exchange amongst users. Consultation with owners is necessary to ensure protection of people’s information.
Data sources of technology-related information often feature individual models of technologies (for instance, different models of solar-powered irrigation pumps). Should the ATIO KB feature models? Yes as these will promote knowledge sharing.
What is the “innovation” unit you expect to find? Use of easy to buy mechanisation for smallholder and subsistence producers’ alternative sources of energy and climate smart technologies that are basic and user friendly.
5. Here are two of the main taxonomies used in the prototype: types of innovations and use cases. Considering that there is no agreed standard for these categorizations, and that we are aligning them to those used in similar projects, are these “good enough” to start? As a start, yes.
Which major problems do you see? The exclusion of some excellent lessons from some of the countries that failed to share their cases due to lack of access to this platform.
Please suggest changes or volunteer to help us improve them in the next months. The need to link up with specific government departments, institutions of learning and research institutions as well as feedback sessions. Other taxonomies are here.
6. We are developing a chatbot-like search capability. Do you prefer the classic filter-based search or the chatbot search? The filter -based search to avoid spams is ideal but should be easily accessible. Or the possibility of choosing either?
Tell us how we can improve the search experience. Establish a control desk or enhance the existing to filter information whilst allowing new ideas to come through.
7. We use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enrich and automatically categorize the records: you will see an AI stamp at the end of descriptions that have been generated by AI: how good is the text generated? Is AI enriching the records in a meaningful way? Response: AI is a useful tool though more research is needed to enhance is use by all not the selected few.
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Dr. Jemina Moeng