Success Stories on Information and Communication Technologies for Agriculture and Rural Development

This publication from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific uses 7 case studies to document how small resource-poor farmers can use emerging technologies to improve agricultural productivity and value chains and to improve living standards of farming communities. It reflects FAO's focus on information and communication technology (ICT) innovation for agriculture and rural development.

The seven case studies include:

1. Digital Green: Leveraging social networks for agricultural extension

Digital Green uses a hub and spoke model involving technology, partnership and community engagement in the creating and airing of participatory, video-based learning. For example, in Madhya Pradesh, India, Digital Green’s partner, ACCESS, connected farmers, through selected community resource persons (CRPs), with screenings of 8-10 minute videos made in local languages by community champions trained in video production skills using simple, handheld cameras. Content chosen using top-down and bottom-up collaboration and the facilitation during screenings of CRPs afre felt to have increased farmer engagement.

2. e-Krishok: Making ICT work for farmers – a 360-degree ICT-enabled solution to empower farmers

The Bangladesh Institute for ICT and Development (BIID) has developed an information repository website, which includes market linkage to online trading, as well as an interface tool, a mobile phone help-line, and Farmbook. "BIID in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) introduced Farmbook to offer an ICT-enabled solution to assess profitability and frame a business plan." In addition, BIID is offering training in new technologies and mobile payment services. Future strategies include: multistakeholder partnerships; initiating cooperative models at the field level; introducing institutional learning programmes; branding and positioning e-Krishok as the leading ICT4D solution; and mobilising resources to ensure proper implementation of the activities.

3. Adapting consumer technology to combat illegal fishing in Timor-Leste

To work on the problem of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the new country of Timor-Leste, "the National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (NDFA) working in partnership with the FAO-Spain Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme for South and Southeast Asia (RFLP) has introduced technology in the form of low-cost personal locator beacons (PLBs) as part of a community-based IUU fishing reporting system." The PLBs were adapted to have just 2 buttons, emergency and illegal, and the PLBs were distributed to local, small-scale fishermen who were given training in their use. This created a connection and trust between the fishermen and the government, where the fishermen were given increased safety and the government was able to map suspected illegal fishing at a low cost. The system can be upscaled and is usable in "many developing countries where there are very few patrol boats or extremely limited human resources to patrol remote sea areas."

4. Mobile GAP Assessment System: New technology for family farms involved in quality assurance schemes

The government of Thailand introduced the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) system in 2003 to help insure the safety of the nation's food supply. The paperwork required for certification was reported to be difficult and expensive. This case study shows how the use of mobile phones and tablets was designed to make the process easier and more efficient. The IT facilitators were elementary school students who helped their parents and their community with technology and reports.

5. The revolutionary PRIDE™ model by mKRISHI® – empowering farmers to live with dignity

"Based on extensive research in the field and interaction with farmers, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has determined that value creation in the agriculture sector is mainly accomplished by increasing agricultural productivity, creating fair and transparent markets and collectivizing small and marginal farmers." This project is working to show how technology and specifically the mKRISHI platform can aid farmers with collective trading and procurement, agricultural best practices, and creating fair and transparent markets.

6. Mobile Market Information Service: A pilot project of ICT use for smallholder farmers in Papua New Guinea

The Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) in conjunction with Digicel and with funding support from the Agricultural Innovative Grant Scheme (AIGS) of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) "initiated the project in efforts to address the challenges confronted by growers along the fresh produce value chain." A pilot project was initiated in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to provide timely market information to smallholder fresh produce farmers via mobile phones and explores how it could contribute to improving the livelihoods of rural farmers. Technologies such as "geographic information systems, mobile telephony, Web 2.0 technologies, and social networking are offering new and innovative approaches for enhancing the dissemination of agricultural information."

7. Nano Ganesh - a revolutionary ICT tool for farm irrigation

"Nano Ganesh is a mobile phone-based remote control system by which a farmer can remotely control and monitor his water pump with the help of a mobile phone." The product is currently being used by farmers in India to allow access to pumps at anytime of the day or night without possibly dangerous travel to the pump site.

Click here to access the 108-page first edition in PDF format.