FAO.org

New information and knowledge are critical inputs for the practice of agriculture the world over. This is especially true for resource-poor farmers living in rural areas in Asia. Yet most of these farmers are not only resource poor but also information poor. Mobile technology holds great promise in delivering information to resource-poor farmers and as a consequence to improving their livelihoods. The number of mobile connections is presently six billion and growing. There are many examples of mobile-based interventions in agriculture, health, education and rural livelihood projects in Asia. Of these, however, few have moved from the pilot phase to fully functional sustainable initiatives. This workshop was convened in Bangkok, Thailand from 3 to 4 April 2012 to share experiences and good practices about the use of mobile phones in agricultural development and poverty reduction in the region. It brought together senior officials from 12 countries in Asia, representatives from the private sector and experts in mobile agricultural information systems to explore how effective partnerships between the public and private sectors can deliver mobile agricultural information services. Recommendations are included in the report.