Breakout Sessions
Beyond Farmer Information Services
Oftentimes the focus tends to be on technology for farmer information services, but digital solutions provide so much more than that. In this session we’ll outline a few examples that demonstrate some of the breadth of possibility in the application of technology for agriculture and farming communities.
Informed AgroExtension
Enabling farmers and agricultural extension workers to adopt sustainable and scalable practices requires access to complete and user-friendly models and data. How can modelers, data scientists, and technology disruptors build systems to inform agricultural extension?
Digital Money Ecosystems for Farmers Across Africa
Digital banking influences every part of the agricultural system. Here we’ll hear about loans, savings products, and mobile money for ag coops across Africa.
Gender Divide Initiatives
Girls and women, particularly those living in the global south, often have less access to and opportunities to use the necessary digital tools for economic stability and resilience. Initiatives around the globe are working to harness digital technologies to build more inclusive economies and increase the access of women to these tools. This session will explore the success and insights of initiatives dedicated to closing this gender digital divide by meeting the needs of women in agripreneurship and farming.
Digitizing Points of Contact During COVID
Digital solutions have become even more important in the post-COVID world. As ICTforAg has transitioned to the virtual realm, so have many farmers’ transactions. Here are a few examples of removing points of contact to protect farmers and others in the value chain from coronavirus.
Protecting and Supporting Young People Through Digital Programming
Young people, who have the greatest handle on all things digital, will also be the future of agriculture globally. What are the ways we can cultivate a food secure future through our young people?
Getting Phones in Farmers’ Hands
Many of the solutions discussed across ICTforAg programming rely on farmers’ connectivity via mobile phone, whether standard or smartphone. This session will explore some projects working to get phones in the hands of farmers who do not yet have them.
Crop Health from Outer Space
Geospatial technology provides new opportunities for evaluating, predicting, and responding to crop health on a local level. This session will outline some of the satellite-based technologies and how they’re being implemented on the ground.
Farmer Voices Shaping Private Sector Support
Farmers are at the center of our food systems. 60 Decibels has been speaking with 500 Kenyan farmers every month since June to understand their experience of the pandemic. Their insights are being used by social enterprises like WeFarm, Mediae and Agri Wallet to meet farmers’ big needs – cash, market access and inputs. Join this discussion moderated by Mercy Corps’ AgriFin Accelerate Program to see how private sector players are using Lean Data insights and digital infrastructure to support farmers in navigating COVID-19. You’ll hear us share examples of what’s working and reflecting on the additional work we need to collectively keep doing.
When Low Tech is High Tech
Sometimes less is more - and this is true for technology, too. Many times the best digital solutions are the simplest or most well-established ones. This session will explore radio and WhatsApp as important, if straightforward, implementation tools.
Facilitating Digital Inclusion Through Private Sector Engagement
Achieving inclusive digital systems will require active multi-sector participation. The aim of this session is to outline some of the ways that development programming is instigating this engagement. Speakers will share different angles in various country contexts, and discuss ways of moving this work forward.
Women’s Financial Inclusion
This session builds on a set of recently released findings from three research projects conducted by MIT CITE in collaboration with three USAID Missions and USAID Washington. By discussing similar barriers and benefits cited across the three studies and addressing unique challenges in each market, this group will lead us towards outlining potential paths towards greater financial inclusion for women, especially how the various actors involved can respond to the research and recommendations.
(French language session) Toward Paperless Agricultural Banking in the COVID Era
CETTE SESSION VA ÊTRE TOTALEMENT EN FRANÇAIS. Le banquement digital est de plus en plus commune, notamment dans la ville. Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire pour les agriculteurs et leurs communautés? Comment est-ce que le coronavirus est accéléré ces changements? Cette session va discuter ces questions. THIS SESSION WILL BE ENTIRELY IN FRENCH. Digital banking is increasingly common, especially in cities. What does this mean for farmers and their rural communities? How has coronavirus accelerated these changes? This session will discuss these questions.