E-Agriculture

Call for articles on blockchain opportunities for agriculture

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Call for articles on blockchain opportunities for agriculture

This announcement is shared for informational purpose to the e-Agriculture Community as announced by CTA in dgroups

CTA is looking for articles for the forthcoming issue of ICT Update, which will deal with blockchain in agriculture

Blockchain can be defined as a digital ledger that allows storage and exchange of information in a decentralized, immutable, autonomous and trustworthy manner. It allows actors engaged in a transaction to quickly share information, which can include financial data, without a central authority. No single actor can damage the records.

Blockchain technology is therefore suited for uses and issues such as quicker, effective and transparent business processes, traceability of agrifood products and services, smart contracts, instant payment, etc. Experts believe that from 2018, its application in business processes will be accelerated. The company Goldman Sachs estimates that blockchain could facilitate a global saving of up to USD 6 billion per year in business transactions.

African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, including their agrifood sector, can also seize these opportunities, provided relating challenges are addressed. This was discussed recently at a workshop organised by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) in the Netherlands.

Content and deadline

As part of its innovation promotion activities and to follow-up on the above-mentioned workshop, CTA is working on a special issue of its magazine ICT Update which will focus on blockchain opportunities for the agrifood sector.

We are interested in articles that explore and present solutions, products, case studies, challenges and expert opinions relating to blockchain in agriculture, relevant for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. We also want to hear from initiatives implemented in other regions (Europe, USA, etc.) which can be of interest to ACP countries. CTA is planning to develop follow-up activities with interested partners, and some of the initiatives identified might be involved in these.

Interested authors are requested to please send a brief description of their intended article or an expression of interest for consideration. The deadline is 5 March 2018 

Chosen writers will be sent guidelines for production of their article (between 700 and 1200 words). Some interesting articles which will not be selected for ICT Update could be published on other platforms. Some interviews may be held.

We are also looking for any online resources, publications, papers, and reports related to blockchain for agriculture, for inclusion in the ICT Update issue.

Benefits for the authors and initiatives presented

ICT Update is free publication. Authors will not be paid for their articles; however, authors and their initiatives will benefit from great promotion. Indeed, ICT Update (http://ictupdate.cta.int) is a bimonthly printed bulletin, web magazine and accompanying e-mail newsletter that has been focusing on the use of information and communication technologies in agriculture in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries for more than 20 years. It is published in English and French and has the following audience:

  • 5,000 print copies produced and distributed to key experts and institutions in Africa, Caribbean, Pacific countries (mainly), but also in Europe and beyond.
  • About 6,000 followers on Twitter (where electronic versions are promoted)
  • 5,000 subscribers to its newsletters.

Contact

Please send questions, expression of interest or articles to:

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