ict for asian farmers irri 2006
DESCRIPTION
ICT - Technology for rural Asian farmers - Talk at IRRI in 2006TRANSCRIPT
Jan-Peter Mund (PhD Geographer) - CIM/gtz Cambodia - Royal University of Agriculture10.11.2006
Recent Innovations and new Developments in
ICT for Agriculture
Potential applications to empower rural framers in Asia
Recent Innovations and new Developments in ICT for Agriculture empowering farmers in Asia 2
Introduction
“By linking rural farmers to market information, craft workers to customers, patients to doctors, and students to teachers, the internet can aid economic development.“(WWI 2002)
Access to Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and Internet will open doors to newest technology and recent information for rural farmers.
Recent Innovations and new Developments in ICT for Agriculture empowering farmers in Asia 3
Content
ObjectivesIntroductionThe new role of an agricultural extension worker ICT trends in developing countries ICT-applications - Best practises and constraintsFuture perspective for rural agriculture and ICTConclusion
Recent Innovations and new Developments in ICT for Agriculture empowering farmers in Asia 4
Cambodian farmer in 2004
Which crop shouldI plant on that poor
soil?I have no idea.
%
How do I find out about market
prices?
%
Where is the nextlocal cooperation
with access to smallcredits?
A lot of questionswithout access to reliable answers !
Population density 2001
Mobile phone
coverage2004
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Farmers need help
They live under pressure to increase their output, to diversify their production and adopt new farming systems.Often they have to do all these efforts under decreasing prices in order to compete in national and international markets (WTO).They desperately need to learn of options, new techniques and innovative crops beyond the traditional practices inherited from the past.Therefore, they need help and the ICT development might become a hopeful but a challenging multi stakeholder solution.
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Major trends in agricultural extension
Reduced public sector supportPrivatize demand-driven extension for commercial farmersIncreased differentiation among client groups and issue areas Focus on public livelihoods extension for poor and subsistence farmersSupport community management for environmental and natural resource management challenges (i.e. PLUP, NRM- Trainers in Cambodia)
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Extensionist’s role has changed
Today they have to analyze field realities, to conduct activities and solutions in close cooperation with the farmer, based on good and up to date knowledge.They have to consider broader scope of ‘problems’ to address environment, biotechnologies, globalization, trade, etc.Modern Extension services move towards ‘market’ priorities
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The mobile communities 2001
Source: ITU 2001
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IT connection in Asia 2001
IT Diversity between haves & have-notsIT-Density per 100 habitants 2001
0 50 100 150 200
Hong Kong, China
Taiwan, China
Singapore
Japan
Korea (Rep.)
Average in Asia
Cambodia
Solomon Islands
Laos
Bangladesh
Myanmar
Fixed
Mobile
Internet
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The rural digital divide in Asia
The information revolution has bypassed many rural farmers in Asia. (UNDP 2002)
Most of them belong to poor people who live on less than a dollar a day. (World bank 2003)
Many of them have never made a phone call in their lives. (World Watch Institute 2002)
The total number of Internet users in rural China has reached 600,000 in 2003. (China Daily 13.2.2003)
The total number of Internet users in China amounts more than 60 million. (ITU 2003 )
Only 0.6% of Indians have access to the Internet. 80% of internet users are urban (Keralastate Mission 03)
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Literacy rates in Asia 2000
Recent Innovations and new Developments in ICT for Agriculture empowering farmers in Asia 12
Rural ICT access centres
Rural Electronic Computer and Technology Center (NECTEC) Electronic Commerce
Resource Center (ECRC)
Rural Thailand
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W-LAN to villages
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Recent ICT applications
SMS-Info services: Market prices (Infoprix, Benin)W-Lan to Villages in Malaysia and IndiaCommune ICT Kiosks or Agri Malls (Thailand,India)Postmen carry mobile phones to deliver mail in villages (rural India and rural China)SMS to Voice services for illiterate personsLatest information access via local W-Lan (ManobiNet / Grameen Telecom's Village-Phone)Digital camera phone access to expertsAutomated decision support systemsOnline real-time Agro-Info GIS-Services (AGIS South-Africa)
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Decision support systems
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Online real-time GIS-Services
Agricultural Geo Information Servies(AGIS) South Africa with ARC IMS
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Info Systems + Digital Cameras
Agro-monitor services to estimate annual yield through digital photography in Honduras
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Info and decision support systems
ManobiNet for Senegalese fisher and coastal zone farmers
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How can ICTs succeed ?
Capacity building and retraining with extension staff, not only skills how to use the technology effectively but also how to adapt materials for use in the field.Improvement of physical access to ICTs in rural areas.Provide training materials, adapt and translate content into local languages.Institutional change to strengthen and improve the function of the extension institutions.Establish new community structures such as Farmer Organizations, Cooperatives etc.Develop the most appropriate information content and most effective communication methodology.
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E- and Distance learning
E-learning is…the umbrella that enclose education, information, communication, training and management knowledge education and training utilizing ICT and Web based networks.asynchronous "Web-based Training (WBT)distance learning via broadcasting networks possible via CD and other digital data the solution for discussions and real time examinationsnot feasible without standardization.
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Where is the adequate content ?
In several countries agricultural “electronic” and “virtual” libraries already exist.IRRI created three well recognized electronic training and information courses (Internet or CD).Internet GIS-training modules are now commonplaces for studying land use planning and watershed management.Training and study courses for nearly agricultural topics are available in the WWW, but most of them are not adapted to the needs of rural farmers as the main target group.
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Mobile Digital Convergence
2001 - Mobile Digital Systems
2004 Mobile Digital SMS - GIS-Systemsreal- time Internet-GIS
Wlan-GIS
+ ==+
GPS-Camera Phone
+ =
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Digital Camera GPS-Tracking
Tourist Information System, Rwanda: Akagera-National Park
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Rural Asia towards precision farming
Demand drivendecentralizedmobile Info-
Systems
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ICTs transform current extension
ICTs will become ‘everyday’ tools of extension workersIncreased availability of information requires information ‘absorption’ capacitiesFeedback between extension workers and their clients respectively their service providers will improve, because of interactivity.More differentiated extension service clients, re-directed towards those who can pay for informationAwareness of ICT opportunities will focus attention on basic essential rural ICT access issuesExtension and farm communities will need to lobby for telecommunications reform
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Impact of modern ICT Trends
Focus of extension worker shifts from agriculture to ‘rural services’Capacity is built and clients become more varied users of ICTs and informationAwareness of ICT opportunities will focus on basic essential rural ICT access issuesMore varied information demands will emergeExtension workers can reach more farmers that beforeExtension methods will be updated (ICT-enabled) to provide better qualityPeer to peer exchange among extension workersGreater gap between farmers that are ICT ‘haves’ and ICT ‘have-nots’
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Potential of ICT for extension
Inter active - ICT develops a demand driven serviceEfficient - exchange of information in the society Economic - ICT reduces information transaction costs Topical - market pricing, trends and analysisUp to date - natural resource management: time-sensitive information on droughts, flooding, disease symptoms, pests and more Collaborative - learning among target groupsDecentralised - ICTs facilitate the distribution of information to many farmers at the same time
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ICT benefits for farmers
Enhance farmers’ ability in assessing their own needs, solutions and to give feedback Farmers take ownership of media they needFacilitate multi-stakeholder brainstormingExplore alternative production technologiesProvide access to markets and creditReach and communicate with policy makers
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Empowerment of farmers by ICT
Objective:Empowerment of rural farmers with ICT for economic development and environmental protection
Rural ICTKiosks
Mobile ITC
Decisionsupportsystems
Mobile real-time
GIS
w w
w.
Web-Content
E- anddistancelearning
Policy, rulesregulations
Farmergroups
Cooperatives
GIS DataSupportservice Management
tools
Extensionworker
Ruralfarmer
Concept
World, regional,
local marketinfo
CulturalSocio
economicconditions
Technicalinformation
BiophysicalConditions
(Biophysical) RequirementCrop/tree/…
PestDisease
information
New species, varieties
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Conclusion
Change of the extension worker‘s role Implementation of ICT innovations in rural areas Use of ICT innovation in the fieldDifferent expectation to service provider (i.e. IRRI, FAO, IFPRI)Service providers adapt to needs of farmers and extension workersContent and service change:knowledge -> information -> education via SMS, GIS, GPS , e-learning, distance learning, etc.ICD-Capacity building for rural farmers is required !
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Cambodian farmer in 2015
Still the same work…
with much more questions
but on a higher
level of information,
knowledge and capacity !
Jan-Peter Mund (PhD Geographer) - CIM/gtz Cambodia - Royal University of Agriculture10.11.2006
Thank you for your attention