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Agricultural Value Chains and ICT

ICTs play an important role in agricultural value chains, with different types of ICT having different strengths and weaknesses when applied to particular interventions. The impacts of ICT are diverse, and they influence market competitiveness in different ways. However, technology should not overshadow the people and institutions involved. While the positive impacts of ICT are being catalogued and discussed, many rural farmers still do not have access to or the capacity to use ICT.

It is clear the impact of ICT in Agriculture Value Chains is diverse, and influences the market competitiveness in different ways. Given the importance of context and the rapid development technology, it can be difficult to determine whether the appropriate tool now will persist in being the appropriate tool in the future.

In this section, you can find a wide range of materials that look at key opportunities and challenges of ICT interventions in the agricultural value chain with a special focus on the most beneficial interventions in rural areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LATEST POSTS ON THIS TOPIC

photo credit: FACET
10/06/2013

The Fostering Agriculture Competitiveness Employing Information and Communication Technologies (FACET) program, an associate award under the FIELD-Support LWA and managed by FHI 360, was funded by USAID/AFR/SD/EGEA––the partnership that oversees the design and implementation of USAID...

 
QR code for the URL of the English Wikipedia Mobile main page
07/06/2013

According to an article in the Global Times, the Pudong Agriculture Association will begin labeling a popular variety of locally grown watermelon with Quick Response (QR) codes this month. The association plans to label 300,000 melons in this pilot program to better ensure food safety. The QR codes...

 
06/06/2013

This paper focuses on how ICT solutions can empower agricultural producers by improving their marketing capabilities, with an emphasis on smallholder farmers. ICT solutions can increase efficiencies and improve competitive dynamics in agriculture, which can raise agricultural productivity and...

 
http://www.adb.org/
30/05/2013

Major changes have been occurring almost unnoticed in staples value chains in Asia. The Quiet Revolution in Staples Value Chains documents and explains the transformation of value chains moving rice and potatoes between the farm gate and the consumer in Bangladesh, the People’s Republic of China,...

 
An Assessment of Market Information Systems in East Africa
24/05/2013

This briefing paper presents the results of an assessment carried out to explore the current use of sustainable (without on-going donor support) and scalable (potentially to millions of farmers) agricultural market price information systems (MIS) in Africa, with a particular focus on East Africa....

 
Katalyst case study 6
20/03/2013

This case study has been developed on the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in disseminating agricultural information to the farmers in Bangladesh. It was prepared by the ICT team of Katalyst and Dan Nippard of The Springfield Centre (www.springfieldcentre.com). The case study  ...

 
http://www.fao.org/
15/02/2013

This study documents the various kinds of information and communications technology (ICT) initiative being implemented globally to improve agricultural value chains and agribusinesses. Many of the solutions presented entail improving access to reliable and timely information. Inequity in access to ...

 
14/02/2013

This briefing paper presents the results of an assessment carried out to identify, document and share examples of ICTs that are being used by African agricultural input supply companies to better manage their distribution networks and provide important products, services, information and technical...

 
12/02/2013

A brief profile outlining Agrimanagr, a supply chain management platform by Virtual City being used by outgrower companies in Kenya and Tanzania,  including how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact.  

 
29/01/2013

A brief profile outlining MRI Agro, an input supply company in Zambia that is using electronic vouchers to encourage advance purchase of inputs and to offer discounts,  including how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact.  ...

 
e-Agriculture
28/01/2013

A brief profile outlining Crop Nutrition, a soil testing service in Kenya that provides results via SMS,  including how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact.  How it Works: Crop Nutrition is an agribusiness company providing...

 
e-Agriculture
14/01/2013

This briefing paper presents the results of an assessment carried out to identify, document and disseminate information about ICTs that are being used by African agribusiness companies to improve the management of outgrowing operations and the various forms of support they provide to farmers.  This...

 
08/01/2013

Kiringai Kamau is a Social Entrepreneur. He has founded VACID Africa as an Africa Wide Capacity Building initiative that promotes networking among development institutions, workers and partners. Watch Kiringai's new interview on the e-Agriculture YouTube channel  Agriculture is, to many African...

 
Source: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/123073232/ICTs-for-Agricultural-Extension
22/11/2012

This paper reports on a study conducted in North India, contributing to the existing research gap on what a farming community does with Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) when they have access to them.  The study provides insights into intentions and factors surrounding the...

 
19/11/2012

The concept of agribusiness network is primarily based on the use of an ICT model or system to provide access to information at reasonable cost to farmers. The use of ICT allow a rapid flow of information between buyers and producers, which reduces misunderstandings and therefore improves the...

 
e-Agriculture
04/11/2012

The main objective of the African Cashew Alliance is to increase the competitiveness of African cashew smallholders and achieve a lasting reduction in poverty in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Mozambique, building the capacity of the producers and processors and linking...

 
e-Agriculture
19/10/2012

Crospter provides "an innovative platform that directly integrates the farmers into the supply chain. This application provides online tools for sustainable supply chains - including producers, traders and processors of agricultural products. It also has an M&E tool, enabling efficient...

 
13/10/2012

Whoever hurriedly reads the title above may not understand the use of capital letters differing WEALTH from wealth. However, no one would deny that Water and sanitation, Energy, Agriculture, Learning and skill building, Technology, and Health (in brief, WEALTH) are needed to create real impact and...

 
e-Agriculture
12/10/2012

Sustaination is a network serving every type of food business, from farm to fork, at every scale and turnover. A professional network for local food and farmers, with an emphasis on SME, sustainability, and relocalization. Sustaination uses social, local, and mobile web technologies to make it...

 
09/10/2012

A brief profile outlining Lima Links, a market information system in Zambia using a mobile point of sale app,  including how it works, the implementer/funder, the technology used, fees, primary markets, users, business model, and impact. How it works: Lima Links is a mobile phone point...