Contribution received through the e-Agriculture platform
Q1
The private sector has been eager to step up and provide innovations when the appropriate conditions are in place. Where governments can be most effective is in supporting a regulatory environment that encourages the sharing of information and the development of digital infrastructure, in particular in rural areas. It is costly to provide the core infrastructure components, such as the telecommunications networks and the central hosting or cloud services and the government could step in, perhaps in partnership with private sector actors, to facilitate and accelerate the building of this infrastructure.
Another area where governments can provide an important imput is in training. From technical colleges to universities, high schools to extension services, it is crucial to build a cadre of digitally skilled advocates to spread the knowledge and the mentality of digital transformation.
Q2
I believe that under the principle of inclusivity, mention should be made of important actors such as financial institutions, information technology companies and experts and international donors. Perhaps it is a given, but it would be better to state it outright as these actors will have important roles to play in rolling out technology solutions that benefit the agricultural sector.
Q4
I agree with this comment and would suggest that alternative governance structures from the fields of Information Technology and computer science be examined for applicability. I think it is also important to seek the involvement and participation of the beneficiaries on the ground in the countries that will be affected. Concrete support should be given to the creation and maintenance of national-level councils that can act as a bridge between this international council and the public and private sector actors within the countries. It is crucial to have local buy-in as early as possible and the proposed structure does not appear to address this requirement.
السيد David Dion