Forum: "Mobile Information Services" November, 2011

The Benefits of Forming Strong Partnerships to Create Sustainable and Scalable Information Advisory Services - 21 November to 2 December, 2011 

The mFarmer Initiative, a partnership between GSMA, USAID and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) was set up to support mobile operators and agricultural partners in launching mobile information services that benefit farmers and are commercially viable. This forum initiated a discussion around the types of partnerships that are conducive to creating sustainable and scalable mobile information and advisory services for farmers. The forum focused on the different roles of each partner, namely mobile network operators (MNOs) and agricultural organizations, the assets that each bring to the partnership, and the challenges currently experienced.