ICTforAg 2020 Recap

Beyond Farmer Information Services

The session covered presentations from speakers on their technology-based solutions for rural communities in developing countries.

Key Takeaways:

  • There is lower penetration of digital financial services in the agriculture sector in Africa as compared to other sectors.

  • It is important to adopt a data-driven approach to examine the use of digital technology for farmers and agriculture stakeholders.

  • Universal accessibility of data is required to enable players to validate the data, ensure generalizability, and develop a value-added solution.

  • Solution providers need to collaborate with support from global development agencies to design efficient data management systems.

Here are some examples presented at the session:

  • Example 1: USAID and BMGF funded ‘Agriculture in the digital age’ project run by Cornell University

    Objective: To address the issue of access to granular data based on real evidence on interventions

    Solution Designed: Machine learning techniques were designed to rapidly aggregate research literature around digital interventions for gathering data based on certain. The data collected includes information services shared with farmers through digital tools, the types of digital implements used on farms, adoption rates of digital financial services, digital market linkages, and digital enabled policies and infrastructure.

    Outcome: Map the range of outcomes, interventions and indicators on an interactive database that will serve as a comprehensive and reliable resource for other funders and experts.

  • Example 2: Feed the Future research program

    Objective: To provide an evidence base to support innovation in the agriculture technology space, and empower businesses, farmers, ecosystem players and policymakers to benefit from them.

    Solution Designed: Support was provided to pilot lab innovations to address challenges related to agricultural productivity, improving nutritional outcomes, and strengthening the resilience of women and children. The Feed the Future Innovation Exchange microsite was created for innovators to share deployable technologies and cutting-edge innovations and approaches, and act as a platform to initiate collaborations with development organizations and capital providers to convert the innovations into businesses.

    Outcome: Map the range of outcomes, interventions and indicators on the interactive database that will serve as a comprehensive and reliable resource for other funders and experts.

  • Example 3: Resilience Arid Lands Partnership for Integrated Development (RAPID) program in Kenya funded by USAID

    Objective: To bring in efficient water utilization through usage of technology

    Solution Designed: The program uses technology like sensors to collect data about the functioning of borewells using color coding, as well as IoT for water delivery services to ensure that water is being supplied to areas where boreholes need repair and take decisions on which boreholes need to be repaired on priority. To triangulate this data, the program uses prepaid water meters to track the functioning of boreholes in the region.

    Outcome: Efficient water management with low wastage of water

  • Example 4: Use of Mobile Application to Secure Tenure (MAST) application in land securing in Burkina Faso

    Objective: To improve productivity of the livestock

    Solution Designed: MAST is a suite of tools to support the collection and management of land rights and resources. The application uses tools such as satellite images to help visualize villages and territories, and collect data about land, which does not require the internet, which can be uploaded on to the platform (this requires internet). The data collected is then verified by the government, and documents are drawn to create a formal land agreement.

    Outcome: The application and data collected is being used to update land records, improve transparency in land transfer, and improve the land governance system in Burkina Faso.

  • Example 5: Programs run by the Livestock Systems Innovation Lab, a research program led by the University of Florida

    Program 1: Empowering village women as livestock disease sentries

    Objective: To enable quick access to healthcare facilities for animals

    Solution Designed: A phone application was developed to report livestock diseases by women in rural areas. They could upload symptoms of the disease as well as an image of the animal, and get access to a GPS location of veterinarians in the area.

    Program 2: Empowering village women as livestock disease sentries

    Objective: To improve productivity of the livestock

    Solution Designed: A mobile application was used for feeding support of livestock in order to improve their productivity. The application allows individual farmers or extension workers to develop locally available ration/feed diet for livestock, and also get a projection of the amount of milk that the diet can generate.