ICTforAg 2018 : An interesting agenda ahead
ICTforAg 2018 annual conference brings together 300 practitioners and decision makers in agriculture and international development.
This year’s edition seeks to focus on new ICT solutions that can boost the productivity of both smallholder farmers and agricultural markets systems. ICTforAg is supported by Abt Associates, DAI, FHI 360, and RTI International.
The conference will focus on three areas:-
- Market systems
- Technological innovation, and
- Crisis Response
A glimpse of the agenda
The agenda reveals that this edition will focus on real challenges faced by farmers and other stakeholders in the above identified areas.
Below we show you the extract of just one of the sessions 10:00 -10:30
Digital Technologies for Agricultural Development in the Global South: Richard Duncombe, Global Development Institute, University of Manchester
What are the best practices learned from relevant practitioner experiences and academic research on information sharing services, the use of infomediaries, and facilitating change in agricultural systems and settings?
How to Increase Women’s Use of ICT in Agriculture? Angelique Uwimana, FAO Rwanda
There are seven critical factors for success in ICTforAg initiatives, yet each presents gender barriers to women’s access to, control and use of ICTs for agriculture. How can we better integrate gender into our activities and narrow the gender gap?
Lessons From Replicating PAYG Solar in Agriculture: Ankunda Kariisa, USAID
Pay-as-you-go solar sales models are a success in Kenya, so USAID’s Digital Finance and D2FTF teams explored introducing similar products in Uganda to onboard smallholder farmers onto mobile wallets. Did it work? And what did they learn?
Can Nepal and Cambodia Really Have Common Ag Data Standards? Kathryn Alexander, Development Gateway
How two very different countries are working towards data interoperability standards, sharing common agriculture data structures, and utilizing existing data storage tools for Feed the Future reporting.
How big is my farm? Leveraging plot mapping in Rwanda: Meredith Whitty, U.S. African Development Foundation
Smallholders are using GPS to map over 1,000 small plots of land. For the first time, these maize growers will actually know the size of their fields, and be informed as they buy and use inputs. Yet how can utilize this data to catalyze growth?
A WISE Solution for Senegalese Fishermen: Berhane Gebru FHI 360
How can ICTforAg solutions support fishermen and women processors, making both groups more competitive? With An electronic fish market information system, navigational information, and weather forecasts for local cooperatives.
Browse the whole agenda here